Tony Raffa and his wife, Leslie, also own Amedeo's off Loop 494. Chef David Welch, will open the new restaurant and says that the menu at Raffa's will offer some American favorites, with culinary influences from Europe, Asia, the Southwestern states, and fresh Gulf seafood.

Amedeo's has been an area mainstay for the past 21 years, with Welch, trained in Paris at the Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute, as executive chef for the past five. He will remain as executive chef and general manager at Raffa's, handing over the reign's to the Amedeo's kitchen to the newly hired Craig Barlow.

The posh, new eatery rests on the water's edge and has two patios, one for smokers and one for non-smokers. The restaurant will be non-smoking only, for indoor seating.

A unique provision at Raffa's will be the use of personal wine lockers, 20 in all. Guests can purchase their own lockers and then buy the wines of their choosing to have placed in the lockers for use when they dine.

“There are gonna be a lot of perks that go with them,” said Raffa.

The locker perks will include priority seating at special events and a 20 percent discount on wines purchased for the lockers. They will be rented annually and are available now through a bidding process.

Raffa has spent a lot of time and expense to make his new restaurant elegant and welcoming. There will be both booth and table seating, large group availability and a private dining room for parties of about 10. Granite will top the bar and numerous other surfaces while large, 12-foot windows, offering a view of the water, are everywhere.

The bar, located just in front of the kitchen, will seat 36 people and will show televised events.

Raffa's will seat approximately 210 guests, indoors and out, and is expected to open by late June or early July.

There may be a wait for a seat at Raffa's, but the area will offer plenty to do and see until a table becomes available.

For more information about the wine lockers, call 281-460-5669.

To apply for a job or learn more about Raffa's, visit www.raffas.net.

Photo: From left are Chef David Welch, Kingwood Chamber President Sparky Nolan and Raffa's owner, Tony Raffa.