A from-scratch Italian restaurant is set to replace a west Pensacola favorite

Pensacola’s Blue Angel Grill closed its doors this summer, but an Italian restaurant is set to open in the space by December.

Restaurant offerings can be slim-pickings on Pensacola's west side, which made Blue Angel Grill a local staple for generous portions of teriyaki chicken, hand-sculpted burgers and hand-breaded shrimp.

The restaurant announced its closure in a social media statement over the summer, noting there would be potential for a new location.

“We want to thank everyone who came out and supported us these last three years. You all have been amazing through the good and rough patches,” the statement said. “I will post any possible updates on this page if anything new occurs with a location.”

Then, a glimmer of hope came for hungry west-siders when a “coming soon Pizzaioli Italian Cuisine” sign popped up on the lawn of 1350 S. Blue Angel Parkway strip.

Owner Rami Sadeq is hoping the restaurant will be a pleasant surprise to customers who used to frequent the location.

Sadeq is planning to create a from-scratch Italian kitchen, where the pasta is homemade, New York-style pizza is hand-tossed, and the sauces, sandwiches and salads are all made-in house.

“The pasta is from scratch, everything is fresh,” Sadeq said.

Sadeq said he has a variety of recipes saved up from over a decade as a chef, including a wide array of homemade sauces, ranging from a light butter sauce, to white, pink and red.

“I have good experience,” Sadeq said. “I could do it with my eyes closed.”

Sadeq will ensure the food is quality, as he will be in the back rolling the pasta himself, he said.

The pizzas will range from all the familiar favorites, such as a meat-lovers or fresh vegetable. And he will have a fresh variety of sandwiches to cater to the lunch crowd, including steak sandwiches, chicken parmesan and gyros with homemade pita.

He anticipates he will be serving lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and dinner from 2-10 p.m., but hours are still being developed.

He also will not be taking any shortcuts on the desserts that he will make from scratch, including homemade cannolis, tiramisu, fried oreos and fried funnel bites.

The building is currently under renovation to transform the space into the Italian restaurant, but Sadeq is hoping that it won’t be long before he is able to welcome guests in for a taste of Italian cuisine.

“We hope to have good business. We’ll do the best (we can),” Sadeq said.

More updates and information can be found on the Pizzaioli Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pizzaioli Italian Cuisine set to open in west Pensacola in December