Osteria, which takes its name from the Italian term for a casual hangout serving simple food and wine, is coming to the southeast corner of McKellips and Alta Mesa in northeast Mesa.
The ambitious project, located in The Shoppes at Legacy House, is headed by Charles Kassels, executive chef of the iconic El Chorro Lodge in Paradise Valley for the past seven years.
Osteria will bake its own breads and pastries in a wood-fired oven, make its own pastas (up to five per day), cook entrees on a wood grill, and use local and organic ingredients whenever possible.
Fresh seafood will be flown in daily. And, of course, there will be wood-fired pizzas.
Demolition work began this week on the space that formerly housed a gym and a salon. When finished, it will have 2,800 square feet inside and another 1,800 on the patio. Highlights will include a true exhibition kitchen (with chef’s counter) and an indoor-outdoor bar.
‘‘I’ve been dying to open this restaurant, but I wanted to make sure I got a reputable chef,’’ says Osteria owner Alec Golzio (pictured above with Kassels). ‘‘Charlie has an impeccable reputation and is highly respected in the industry.’’
Extensive backgrounds
Kassels, a former Scottsdale High and ASU grad, attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He returned to the Valley to begin his career at The Boulders in 1989 and helped open Barmouche in 1999 and The Westin Kierland in 2001.
Kassel moved his family to Santa Fe, N.M., where he oversaw the El Dorado Hotel kitchen from 2004-08. He moved back to Arizona to reopen El Chorro in 2009. He left the 80-year-old fine-dining landmark last August.
Golzio herself is no stranger to the Valley food and beverage scene. She and her husband, Jeff, opened The Handlebar Pub & Grill in Apache Junction in 2010, reviving one of the city’s oldest structures with a organic, cruelty-free menu and 27Â craft beers on tap.
Since selling the business, Golzio has worked for California craft brewery Hangar 24 and Tucson-based distributor Golden Eagle (recently acquired by Hensley).
Craft beer, cocktails & wine
At Osteria, the bar program will focus on craft beer and cocktails, an extensive wine list, and superior customer service.
‘‘The bar scene going craft has lost its customer service aspect, I think, over the last few years,’’ Golzio says. ‘‘I want to bring back the relationship between the local bartender and customer while still providing an excellent product.’’
Golzio and Kassels are hoping for a March opening, although that may be overly optimistic.
‘‘I’m really looking forward to bringing something different to northeast Mesa that will really add to the community,’’ Golzio says. ‘‘We live in Las Sendas. I am a native of Mesa. It’s a great place to raise our family and really invest in the community.’’
