Liberty Station lands Buona Forchetta

Buona Forchetta, a South Park pizzeria that has drawn crowds from the day it opened more than two years ago, is partnering with the owner of Bice, a well-regarded, fine-dining Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego, on a new casual concept for Liberty Station.

The still-unnamed restaurant is the latest addition to the Point Loma development’s growing stable of high-profile food and beverage destinations that is helping elevate it as a go-to destination for foodies.

Buona Forchetta owner Matteo Cattaneo said Liberty Station’s developer, The Corky McMillin Cos., reached out to him as part of an ongoing effort to bring some of San Diego’s stronger restaurateurs to the northern end of Liberty Station. It is also in the same area where San Diego’s first food hall, Liberty Public Market, is set to debut in late October, and a new offering from the rapidly expanding group of Patio restaurants is due to open next month.

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“Liberty Station came to us because they wanted a pizzeria here, and they’re trying to bring in big names, they want to create an attraction,” said Cattaneo, whose restaurant is known for its domed, gold-tiled pizza oven. “I didn’t want to do it by myself, so Mario and I thought, let’s do something together.”

That would be Mario Cassineri of Bice, a more formal dining spot whose pasta, meat and seafood dishes, along with its sophisticated selection of Italian cheeses, will be showcased at the new restaurant but at much more affordable prices. Both a co-owner and executive chef at Bice, Cassineri said the intent is to create a more-relaxed dining venue that will be appealing to families and will play to the strengths of both Bice and Buona Forchetta.

“The idea we had is that we have the best pizza in San Diego from Buona Forchetta, and we have the high-end expensive restaurant in Bice, and we meet each other in the middle — an affordable meal but still with the authenticity of the pizza and Italian food at an affordable price,” Cassineri said.

The centerpiece of the restaurant, which is not expected to open until the end of this year, is a pizza island, dominated by two domed pizza ovens in front of which will be a half-moon bar where diners can sit and watch the restaurant’s signature pies being made. One of the ovens will be devoted exclusively to gluten-free pizzas, in a nod to the many requests both Bice and Buona Forchetta receive from diners for gluten-free fare.

Flanking the pizza area on one side will be an open kitchen turning out Bice-style dishes that will include pastas and seafood, veal, chicken, beef and osso bucco but at prices not expected to exceed $20, Cassineri said.

The 2,600-square-foot restaurant will include ample outdoor dining both in the front and back, where a grassy courtyard area will be transformed into a play area for children, alongside seating for families. In all, the restaurant is expected to accommodate 200 diners.

Italian design touches, like a Vespa mounted on the wall and a Vespa-like, three-wheeled vehicle parked out front that will be used for making pizza, are also being incorporated into what is expected to be a $600,000-to-$700,000 project, Cattaneo said. He also hopes to have a fryer installed for making fried pizza and other deep-fried offerings.

The Italian eatery is part of an arts, entertainment and dining destination McMillin Companies and the NTC (Naval Training Center) Foundation are still in the process of growing and curating, said vice president Nathan Cadieux.

The prolific CH Projects (Ironside Fish & Oyster, Polite Provisions) recently opened its second Soda & Swine eatery there, the Patio Group is preparing to open its Fireside by the Patio, and a six-screen luxury movie and dining complex is slated to open late this year.

“Buona Forchetta is a great example of the types of food concepts we are inviting to join the great existing concepts in the Arts District, and there will be some new retail concepts that haven’t been announced yet,” Cadieux said. “The idea is to create a three-hour experience where guests can visit the different art stores, museums and galleries, get dinner, and walk to the public market. And we’re creating new more pedestrian spaces where guests can relax and connect with each other.”

While restaurants have been introduced into Liberty Station over the last several years, a clear turning point in the complex’s visibility and appeal occurred when Stone Brewing’s huge, 23,500-square-foot World Bistro & Gardens opened its doors two years ago.

“I think everybody was scared to jump in the pool first,” said Coronado restaurateur David Spatafore, who has teamed with McMillin on Liberty Public Market, which will house 30 or more local specialty food vendors in a 22,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space. “There’s been a total shift in philosophy for McMillin. They see the value in really hand picking their tenants, as opposed to putting out a for lease sign and taking whoever is qualified.”

In July, Spatafore announced his first 10 tenants and will soon be revealing others who have committed to the $3 million project.

As part of Cattaneo’s and Cassineri’s plan to draw more diners to their new eatery, they will take a page from the fast-casual playbook and offer much-speedier dining options at lunchtime. Pizza by the slice is under consideration, and the planned fryer will also be an easy vehicle for to-go options. Dinner will focus more on a relaxed, sit-down dining experience, they said.

“For lunch, you can come, pick what you want, get a pizza, go to the table, eat and leave,” Cassineri said.

lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-2251 or Twitter @loriweisberg