It's been in the works for months, and now Chef Christopher Perkey, owner of
Osteria Rossa, says he's looking at a possible March opening date for the casual Italian eatery.
Osteria Rossa, which translates loosely to "red tavern," occupies the main floor of the recently renovated historic Kendall Building, 16 Monroe Center Ave. NE, at the crossroad of Fulton St. and Division Avenue, the bull's-eye center of Grand Rapids.
Monument Park, which is in the midst of a total renovation, is just steps away from the front door and will be an integral part of Osteria Rossa's outdoor dining experience.
"We have gotten permission from the
Grand Rapids DDA to expand the dining area into the park," says Chef Perkey. "It will wrap around by the trees and grass. We'll be the only restaurant in Grand Rapids where you can eat in a park. The whole front of the restaurant will open so customers can move in and out, and we'll be able to serve beer and wine out there."
Perkey says the cuisine and atmosphere will be the most casual type of Italian dining you can find in Italy. Wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas and sausages, breads from
Field & Fire, soups from scratch, and farm-to-fork ingredients fill the menu.
Perkey hopes that his family-friendly meals and hours will entice families visiting the
Grand Rapids Children's Museum to venture down a few doors for lunch, supper, or a mid-afternoon snack.
"We'll be kid-friendly," says Perkey, a father of three. "If they want noodles with butter they can have that, or maybe an interesting shaped pizza, and we will have spaghetti and meatballs."
Anticipated hours: Lunch, dinner, and evenings, Mon-Fri.; dinners and evening, Sat.
Design:
Lott3Metz Architects
Construction manager:
616 Development
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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