Smokin' Q's Replacement, Cuoco Bello, Opens Monday, Jan. 29 in Mayfield

Zack Ladner (left) and Carl Quagliata Credit: Courtesy Zach Ladner

In late December, partners Carl Quagliata and Zachary Ladner announced that they would be putting their Texas-style barbecue restaurant, Smokin’ Q’s, to bed after a six-year run. The concept no longer made sense given the soaring food and labor costs that operators had to contend with at present, Ladner explained.

“It was time for a renovation anyway – you have to change stuff up every once in a while,” Ladner said. “We looked it over and with where are, we thought we should change our concept to be more productive.”

At that time, the owners announced that they had plans to open a new concept in the same space. On Monday, January 29, Cuoco Bello (718 SOM Ctr. Rd., 440-646-0429), a homestyle Italian eatery, will welcome its first guests.

The “beautiful cook” referenced in the name is neither Ladner nor Quagliata, Ladner confirms, but rather the proverbial Italian grandma.

“We’re kind of going for Italian grandma, both visually and stylistically with the food,” said the chef. “We want it to feel like you went over to grandma’s house and she made dinner. Simple dishes with simple presentations. We don’t want it to feel fussy at all.”

A menu of Italian classics like pizzas, pastas, meat and seafood items will get the Ladner/Quagliata touch, a formula perfected over decades of service at Giovanni’s. At lunch, which will launch a little down the road, a streamlined menu will offer pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and a selection of entrees from the dinner menu.

The wine list has grown in size, with nearly 50 bottles added. Also new is a selection of Italian-themed cocktails.

To complement the new format, the space underwent some cosmetic changes. There is comfortable new seating in the form of booths and soft seating areas. A re-imagined bar area now features an espresso machine for coffee drinks. The kitchen was retrofitted to shift from slow-cooked barbecue items to cooked-to-order Italian dishes. Walls were painted, new art has been added.

“I’m really excited about this one,” added Ladner. “I’m always excited about a new restaurant, but especially this one. It’s going to be a really cute little place.”

When it opens this coming Monday, Cuoco Bello will join Giovanni’s, Paloma, Tutto Carne and Village Butcher in the Quagliata/Ladner restaurant group.

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