Sparking interest in eating out

Bryce Alderton

Fires will soon burn in Downtown Huntington Beach.

They’ll be needed for baking the pizzas and rib-eyes at a trendy new

Italian restaurant opening soon at Pier Plaza.

Spark Woodfire Cooking restaurant is scheduled to open by mid-March

and will occupy almost 5,800 square feet in the space formerly occupied

by Loiuse’s Trattoria, whose lease expired in December, said Bill Chait,

founder and former president of Louise’s and co-founder of the new

restaurant.

Louise’s had served diners in Huntington Beach since 1985.

Plans call for a 1,700-square-foot patio and banquet-style seating,

said Christy Teague, assistant project manager with the city.

“Changes are more finishes like putting in new paint and light

fixtures,” Teague said. “We’re trying to do as much as we can without

tearing and rewiring.”

Spark’s architect is Osvaldo Maiozzi, who designed Alto Palato

Trattoria in Los Angeles and Valentino in Las Vegas. The first Spark

restaurant opened in Studio City in 1999. The Huntington Beach location

will be the second.

Diners will be able to view all the fires in the wood-burning

equipment through a sound insulated glass facade.

Chait along with co-founder Danilo Terribili created the restaurant’s

concept, as a “contemporary Italian restaurant.” “The food is very

distinctive with wood-burning ovens and not using big or heavy sauces,

it’s light and fresh,” Chait said. The menu includes everything from

21-day aged rib-eye steaks and herb-crusted halibut to wood-fired thin

crust pizzas and roasted mussels served in a black iron skillet.

Hopefully, Spark’s coming to Huntington Beach symbolizes the

beginnings of a change to more upscale retailers and restaurants

Downtown, Chait said.

“The area seems to be transforming more into a boardwalk,” he said. “I

anticipate an upscale, older crowd [at Spark’s].”

Entrees are priced at $11 and $20 and starters range from $2 to $8.

Spark’s also offers a full bar.

The restaurant will be at 300 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington

Beach.