Italian Bistro recently celebrated five years in business, according to owner Jason James.

James purchased the restaurant, previously known as Antonio’s Pizza and Pasta of Porters Neck, in late 2011. Within two years, he reunited with chef Jason Raynor, who served as James' chef at two of his previous endeavors, Italian Bistro in downtown Wilmington and Sauce Italian Grille in Cornelius.
 
Over the past five years, James and Raynor have worked to put their own mark on the restaurant while still pleasing a long-standing clientele. 
 
“Reaching the five-year mark is kind of a big deal,” James said. “We’ve worked very hard to separate ourselves from the competition and our customer’s support and willingness to grow with us has gotten us to this point. We’re very grateful for that.”
 
Italian Bistro officially changed its name from Antonio’s last fall, a move that James had been looking forward to for some time. Since then, he has also converted to natural gas, installed new stones in the pizza ovens and given the dining room an update with new carpeting, paint and furniture.
 
James said these changes complete phase one of his renovation plans; he still plans to install additional pizza ovens and reconfigure the pizza counter as part of phase two.
 
Since James took over, the restaurant has evolved to include catering, a Sunday brunch and weekly specials, such as large three-topping pizzas on Mondays for $12.99; medium three-topping pizzas on Wednesdays for $10.99; and a create-your-own pasta night on Tuesdays with dishes starting at $12.95.
 
James said Raynor is currently finalizing the late winter menu, which will debut next week and likely feature a selection of hearty winter dishes such as braised meats, stews and winter salads.
 
Italian Bistro is located at 8211 Market St. in the Porters Neck Center.

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