Il Castello closed, Alchemy Bistro moving into space

Chef Tim Leininger of Alchemy Bistro and Catering

In the continuing game of restaurant roulette, Il Castello on A Street has closed and the space is being taken over by Alchemy Bistro, which is vacating its space at 552 North Capital, where That One Place and Pachanga's used to be.

Chef Tim Leininger said he hopes to be open at the new location by Oct. 1, and is looking to hire staff, including a sous chef, servers, hosts, bartenders, dishwashers and a restaurant manager. He said he is not going to do much in the way of remodeling. "It's pretty bistro looking as it is," he said.

Before opening around Thanksgiving last years, Leininger had been running a catering business in the Trackside Mall. A Pennsylvania native, he had worked at restaurants while attending college, but came to Idaho in 1989 to work at the Idaho National Laboratory. After retiring from there in 2006, he went to the French Culinary Institute in New York City.

The Capital Ave location will be open during the transition, but Leininger asks diners call first to be sure of available service, 529-1032.