On the table: A Mano

On the table is an occasional series whereby we tell you everything we know about an upcoming restaurant. We'd tell you not to get too excited, because these places are still far from being completed. But with details such as these from A Mano, that would be pretty unrealistic.

When the guys behind Bin 36 told us they were opening an Italian spot underneath their flagship restaurant in Marina City, our first thought was that this will probably be a restaurant we'll be into. Our second thought, of course, was this: "What do they mean, they're building it under?"

Turns out there's a lot of space under the mammoth, wine-centric restaurant. Here are some details about what's in store:

+ A Mano, which is Italian for "By Hand," will be, naturally, an Italian restaurant: Chef John Caputo is in Italy right now, staging at a few restaurants and gathering ideas for the menu. There are no specifics yet, but we do know that there will be a focus on pizzas from a wood-burning oven; crudo; an antipasto lunch buffet; and gelato.

+ About that gelato: According to partners Dan Sachs and John Caputo, housemade gelato will play the same role at A Mano that wine does at Bin 36—that is, gelato will be a big focus, something that you'll be able to get a scoop of at the gelato bar, order off the menu and, eventually, take home a pint of. The restaurant has invested in a Carpigiani machine—"the Cadillac of gelato makers"—and chef Caputo has been studying his gelato-making skills at Gelato University. (Yes, this really does exist...that Ivy League education doesn't seem so cool anymore now, does it?)

+ The restaurant is split into two separate parts: Walking into the front door, you'll see a gelato bar on the left (see blueprints). Here you can get casual fare, like panini, and take it to go or, in the warmer months, take it outside to the forthcoming "piazza." To the right is the more formal dining room. And right in front of you? A completely open kitchen. (Well, open in some parts; in other parts it is shielded with clear glass, so that you can peer in without the risk of spilling your martini on the pasta station).

+ Wine Director/Partner Brian Duncan will be developing the wine list. Still, this place will be different from Bin 36 in that wine will play a supporting role to the food, and not vice versa. As Chef Caputo, who has spent years watching his excellent food play second fiddle to Bin's wonderful wine program, put it: "This is my chance" to shine.