Owner, chef of Montclair’s Laboratorio Kitchen plans casual Maplewood eatery

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After opening upscale Italian-inspired, New American restaurant Laboratorio Kitchen in downtown Montclair, head chef and owner James De Sisto is expanding his Essex County footprint with a more casual eatery in Maplewood.

Scheduled to open by late spring at 180 Maplewood Ave., Osteria LK will showcase De Sisto’s passion for authentic Italian cuisine. The menu will include items such as brick oven pizza, seafood, desserts and house-made pastas. It will also be built around locally sourced ingredients to ensure each dish is served in its simplest freshest form, according to a press release.

Renovations are underway in the space, which was previously occupied by Arturo’s. The popular pizzeria relocated last year to 13 Newark Way in Maplewood as part of a rebrand.

A bring-your-own-bottle restaurant, Osteria LK will serve lunch, dinner and takeout as well as offer indoor and outdoor seating.

The upcoming launch comes about a decade after De Sisto opened Laboratorio Kitchen. Since then, the restaurant has become known for its seasonally rotating menu made from ingredients grown at farms in the tri-state area.

De Sisto said, “I can’t wait to bring Osteria LK to Maplewood and share my love for Italian cuisine favorites and specialties with this vibrant community.”

“Like the traditional osteria in Italy, we want to be a warm, welcoming spot where locals gather for delicious food simply prepared,” he said.

More new and upcoming eateries around N.J.:

• Celebrity chef Burke unveils speakeasy at Bernards Inn
• honeygrow plans summer openings for Bridgewater, Old Bridge
• Acclaimed French restaurant Faubourg expands to Hudson County (photos)