'Drinks & Links'-Focused Gastropub Coming To Little Italy

With Little Italy becoming increasingly dominated by big name chefs and large-scale restaurant projects, a new eatery is hoping to fill a niche as an accessible, everyday eatery and watering hole for residents of the neighborhood

Jim Barone, a local developer behind several affordable housing ventures in Little Italy, is planning to open Bar One in the base of one of his residential buildings on India Street. The gastropub will be headed up by Nick Nappi, who was executive chef at Werewolf in the Gaslamp. Nappi may be familiar to fans of FOX's 'MasterChef' since he placed fourth in the most recent season of the cooking competition show; he tells Eater that Bar One will center around 'drinks and links', housemade sausages ranging from pork and lamb, to duck, seafood and a vegan option, plus a beverage program that includes 12 taps of craft beer and well-priced classic cocktails.

Barone and Nappi are both of Italian heritage, so also expect to find an Italian influence on the lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus; Nappi says he also wants to cook monthly Sunday suppers, served family-style, with off-menu dishes inspired by recipes from his grandmother. Scheduled to open in mid-June, Bar One will feature a brick and dark wood interior with an extended bar, TVs and high-top seating; a garage door will roll up onto an outdoor patio.