Castagna to Reopen As "More Upscale" Bistro & Wine Bar

Marina French restaurant Castagna has been shuttered for some time, after a devastating electrical fire in its attic last March did significant damage to the interior. Now, a year after the blaze, it's now finally poised to make a comeback, as co-owners and brothers Stephane and Jerome Meloni look to reopen the restaurant in early April (the tentative reopening is a week from Saturday, April 5). The new Castagna will shift to what the restaurant is calling an "upscale bistro concept," featuring chef Stephane's dishes from the brothers' hometown of Nice. New dishes will include fried squash blossoms, housemade patés and rillettes, fennel-crusted whole branzino, and Provençal classics like ratatouille and panisse frites. They'll also have a more casual brunch with options like Benedicts, crepes, and pizza. (Their website features the new menus.)

The dining room has undergone a big renovation in the wake of the fire, shifting to a warmer and fancier vibe from the chrome bistro tables of the previous incarnation. The brothers have added banquette seating and stone accents on the wall that are intended to give a countryside farmhouse feel. A small bar will open into the exhibition kitchen, and sidewalk seating will be available as well. Drinks will stay much the same, with an emphasis on French and American wine and beer. The plan is for the new Castagna to open six nights a week for dinner and for brunch on weekends; stay tuned for more on when it'll officially reopen its doors.

· The Marina's Castagna Closes After Weekend Fire [Grub Street]
· Castagna Opens For Dinner in the Marina [~ ESF ~]