Bar+Bistro quickly fills void in downtown Arts Factory

Its food isn't fast. But Bar+Bistro may have set a speed record for opening. The Italian eatery at the Arts Factory, 101 E. Charleston Blvd., was up and running within a week of the closure of its Mediterranean predecessor, Paymon's Cafe, in late March.

Fearful of a repeat of the four-month void between Paymon's and its predecessor Tinoco's, Arts Factory co-owner Wes Isbutt insisted.

"It really just hurt the whole vibe of what was going on downtown," Isbutt says about the long vacancy.

In February, Isbutt was introduced to executive chef Franco Spinelli, best-known in Las Vegas for opening Panevino for owner Tony Marnell in 2001. Isbutt and Spinelli are now partners in Bar+Bistro.

"We met him and he was perfect," Isbutt says. "His expertise from doing this all of his life was the key to making that happen."

Bar+Bistro is unmistakably Italian. Spinelli, born in Milan 62 years ago, calls his basic plates "really close to the food I ate as a young boy." At the same time, there are infusions from many of the locales Spinelli has opened restaurants since his first in Tahiti in 1977. (Pre-Vegas stopovers also included Ecuador, New York City and Palm Desert, Calif.)

"We absorbed the different cultures and flavors," he says, citing as examples his Polynesian ceviche and black fettuccine with scallops.

"I hate spaghetti and meatballs," Spinelli says.

The 3,000-square-foot restaurant -- which holds 80, plus 12 on an outdoor patio -- is open for lunch 11a.m.-3p.m. Mondays through Fridays and dinner 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The speed of its setup is why the ambience -- replete with Euro-bohemian tables and fixtures and Trifecta Gallery-curated wall art -- will appear similar to observant patrons of Paymon's and Tinoco's.

"The art I care about is in the cooking," Spinelli says.

Reservations are recommended for dinner.

Signature dish: Osso buco, $29.90

Starters: Scallops and polenta, $12; salmon carpaccio, $10; sausage apple confit, $14

Soups and salads: French onion soup, $7; pear and gnocchi salad, $12; spinach salad, $12

Entrees: Chicken Marsala, $24; cioppino, $26; black fettuccine with scallops, $20

Desserts: Tiramisu, $6; creme brulee, $6; torta de la nona, $6

Information: 202-6060

By COREY LEVITAN