Griglia di Gaetano, a sister store to the popular Pizzeria da Gaetano, opened this September. The chic Italian grill has 60 seats, including counter and terrace seating, and a walk-in cellar with 300 mostly Italian wines. After enjoying a palate-cleansing aperitivo, manager Kentaro Takamatsu recommends you start with wine and an appetizer before moving on to an entrée. You can finish up with pasta or enjoy a digestivo with desert or cheese. Gaetano uses farm-fresh, rice-fed beef from Munakata, which is slow roasted over charcoal to bring out the flavor. But the cuts vary from day to day, so be sure to ask the waitstaff what is available. Since most of the restaurant’s meat and vegetables are sourced directly from local farms, Takamatsu and his chef adjust the menu daily. When we visited, our appetizers offered a range of seasonal Italian fare: mushroom sformato, mackerel and autumn eggplant carpaccio, and bell peppers stuffed with pork and squid. If you’re looking for an adult atmosphere and elegant Italian cuisine, or just a great selection of wine, look no further than Gaetano.
Griglia di Gaetano
Address: Andon 1B, 1-2-8 Imaizumi, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
Hours: 18:00~26:00
Closed: Sundays and first Monday of every month
Tel: 092-713-5077
Menu: Assorted appetizers ¥1,600, Bagna càuda ¥1,000, Pickles ¥400, Assorted cheeses ¥1,000~, Pasta ¥1,300~, Homemade Italian sausage ¥1,000, Gaetano burger ¥2,200, Desert ¥600, Draft beer ¥600, Glass champagne ¥1,000, Glass wine ¥600~
Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn191, Nov. 2014)
