Cleveland - University Circle will have to ring in the new year with one less restaurant.
Trentina, which is owned and operated by local renowned chef Jonathon Sawyer, is set to close it's doors January 12th.
In a statement from his Instagram page, Sawyer said "Our ultimate goal was to provide a service, experience and product that was unique, compelling, and unlike anything else in Northeast, Ohio. For the past 5 years, our team at Trentina worked very hard at that. When our lease came up for renewal and we looked at the ever-changing landscape and saturation of the Cleveland restaurant scene, we collectively decided after failed renegotiation to not continue our lease."
The restaurant, which had a Northern Italy inspired menu, was in a sense started in Sawyer's wife, Amelia's family image. Her family originated from the region northwest of Venice.
Sawyer also went on to say "I can't stress enough how grateful we are for your past patronage and support, so as a final goodbye, a proper send-off, and a thank you we will be bringing back some of the original tasting menu items until we close. We love University Circle and our heart breaks at all of the amazing independent restaurants that have closed recently, We hope they can find a way to bring back independent restaurants. As they say, when one door closes, another opens. So stay tuned for what's next!"
Sawyer, who won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region in 2015, also owns The Greenhouse Tavern on East 4th Street in Cleveland.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Davidson / Getty Images
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