Lookout Owner Snags Bisato Space

Didn't see this one coming.

Michael Forte, who co-owns The Lookout on Capitol Hill, has grabbed up the old Bisato space in Belltown. He says:

Basically, we're going to be turning it into kind of a gastropub. We'll feature Louisiana/New Orleans/Southern-style cuisine. But the space is really going to be a bar environment.

The kitchen will be fronted by chef Mark Amatangelo.

He's been a chef throughout the south for 20 years. He's going to be coming to join me in the middle of February. We tentatively have an opening date of April 1.

I spent 25 years of my life in New Orleans and more than 30 years in the south in general. I felt like there was a spot here for a lot of people to do some real New Orleans-style cuisine.

Forte says he plans to do some renovations to the place, but anyone whose been to Bisato will recognize the layout.

It's a nice space and I like having the big bar there because it's going to fit in with what we're going to do, which is basically a bar that serves really good food—not a restaurant.

The bar, which still doesn't have a name, will be open daily from about 3 or 4 until 2 am with Sunday brunch.

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[Photo: Bisato]