They promise a dining experience unlike any the city has seen.
Julio Aguirre, owner, and Alexander Arevalo Garcia, executive chef, are opening Rapini Trattoria and Bar at 40 Power Dr. on the south end of the Manawa Power Centre. The restaurant is expected to open on Wednesday.
Garcia began in the culinary arts nearly 20 years ago, starting at a restaurant on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills when he was 14 years old. His experience includes French and Italian cuisine.
The two L.A. natives bring expertise from fine California restaurants to Council Bluffs, a city Aguirre said he first experienced while on vacation.
"I like the people here in Council Bluffs. I fell in love with the place," he said. "I saw the potential."
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."