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After nearly a decade of business, Italian restaurant Accanto will close at the end of the month.
The business, which first opened on Southeast Belmont Street in 2009 as a more-casual offshoot to neighboring Genoa, is serving its last meal Oct. 27, according to The Oregonian.
"It's a bittersweet day to be sure," owner Trish Eiting wrote in an email to the paper. "Accanto is as busy as it's ever been, and I have loved the place, its amazing staff and wonderful guests for almost 10 years. That said, every restaurant has its arc, and somehow it just feels right to end on a high note."
Genoa, which became one of the city's fine-dining institutions before its reputation began to slide, shuttered in 2014. Accanto took a hit after that as traffic dwindled, but rebounded when chef Erik Van Kley came on board last year following the closure of his farm-to-table project Taylor Railworks.
The new kitchen leadership seemed to work. In our review from June, we noted that Van Kley helped the menu mature beyond safe classics. But it appears he wasn't satisfied in the role.
Related: Chef Erik Van Kley Starts Over at Accanto, and Revives an Old Italian Favorite.
"It was clear this wasn't for me by the spring," Van Kley told The Oregonian.
The chef is taking some time off to regroup. Plans for the space aren't certain, but building owner Eiting may reach out to Nodoguro, the seafood-focused, Japanese-style restaurant that recently launched a more laid-back pop-up, Peter Cat. In the meantime, Accanto will honor gift certificates or provide a refund.
