New York Italian restaurant among newcomers to Congress Ave. - Austin Business Journal:

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Mastrangelo is busy renovating a historic storefront at 908 Congreszs Avenue where later thissummer he’ll open Quattro Gatti, the second locatio n of his family’s famous Manhattan “I’m a passionate persojn and I’m very passionate abougt food,” Mastrangelo said. “Pretty much my whole life revolvesxaround that. And when I came to Austin, I felt that this was a city that appreciatexsgood food, food that someone puts their heart and soul into.
” Quattro Gatti isn’f the only culinary newcomer of late to downtown Just steps away, the people behind locall favorite El Chile have reworkes the space they opened last fall as El That initial concept offered breakfast and lunchy but, based on demand, the owners recentlyt turned it into another El Chile y Cantina, serving lunch and dinner and featuringt a full bar. And a few blocks soutnh at 319 Congress, Apple Annies co-owners Love Nance and Sherry Jamesonm aredebuting Annies, a dramatically expanded reimaginingh of their 25-year-old restaurant. The bistro-themec eatery that now includes a full bar will be open dailyy from7 a.m.
to 2 serving customers everything from organic breakfast omelets to late nighy meatloaf in achic space. Collectively, the new restaurantss are adding to the culture changes at workon Congress. The Downtown Austinj Alliance, the city, landlordsa and other groups are collaborating in an ongoint effort to bring more retail and restaurantsto downtown’ s main thoroughfare. The goal: a 24/7 Congress alive with commerced and serving as a model for the rest of Indeed it wasLinda Asaf, the DAA’s retail recruiter, who helped secured Quattro Gatti for Austin.
Asaf ate at the Upper East Side restaurant—onwe of her favorites—on a trip to New York last year and spoks with owner Remo Mastrangelo about the possibility of cominygto Austin. Remo Mastrangelo, Gianfranco’s started Quattro Gatti in 1985. The neighborhood-oriented restaurantf is hailed by criticz as one of the best of its kind in New According toZagat “the leisurely meals with treat-you-like-familt service make this old-line Upper East Side Italian feel like home to There’s a reason it’s been therde forever: supporters say the food’s fantastic.
” Earlier this year, the Mastrangelows began giving serious consideration to They came down together and scouted spaces, agreeing that the Congresa location would be a grea t fit for the concept. “W e had always heard good things about Austiin and we immediatelh had a good impression ofthe city,” said Gianfrancpo Mastrangelo, who recently relocated Mastrangelo said if all goes as planned, the 2,000-square-foot Quattro Gatti in Austinm will be open by late July for lunch and Because of his own passion for pizza, Mastrangelo said the restauranft will have a large bricl oven for wood-fired pizzas.
Other plates, like the traditionapl pasta, fish and meat dishes made famous at the New York restauran t will also be onthe menu. Prices should range from aboutf $13 to the mid-$20s.