Italian chain will open this summer

From Rhino romper room to fantastic family-style feasting, this is

one occupant turnover that is likely to be well received in

Huntington Beach.

Next month, Buca di Beppo will open its doors where the old Rhino

Room used to be, at 7979 Center Ave., just across the street from the

new Bella Terra shopping center.

The rapidly expanding Italian eatery is famous for its

family-style dishes and boisterous atmosphere that recalls the

Italian American supper clubs of the 1940s and ‘50s. It’s also well

known for its table in the kitchen, nearly spitting distance from the

chef.

“To say we’re excited is an understatement,” said Randall Lopez,

vice president of marketing for Buca di Beppo. “We’ve been looking to

open one in Huntington Beach for a while. We’ve had success in Garden

Grove and Redondo Beach, and this one ties it all together.”

It belongs to a quickly growing chain, dotting all corners of the

nation. This will be the third in Orange County.

The name, Buca di Beppo, stands for Joe’s Basement, coined after

the first was opened in a Minneapolis basement in 1993.

“It’s a very good restaurant, one that we’re quite happy to have,”

said Dave Biggs, director of Economic Development for the city. “It’s

a nice, quality dining experience, a very desirable tenant.”

Buca di Beppo will open its doors June 29.

Huntington State Beach closed for 2,000 feet

Huntington State Beach remains closed for 2,000 feet after a

blocked sewer line overflowed and spilled into the ocean on Monday.

The Orange County Health Care Agency closed the area from the

mouth of the Santa Ana River to 1,000 feet up coast of the Talbert

Channel to swimmers and surfers Tuesday.

“We don’t want anyone swimming in water that could be potentially

contaminated by sewage,” said Larry Honeybourne, program chief for

the health care agency’s water quality section.

The spill, which occurred between 6 and 10 p.m. Monday, was caused

by a blockage in the Huntington Beach Mobile Home Park’s sewage

pipeline, which overflowed into the storm drain system and ran down

the flood control channel and into the ocean by way of the Talbert

Marsh.

“The tide was at high tide, and everything in the marsh would have

been pulled out to the ocean,” Honeybourne said. “The closure was

instituted as a precaution, We don’t know how much impact there is,

if any, on the coastal water area.”

Regulators will know more after they get the results back from the

water samples taken Tuesday and Wednesday, and the affected area will

remain closed until water quality tests determine that it is safe to

swim again.

For more information, call (714) 667-3572 or log on to

www.ocbeachinfo.com. To report a sewage spill, call (714) 667-3600.

Major roadway construction has begun

Construction has begun to revamp two of Surf City’s busiest

streets.

Improvements to Newland Street between Hamilton and Atlanta

avenues began May 12. The work, mainly pavement rehabilitation, is

set to be finished by the end of the month.

The first phase of improvements to Warner Avenue, will focus on

the stretch from Springdale Street to Goldenwest Street, and is

estimated to take about one week.

Construction will include sealing pavement cracks, pavement

reconstruction and asphalt overlay. Renovation will also include new

signs, striping and traffic detection loops.

Construction at the Gothard Street and Goldenwest intersections

may continue through the weekend.

The second phase, which will start July 14, will restore the

stretch between Goldenwest Street and Beach Boulevard. This will take

about 30 days to complete.

Traffic will be restricted to one lane during construction. Delays

may occur during these times, and traffic speeds will be reduced to

25 mph in construction zones.

All lane closures will be limited to half-mile lengths.