New Restaurant Charlies On Fifth Brings Fresh Dining To Fifth And Mission Streets

The local eatery Tastebuds Bistro, Bar & Bottles in Wenatchee has been sold to the owner of another popular restaurant located right next door, Garlini's Napoletana. Craig Still, who has operated Garlini's since the early nineties, and two of his key employees, Leo "Chef" Brito and Breann Allstot, have partnered with Still to purchase Tastebuds from Alisa Strutzel. The new owners plan to call the dining spot at Fifth and Mission Streets,  "Charlie's On Fifth"

Strutzel thanked the community and her loyal patrons for 19 years of support and announced she is moving onto a new chapter in her life

The now former Tastebuds was closed on September 30th, and Still, Allstot and Brito plan an October 9th reopening. with a limited menu but will expand the fare following the soft opening

The partners plan a Pacific Northwest-inspired menu relying on local suppliers, including beef raised in Quincy and Ephrata

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Still has operated Garlini's since 1992 and has seen the restaurant business in Wenatchee improve dramatically over the years with many local operators. He believes the trend is showing a consumer preference for locally owned restaurants and away from the large restaurant chains.

The partners said they spent a lot of time researching dining experiences and menus in Seattle and Spokane before moving ahead with the new restaurant venture

The restaurant is closed as of today for cleaning and staff training and will reopen as Chalie's On Fifth on Friday, October 9th, Alstot says many of Tastebuds' former servers are joining the new team. No major renovations are planned, but the new owners say they plan to maintain the casual ambience that Tastebuds had