Restaurateur Lisa St. James and her brother lock up after a day of hard work at soon-to-open Giardino Segreto on Wyckoff. — Photo by Devon Brown

Ristorante Giardino Segreto has certainly lived up to its name, but with a grand opening projected for early June, it’s high time for this secret to be told. Located on Wyckoff between Starr and Willoughby, passersby would have no idea that behind the banal façade of an old Mexican deli lies the newest edition to the Bushwick dining scene. Saturday afternoon I sat down with owner Lisa St. James and head chef Giuseppe Agosoto (Ago) to find out what we can expect.

	Giardino Segreto’s exposed brick. Click for more.

“I’ve lived in this neighborhood for six years, and don’t cook, so I’ve been going hungry,” Lisa explained. Inspired by the new faces visiting the storage facility she runs across the street, Lisa felt the neighborhood was ready for the type of place she’d like to dine. ”When you walk in you should think Italy,” she continued. Ristorante Giardino Segreto will be an intimate twenty-five seater restaurant; the back garden will hold another thirty or so seats.

Opening a new restaurant is not easy in this neighborhood, but Lisa is determined to do it “the right way.” ”We are redoing everything from floor to ceiling,” she explained. Old sheet rock was torn down exposing a beautiful brick wall, the entire space was rewired, new plumbing was put in and all new equipment had to be purchased. But Lisa said the one thing she isn’t worried about is the taste of the food.

The kitchen and menu design has been left in the capable hands of her friend and neighbor, Ago the Magic Chef. You may have caught Ago, a magician, at one of his performances in Union Square, but having run his own restaurant outside Turin, Italy, for eleven years, he is also an experienced chef.

Between sips of coffee Ago outlined the menu. ”This is Italian food. You have to touch a little bit the pasta, risotto, gnocchi.” He continued to explain that he wanted to keep the menu small and stick to the traditional Italian courses of antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni, and dolci. When I mentioned pizza, there was a bit of contention. Lisa, the owner, would like some pizza, but the restaurant will not have a pizza oven and Ago, like most serious artisans, does not want to create something without the proper tools. We will have to visit the restaurant when it’s open to see where the dust settles, but I have a feeling that pizza will not go entirely ignored.

Other ideas are still being kicked around. The restaurant may open as a BYOB until the months-long liquor license process is completed. The back yard may be enclosed so that it can be used year-round. And in keeping with the artistry and youth of the area, Lisa would also like to invite burgeoning young chefs into the kitchen to show off their skills.

It all sounds too fabulous to be true — when I saw photos of the dirt mounds in the basement and piles of debris, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would all come to fruition by the beginning of the summer. But for now I will put faith in the strength of Lisa’s vision and wait patiently for the arrival of something new.

Ristorante Giardino Segreto 
46 Wyckoff Avenue
Projected Opening: June 2009