Two industry friends, who met through their work at neighboring venues, are coming together to open a new restaurant inside the former Tavolino at 2315 N. Murray Ave., which will serve up a menu of modern Italian fare with global inflection.

Paul Piotrowski, a Chicago native who moved to Milwaukee about five years ago and currently works as the general manager for Izzy Hops, met Chef Juneil Cabreza while he was working part-time at Tavolino. Following the closure of Tavolino in October, the two decided to come together to continue the 50+ year tradition of Italian fare in the space.

A value proposition

The name of the new restaurant will be L’Incontro, a word which means “the meeting” or “the meeting place” in Italian. And it pays homage to both the way Piotrowski and Cabreza met and the type of restaurant they hope to create: a convivial place for neighbors to meet and enjoy a meal.

In turn, they plan to reimagine the interior at the Italian restaurant to create an environment that is both eclectic and casual. 

“We don’t want it to be stuffy at all,” notes Piotrowski. “Juneil I want to make sure that when you walk into the restaurant, there is a value proposition. The mood will be casual and laid back. But we’ll be operating on a high level in terms of technique and presentation.  It’s about showcasing what fine dining can be, but in a very casual setting.”

That means shifting from the bold red and orange hues that characterized the bar and dining room at Tavolino to a softer palette of blues and greens. It means the addition of playful, cheeky artwork, softer lighting and a plentiful collection of plants.

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“One of the things we’ve heard over and over again from people in the neighborhood was that Tavolino was just high end enough that it wasn’t a place they could come multiple times in a week,” says Piotrowski. “So our goal is to change that. We want it to be a bar and cafe in a very European sense – a place that functions as a very natural gathering place.”

On the menu

The menu at L'Incontro, which is slated to debut this spring, will capitalize on Cabreza’s broad culinary experiences, which include a degree in French pastry from the Cooking & Hospitality Institute in Chicago, as well as work at a diverse collection of restaurants including Izumi’s, Tenuta’s, Honeypie, AP Bar & Kitchen, MOVIDA, Eldr+Rime and Tavolino. He was also the operator behind the Bad English food truck, which – while somewhat short-lived – served a memorable menu of dishes that paid homage to his Filipino heritage.

“At L’Incontro, we want the menu to be approachable,” says Cabreza, noting that they will serve Italian staples like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmesan. “We want to stand solidly in the Italian tradition, but take a more modern stance in terms of how it's presented and the ingredients that we use.”

For example, Cabreza is working on a recipe for al nero di seppia (squid ink pasta) that uses black sesame seed powder. The black pasta is still visually striking, but it eliminates the need for squid ink, making it vegetarian (and/or vegan).

“As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that I need to incorporate more vegetables into my diet,” he says with a smile. “So overall, I want to focus on putting more vegetables at the fore.”

At the same time, Cabreza is clear that he won’t take away the shine from meat-centered dishes.  “If I’m putting a bolognese on the menu, it’s going to have the pancetta, the beef, the sausage… because that’s a dish meant to showcase meat,” he says.

Cabreza says there will also be an emphasis on sourcing from local farms as much as possible, resulting in a seasonal menu that highlights the best of the season. That philosophy extends to the restaurant's proteins, such as beef, which will be procured from local farms and delivered to the restaurant as prime cuts that will be broken down in-house. It’s a move that not only reduces costs, but eliminates waste and allows for more creativity in the kitchen.

“One of our staff worked as a butcher in New York for a number of years, so we’ll be fully utilizing his skills while making the best use of high quality, local ingredients,” Cabreza notes. “We are doing everything we can to keep costs low while emphasizing local fare, high level technique and a broad range of ingredients.”

And yes, the pizza recipe which has been passed along from restaurant to restaurant – including Palermo’s Villa, Divino Wine & Dine and Tavolino –  for over 50 years, will carry on at L’InContro. 

“We have the recipe for the dough, which we plan to continue using,” says Cabreza, noting that they’ve lightened up the sauce a bit while still keeping it familiar. “Our goal is to give the sauce a really fresh, tomato-forward flavor,” he says.

Collab with Izzy Hops continues

L’Incontro, which connects to Izzy Hops by way of the kitchen, will also continue to execute the menu for the craft beer bar.

“The goal is for us to continue to provide the food for Izzy Hops, but at a different level,” says Cabreza. “The goal is to showcase ingredients – maybe purple potatoes or ube – that you might not find at any other pubs in the city. Ultimately we’re going to work to bring a lot more harmony into both of the menus.”

Piotrowski notes that the L’Incontro beverage menu will include a curated selection of wines and seasonal cocktails. They also have plans for a L’Incontro happy hour, as well as a special bar menu for folks who want to drop in and hang out at the bar.

Once open, L’Incontro’s hours are expected to be Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.