Look for Flour, Paul Minnillo's eagerly awaited Italian bistro, to open later this month in Moreland Hills.
The vibe is shaping up as distinctly modern. Wood floors have been ditched for stained concrete. Tabletops are clad in burnished zinc rather than crisp linen. Sleek glass subway tile wraps the backbar and exposed kitchen walls. And room dividers are metallic chainmail instead of drapery.
The wood-burning pizza oven will be the domain of Jonathan Vecchio, a trained pizzaiolo from Turin, Italy. While Neapolitan-style pie will be a specialty, the menu hardly stops there. With sections devoted to antipasti, meats and cheeses, salads and greens, pasta, pizza, and entrées, the menu is designed to be enjoyed casually and in various ways. Practically everything will be made in-house, from fresh cheeses like ricotta and mascarpone, to cured meats such as mortadella, sopressata, pancetta, and pepperoni.
"True Italian food is simple and seasonal," explains Chris DiLisi, Flour's executive chef and partner. "It's having the confidence to show restraint — to not garnish with 55,000 things when a squirt of lemon will do."
You'll find them at 34205 Chagrin Blvd.; for more info, check out flourrestaurant.com.
Joe Beemer is the new chef at East Fourth Street's Wonder Bar, coming to the spot from Beachwood's Melange.
The upscale bar has seen its share of chefs, menus, and concepts since its 2007 opening. Beemer hopes to usher in a new era.
Pizza has always been a top seller here: Now the dough is made fresh daily. Popular entrées include an elegant chicken paprikash and a hearty beef tip and mashed potato meal. Nothing exceeds $16.
"We are definitely more affordable than everyone on the street," Beemer adds. — Trattner
