Coronado gets a steak house

Island native David Spatafore and his cousin Leroy Mossel are on the move again.

In recent years, the cousins created MooTime Creamery, Leroy's Kitchen, Village Pizzeria, Lil' Piggy's Bar-B-Q, and Coronado Coffee Company, all successful island operations (with Spatafore as the actual owner). Now they have put a banner up in front of La Terrazza, the defunct Italian upstairs eatery near the corner of B Street on Orange avenue.

The banner announces the coming of Stake Chophouse and Bar, "opening Spring 2014."

The inside has already been gutted.

But word is that it will become a high-class white tablecloth steak joint à la Morton's or Ruth's, and that it will feature a "fire wall," a wall of actual flames to warm up the atmosphere. Opening could be end of February, early March. But those dates are tentative.

One thing that will stay the same: the "terrazza" outside, about the only eatery apart from Hotel Del restaurants with views of the actual ocean.

Speculation is also rife that Spatafore is looking to cross to the mainland next and set up another steak-type eatery somewhere downtown.

Are we witnessing the birth of another upscale chain?