Tratto Pizzeria Napoletana, downtown's newest restaurant, launches this Friday

The downtown dining and nightlife zone that's formed this year around the intersection of Winnipeg Street and Westminster Avenue West gets a slick new member this Friday afternoon when pizza and Italian food restaurant Tratto Pizzeria Napoletana officially opens its doors to the public.

PentictonNow wrote extensively about the new business in early October, but we were spurred to drop by once more Friday afternoon when we saw noted local graffiti and mural artist Brad Mulherin working his magic on a scaffold high above the sidewalk.

Mulherin's Tratto signage is magnificent, a fitting final touch to a façade that’s changed mightily in the past few weeks. We love the white wall/dark trim motif and the recently installed five-panel folding door array that'll open to a 16-seat patio in the warm months.

After chatting with Mulherin, we opened the door and walked inside to see a near-completed interior. And it's gorgeous.

Seating 60 patrons between its elongated bar and the table area that forms around it, and featuring a double-height ceiling and a warm, golden-hued lighting scheme, Tratto is a spacious and dramatic affair that'll add even more appeal to a neighbourhood that's seen rapid improvement throughout 2019.

Tratto is owned by brothers Frank and Dom Morra of Vancouver, who together operate four high-end pizzerias in the city, and Penticton's Chris Royal, who most recently built the kitchen at Upper Bench Winery and ran the popular Pie Face Pizza Pop Up at Naramata's JoieFarm Winery.

Royal happened to be on premises when we walked in, and we asked him how they've been able to accomplish so much in the one month since our last visit.

"Everything worked out exactly the way we expected it to," he said. "We had a few things we had to work around, but nothing big. I'm just now getting over my exhaustion to be truly excited about what we're going to do."

That excitement will undoubtedly reach a fever pitch when the restaurant opens its doors this Friday at 5 p.m. According to Royal, all three owners will be on premises.

"Yeah, they’re bringing their whole families with them," he laughed. "And with all three of us in there, it'll be a busy kitchen this weekend."

Specializing in traditional Neapolitan pizza but serving a wide variety of Italian food including pastas, soups, salads, appies, and much more, Tratto Pizzeria Napoletana is situated at 256 Westminster Avenue West in downtown Penticton. According to Royal, it will serve dinner for a "couple weeks at least," then begin their lunch program.

"We're a slow food restaurant done fast," said Royal. "Our food is as authentic as we want it to be, in terms of it being Neapolitan backbone cooking with an Okanagan influence."

"We offer incredible quality for value. Our restaurant prices will be quite low, and they're going to stay there."