Game-Changing Campanile Is Out, Walter Manzke's Republique Is In

The beautiful Campanile may be closing soon

By Lesley Balla

This one has been floating around for awhile, but rumors are only hot when they're confirmed. This one is smoking: Walter Manzke is deep in negotiations to take over Mark Peel's long-standing Campanile Restaurant. This is big on so many levels, but first, the obvious - Campanile, a game-changer in its own right, has been a part of the dining scene since Peel and then-wife Nancy Silverton opened in 1989. Not only did they help change the way and what Angelenos eat, but many chefs have come from that kitchen, opening their own restaurants that are important to our repertoire today - everything from Lucques to The Spice Table can be traced along the family tree to Campanile. It's opening was a milestone, as will be the closure.

But having chefs like Walter Manzke and pastry chef wife, Margarita, open their own restaurant and bakery, and in such a storied spot, only bodes well for all of us. It seems like the most fitting replacement. Manzke garnered much praise for his fare at Bastide and then at Church & State downtown, and he's done pop-up dinners here and there, always keeping his name in the news and his food on our plates so we don't forget what we have to look forward to when he finally resurfaces at his own spot.

Partnered with restaurant guru Bill Chait, Republique has been in the works for awhile now, but the initial downtown location did't pan out. This is a great consolation prize. The La Brea restaurant is central, in a historic building with longevity written all over it. The Daily Dish says if the deals goes through, the handover will likely happen by Dec. 1. So if you haven't been to Campanile's grilled cheese Thursdays for awhile, you have a couple of months. [via LAT]