Il Pittore, the Northern Italian restaurant from Stephen Starr and longtime culinary director Chris Painter, is currently on hold and not taking over the former Deux Cheminées space at 12th and Locust. This is the second relocation for the yet-to-open Il Pittore, as the project was originally attached to the former Ansill Food+Wine at Third and Bainbridge.
"The landlord and Stephen [Starr] couldn't agree on some terms, so we're on the lookout for another place," said Painter. "It's still happening, but we need a new home."
Painter, who spent almost a month in Italy to research modern Northern Italian cuisine, has opened six restaurants for Starr in the last two years, and has been with the company since 2000, when he was named Best New Chef by local critic Craig LaBan.
Painter and Starr were also on the long list of people developer Bart Blatstein approached to move into the former Speck space in the Piazza, which was recently taken over by Tony Rim of Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge and the Corner.
Painter, who is currently getting the team ready at Starr's Frankford Hall—which opens tomorrow at Frankford and Girard Avenues—is optimistic the situation will be remedied soon. "I'm ready to go," he said. "We'll get this thing sorted out one way or another, and get rolling on it." [The Feast]
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