Acclaimed 4-star chef Anthony Bucco, who has just opened his highly anticipated contemporary Italian restaurant Felina in Ridgewood, is planning to open another Felina in Newark.

"I have a lot of energy," said the father of three, who on Jan. 4 officially opened the doors to Felina on East Ridgewood Avenue. Now he's looking at space in downtown Newark that can house still another Felina.

"Newark is poised for growth," said Bucco, who has headed the kitchens in legendary New Jersey restaurants the Ryland Inn and Restaurant Latour. "It's an important city in New Jersey and it deserves to have a great future. We're excited to join other small businesses and companies who have signed up to be part of Newark's future growth."

Among those small businesses, of course, is the mini-empire of restaurants that celebrated chef Marcus Samuelsson has been building. More than a year ago, Samuelsson opened Marcus B&P, a casual restaurant and bar in the renovated Hahne & Co. department store. Samuelsson, the award-winning chef behind Red Rooster and Streetbird, both in Harlem, said that he hoped that Marcus B&P would give Newark the kind of boost that Red Rooster has Harlem.

Bucco said that Felina Newark will take at least a year to open.

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