Evan Funke -- the former chef of Rustic Canyon, the mediterranean restaurant and wine bar in Santa Monica -- will open a restaurant named Bucato within the Helm Bakery complex in mid-December. The new restaurant will occupy the space once held by the Asian fusion restaurant Beacon (and, long before that, Beacon Laundry, est. 1930).

According to the Los Angeles Times, the menu will include 8 to 10 handmade pastas, plus:

The rest of the menu will be seasonally-driven small plates -- dishes prepared on a wood-burning grill (with a spit for making porchetta, or more specifically, tronchetto di porchetta -- pork loin and belly meat wrapped around itself). He won't be making pizzas in his wood-burning oven, but will be wood-roasting whole local fish, Moro Bay sardines, fresh anchovies, octopus and lamb loin chops.

The article also say the 100-seat restaurant includes two patios.