After a long culinary lull, with few restaurant openings, the scene is perking up.

Two of the Islands' best-known chefs, Philippe Padovani and Donato Loperfido, have partnered to create a new restaurant, Elua ("Two"), in the former L'Uraku site on Kapi'olani Boulevard, expected to open in May. Both men also have solo projects.

Padovani, who operates Padovani's Chocolates downtown with his brother Pierre, has opened a second shop in the Hyatt Regency. Loperfido has opened Pasta and Basta by Donato, a casual self-service Italian spot, in the former Yanni's space at Restaurant Row. The name means, essentially, "noodles and (that's) enough!"

Managing partner Michael Barbera said the restaurant chef is Jalemar Sagaysay, who was Loperfido's right-hand man at his now-gone Manoa restaurant, Donato's, and followed Loperfido to a brief stint at Pearl Ultralounge, where they designed and executed the opening menu. (Loperfido is in Italy this week, buying wines for Elua.)

The Pasta and Basta menu focuses on freshly made pasta (24 dishes), plus sandwiches, pizzas and salads, you can eat in (15 seats) or take out. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays.

The restaurant will serve as pasta-making headquarters for Elua, just as Padovani Chocolates will serve as candy-making source for Elua, said Padovani.

Padovani said Elua will indeed have a split personality, with Donato's Italian specialties and Padovani's Provencal/Mediterranean dishes on the menu. The chefs will divide the cooking duties between them, with each placing a couple of specials on the menu on "their" days, alongside a core menu of pastas, risottos and so on.

Elua, which will serve lunch and dinner, will have about two dozen wines on tap in a Cruvinet system and will offer small plates and later hours — open until 11 p.m, said Padovani. The plan is for the entire menu to change seasonally.

Remodeling has begun on the Elua site, which Padovani said he has long coveted for its central location and parking.

Padovani said his former customers at Padovani's Wine Bar and Bistro have been coming in to the chocolate shop insisting that he put their old favorite dishes on the menu.

CLOSE COMPETITION

Elua will have some nearby competition: Executive chef Jon Matsubara, formerly of CanoeHouse at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, and ex-Alan Wong's Restaurant manager Charly Yoshida are poised to open Stage at the new Honolulu Design Center April 14.

A sneak peek revealed a black-on-gray space punctuated by red chairs.

With Matsubara's Big Island farm connections, expect lots of fresh Hawai'i-grown ingredients.

Also in the Design Center is Amuse, a self-service wine bar where an ATM-type card lets you pour your own.

CHEF SWITCH AT THE W

In other news, Mariano Lalica will take over as executive chef of Diamond Head Grill at the W Hotel later this month.

Chef Eric Sakai, whose enterprising rustic-elegant Italian-style menu had received high praise, has resigned, citing differences in vision between himself and the hotel's owners. He said he is not sure whether he will remain in Hawai'i, where he has family, or return to the Mainland, where he had worked for the acclaimed Aquarello and Rubicon restaurants.

Lalica operated the short-lived Meritage Restaurant at Restaurant Row in 2003 and 2004 and has been chef at the Plaza Club since then. Lalica said he's looking forward to returning to the Italian/wine country menu he devised at Meritage.

MAVRO ON THE WEB

Chef George Mavrothalassitis announced this week that his highly anticipated Cassis Honolulu, a "local-style bistro" and wine bar, will open April 30 in the former Palomino site at Harbor Court, at Bethel and Nimitz streets.

The chef-owner will divide his time between Cassis and his flagship Chef Mavro restaurant, where chef de cuisine Kevin Chong will continue to preside in his absence.

To see what Mavrothalassitis and his Cassis chefs, Ben Takahashi and Nolan West, have been up to, check out the video at www.cassishonolulu.com.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.