Jesse Haik, a co-owner of the 2.5-year-old Pennsylvania Rye Company at 536 Hamilton St., is planning to open Simpatico - a modern Italian restaurant - in May at 27 N. Seventh St.
Simpatico will occupy an updated ArtsWalk space that previously housed other dining establishments, including Shula's Steak House, Queen City BBQ and, most recently, Blended, on the ground floor of the Strata West apartment complex. Haik, a New Orleans native, has been working in the restaurant industry since he was 15 years old. Haik and his friend, Dan Gonzalez, opened Pennsylvania Rye Company in 2022 in a renovated Hamilton Street space that was previously home to Grain and Federal Grill restaurants. He's opened and managed restaurants in five states, with former gigs including beverage manager at The Dime restaurant at The Renaissance Allentown Hotel and general manager of the Liberty House in Jersey City, N.J. Haik has wanted to open an Italian concept for many years, and he finally decided to take the leap after noticing the positive reception of freshly prepared pasta dishes at PA Rye Company. It's going to be a modern Italian concept focused on fresh pasta and fresh dough for pizza and focaccia. The full-service PA Rye Company offers fresh and creative cuisine made from scratch, classic and signature craft cocktails, and an extensive collection of rye whiskey.
Simpatico, featuring indoor and outdoor dining, catering/private event space and a rectangular full bar with one side opening to the ArtsWalk, will showcase local fare, fresh pasta, brick oven pizza and innovative small and large plates. Diners will be able to choose from a diverse menu of hand-crafted appetizers, handhelds, entrees and desserts. The pasta will be made on-site, and it will be available to order as an entrée or as a small plate. They will have a good amount of pasta, between six and 10, including some classics and some rotating seasonal options. Haik is still finalizing the menu, but he envisions a mix of modern and traditional Italian-style dishes, including short rib, pork chop, branzino and a premium steak with fresh accoutrements. The meat will be bought from local pigs in New Jersey that are used to make pork chops at Pennsylvania Rye Company, and we’re hoping to expand on that by also purchasing local beef. Two sandwich highlights will include muffuletta and porchetta. Muffuletta, a classic New Orleans sandwich, is a nod to Haik's roots.
Simpatico also will feature a full bar with a focus on craft cocktails and international wines, including several Italian and French wines. Renovations have already started on the roughly 10,000-square-foot space, with updated wainscoting, light fixtures and other cosmetic touches in the dining room. The plan is to add new wall paint, furniture, and curtains in the Seventh Street windows, and a large planter box between the bar area and dining room. He's also repositioning some of the furniture and changing the restaurant's flow. The updated space will be brighter and less cavernous. Currently, the bar connects to the outside, and the exterior can be seen all the way from the back. There will be snake plants in the box, creating some division between the dining and the bar and breaking up some of the noise.
Simpatico means "of a like mind" or "in agreement with," and Haik chose it as the name of his new restaurant because it's also a slang term - used frequently in Italian and Italian-American cultures - to describe someone who is friendly or likeable. Haik's wife, who is part Italian, assisted him in choosing the name, which helps convey one of the restaurant's main pillars: inclusivity. It represents people of a like mind and brings people together.