Regular patrons of Terracciano Italian restaurant in Gig Harbor won’t have to be heartbroken any more. The popular eatery is not gone for good — it just moved to another location.
Terracciano has been resurrected as Massimo Italian Bar and Grill at the location of the old Pearls by the Sea near the Purdy Spit. The new owners said they are thrilled with their new digs.
“This is a bigger establishment — twice as big as the one downtown,” said Cindy Terracciano, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Massimo Terracciano.
“When the other one went out of business, we jumped on it,” Cindy said. “My husband is from Naples and he’s used to being on the water.”
The building is located on the east side of the Purdy Spit, overlooking the water. It has changed hands in recent years with several restaurant owners, but the Terraccianos are confident their experience in the business and the seaside view will be an asset.
“Everybody knows it — it’s a favorite location,” Terracciano said. “I think Pearls by the Sea did very well — they just retired.”
The restaurateurs closed their downtown location to concentrate on their new establishment, but 85 percent of their menu will stay the same. Massimo Terracciano will continue to cook alongside his son, Salvatore Terracciano.
“My husband and I like to focus on one place and give it our full attention,” Cindy Terracciano said. “That’s where we do everything — we live and breathe there.”
Massimo will offer sit-down dining and an expanded bar area. It opened for business Dec. 10 and will operate seven days a week starting at 11:30 a.m. The dining room will close at 10 p.m. and the bar will be open until “whenever,” Terracciano said.
Former patrons can still enjoy the fine dining and Italian cuisine from southern and northern Italy, but the couple wants to scale down the formal atmosphere to fit the beach environment.
“We’ve worked hard to take the price down. It brings in more options instead of having just a dining restaurant,” Terracciano said. “We want people to feel like they can walk in with shorts and feel at home. At a good restaurant, the food has to be wonderful, but the atmosphere is going to be comfy and cozy.”
Happy Hour will take place from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A twilight menu will be offered from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday for $18, which will include an appetizer, super salad, a choice between five different entrees and a dessert.
The Massimo Italian Bar and Grill opened this week near the Purdy spit at the site of the former Pearls by the Sea.
For more information call the restaurant at 253-514-6237.
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