Leone's Bistro opens today in former Cottage Inn Cafe on Washtenaw in Ypsilanti Township
Ralph Leone, co-owner of Leone's Bistro, designed the menu and wine list for the restaurant, which opens today in the former Cottage Inn Cafe on Washtenaw in Ypsilanti Township.
Paula Gardner | AnnArbor.com
The restaurant fills the nearly 4,000-square-foot building at 2789 Washtenaw - between Hewitt and Golfside - that housed the Cottage Inn Café for years.
The opening follows 60 days of intense preparation to take the bistro from concept to fully functioning restaurant, Ralph Leone said. That includes everything from lease and renovations to the menu and service.
“We wanted to work through any (problems,” he said, “so that when people come in, we’re ready for them.”
Leone’s background has been in food service, having owned other Detroit-area restaurants over the years. He’s also worked in wholesale food and wine distribution.
His son, Greg, approached him about opening the new restaurant, the pair’s first in Washtenaw County. Ralph designed the menu, Greg will work alongside him and many family members helped with the design and setup, and now will work on-site.
The deal for the restaurant started about a year ago when the Leones spotted the location and thought it could work for them. As their plans gelled and they looked at other sites while zeroing in on Washtenaw County, they kept wondering if the building on Washtenaw was available. Eventually, they contacted listing broker Jim Chaconas of Colliers International.
The deal came together quickly , said agent Brenden Cavender of Collier’s, and they closed on the lease in July.
The former Cottage Inn Café had been closed for about 5 years, and the building wasn’t in good condition, both Cavender and Leone said.
But Leone saw the potential for the location. The high-traffic count on Washtenaw, the size of the dining room and the proximity to US-23 and the population center of Ann Arbor all were benefits to the location, he said. So was the recent investments by other nearby restaurant owners, like Asia City and Pacific Beach Burrito.
Leone won’t put a number on his own investment in converting the longtime Cottage Inn Café into his on concept, but he will say it’s more than he planned.
Yet he also believes it will be worth it to both solidify the mechanical systems and create his desired interior environment for guests. The color theme of scarlett and grey, the lighting, the black tablecloths all fit that vision.
“I’m really proud of what we did here,” he said. “It’s gorgeous on the inside.”
The renovations include creating a long granite bar along one wall, with bar-area seating separated from the dining area by translucent panels. The atrium across the front of the building also was redone.
And a keyboard in the piano bar corner of the main dining room is ready for a pianist/singer, and Leone expects to start jazz nights.
Leone takes special interest in the menu, which includes over 300 wines and 30 craft beers.
“All of the sauces are mine,” he said. So is the lobster salad dressing and many of the soups. Pasta is homemade, meat is hand-cut and some of the recipes come through his family, like an anchovy sauce.
The restaurant has an Italian flavor, but it’s not the sole cuisine, Leone stressed. Braised rabbit, venison tenderloin and kobe beef also are options.
While some entrees will be priced in the $20-30 range, “a good percent of the menu is $9-12,” Leone said. That price point reflects where the market is comfortable, due to the economy.
“I wanted the menu to be affordable, but I still wanted to do some special things,” he said.
The restaurant hired 32 people so far, and Leone said more will follow.
Eventually, he hopes to remodel the deck on the east side of the building, create a patio area, and carve out some private party business in a room on the east end of the dining area.
“I think the community will be really proud of what we put here,” he said.
Comments
Paul_55
Sat, Nov 13, 2010 : 1:13 p.m.
Finally someone has done it!!!! We love Italian food (good Italian food not Olive Garden) and we have been waiting for a place like this to come to our area. My husband and I went to Leone's last night for the first time and we had an amazing time! The place was packed but we received service as if we were the only people in the place. Our food was AMAZING and the atmosphere was as well. Everyone there makes you feel like part of their big Italian family. I could really see this becoming "our spot"
Bilbo
Sat, Nov 6, 2010 : 11:13 p.m.
Worst service I've ever had. The poor waiter was clueless and I felt bad that he was given a big table with 12 people with no training. We had to ask for menus, bread (the bread took a half hour to come out), the food took an hour and a half, and it was wrong, and the bill took about 45 minutes after asking what we ordered again. It was painful.
reader
Sat, Oct 9, 2010 : 9:30 p.m.
The food is delicious! The sauces are mouth-watering. I am sad the anchovy sauce will no longer be offered due to lack of interest, but I'm glad I got to try it before it disappears. I've been going at least once a week to try as many of the items as I can and I have not been disappointed yet. Most of servers have been excellent, but you can tell a couple of them just don't care and I wish they would just find another job instead of taking it out on my salad or cannoli - who wants a half stuffed cannoli? The owner can come off as a bit strong, but he's put a lot into this restaurant and his cooking skills are apparent. I appreciate the family recipes he's shared with us on the menu. Also, their wine selection is AMAZING! I'm hoping Leone's will begin hosting wine-tastings. I only see this place getting better and smoother with time. I definitely want to see them succeed. Good luck.
jeffrey
Wed, Sep 15, 2010 : 8:15 p.m.
I loved the Old Cottage Inn Cafe. It was amazing especially in the 80's. I am not impressed with this so far. From what I was told when I was there the servers get yelled at.
Kyrie
Wed, Sep 8, 2010 : 3:48 p.m.
Had a run in with the owner and I must say he really didn't give that great of an impression....it was actually quite disappointing to be treated so badly by the owner of this place.
michiganexpats.com
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 2:58 p.m.
I hope they serve Michigan wine and beer!
Cash
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
Great news! It's so sad to see closed businesses. Best of luck to Mr Leone! I will be seeing you soon for a meal.
Sarah T
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 12:53 p.m.
Both Brendan Cavender and Jim Chaconas helped us find a new location recently and I have to admit they are both great and know the area better than anyone else out there. I'm excited to try Leone's and very glad they are doing something with that old building!
treetowncartel
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 10:59 a.m.
I look forward to trying this place out. i noticed the renovations taking place and have been hoping a nice full service restaraunt would be replacing the one that was lost.
Paula Gardner
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:36 a.m.
Ralph and I actually talked about the color theme - I didn't make the connection when I first walked in, mostly because it looks good and so different from the old Cottage Inn Cafe. He did mention that he's a big fan of the Michigan colleges and (joking) didn't want his colors to taint the customer experience:)
Ignatz
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
Scarlet and gray is no problem. We're taking those colors back. Let Columbus Community College try to reclaim them!
help_is_on_the_way
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
Can't wait to try it. I'm always pleased to see another new restaurant in the city.
Paula Gardner
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:25 a.m.
Here's the link to the restaurant's Facebook page. It lists many menu items. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001307586249&ref=search
bruceae
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:19 a.m.
Could you post a link to their web site and menu?
Barb
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 9:16 a.m.
I'm glad too - can't wait to check it out.
Sarah Rigg
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 8:07 a.m.
I'm glad to see something nice going into that space.
Cossur
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 6:27 a.m.
A scarlet & gray interior? That will be a novelty in a maize & blue world. Sounds classy until you consider the other institution that uses those same colors. Let's hope it doesn't bode poorly for the Leones--we could use new successful businesses, and wish them the best.