The owners of the Bluefish restaurant and bar in downtown Spokane say they plan to open a new restaurant this spring in the space formerly occupied by Ankenys Rooftop Restaurant on the top floor of the historic Ridpath Hotel.


The new restaurant is part of a contract that Cuisine Northwest LLC, of Spokane, has secured from Douglas Da Silva, the Las Vegas hotelier who bought the Ridpath last fall, to operate all food and beverage services within the hotel, located at 515 W. Sprague, says Eric Nagano, a principal in Cuisine Northwest.


The new restaurant in the former Ankenys spot will be called Soleil, and is expected to open by May, Nagano says. Remodeling work on the 7,000-square-foot space likely will start this month. Soleil will be a fine dining restaurant that will offer table-side dinner service for items such as beef Wellington and Northwest regional dishes, at prices that range from moderate to expensive, he says. It also will offer lunch and Sunday brunch and will operate a late-night lounge and club.


Also, the company plans to open on March 12 a restaurant called the Artisan Room in the 5,000-square-foot space on the Ridpaths ground floor formerly occupied by the Silver Bar & Grill, Nagano says. Initially, the Artisan Room will serve breakfast and lunch, and in late March or early April its dinner lounge will open. The restaurant will serve contemporary Northwest regional cuisine, at prices that will range from inexpensive to moderately expensive, he says.


The two restaurants will employ a combined total of about 75 people, Nagano says. Cuisine Northwest also plans to open a gourmet food shop near the buildings First Avenue entrance that will offer some breakfast items and espresso and will sell wines and cheeses, he says. As part of the companys contract, it also will be in charge of catering and room service for the hotel.


Gonzalo Carrillo, who worked with Nagano at the Davenport Hotel several years ago, will be the hotels corporate culinary director. Noel Macapagal, owner of Raw Sushi & Island Grill, located one block south of the Ridapth, is teaming up with Cuisine Northwest on promotion and marketing for Soleils late-night activities, Nagano says. Macapagal declines for now to disclose further details about his involvement with the new restaurant.


Nagano says he and one other investor are partners in Cuisine Northwest. Ian Wingate, owner of the Moxie restaurant downtown, also had been a partner in Cuisine Northwest, but cut his ties with the limited-liability company to focus solely on Moxie, Nagano says.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.