Upbeat eatery with Philly flair

One quit his day job, which was actually at a night club, and the other is still keeping banker’s hours, which may not be all that short.

Between them, they found time to retool an established delicatessen from the ground up. New restaurateurs on the block are Patrick Winslade and Larry Schoeberl, co-owners of Colagreco’s Italian Style Deli upstairs at Winslow Mall.

The pair purchased the business from friend Mike Gabrielli, who in March wrapped up a successful nine-year run to pursue other interests.

But rather than simply taking over the breakfast and lunch cafe, the new owners went from zero to concept in a month. Their May 1 opening wrapped up what Schoeberl described as “30 days and 30 nights” of cleaning, repainting, redecoration, equipment replacement and menu development.

“We just stripped everything out and started new,” he said.

Even the moniker is new, taken from Winslade’s mother’s maiden name.

The eatery boasts a full menu of hot subs and sandwiches, including the “New Yorker” (corned beef, pastrami, Vermont sharp cheddar and provolone with grilled onions), and “The Winslow” (oven-roasted turkey, Black Forest ham, Swiss and American on a sub roll).

The signature salad is an affair of greens, julienned ham, turkey, several cheeses and ranch dressing, while a “Spring Mix” boasts local greens, Danish bleu cheese, spiced nuts and vinaigrette.

On a recent afternoon, the soups were Cuban black bean and tomato basil.

Winslade and Schoeberl followed different paths to deli ownership.

A native of Philadelphia – “a bit of a hoagie mecca,” as he says – Winslade worked as a computer programmer in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. before moving to the West Coast and going back to school at the Art Institute of Seattle, studying industrial design.

It was during this starving-student period – he was discovered by an instructor “eating mustard packets” for sustenance – a decade ago that Winslade came to the island and found a job waiting tables at what was then the Saltwater Cafe at the foot of Madison Avenue. He went on to a two-year stint in the kitchen at the Winslow Way Cafe.

With an interest in music and video production, Winslade then started and managed two hip dance clubs in downtown Seattle, Man Ray and Blu. Colagreco’s ambience reflects his sensibilities; Monday, the deli pulsed to sinewy techno beat.

Schoeberl comes to the business with a financial background. After earning a degree in accounting, he entered the banking industry as a federal examiner.

Moving to Bainbridge five years ago, he took a job with Kitsap Community Federal Credit Union, managing the island branch before ascending to vice-president for online services, check processing and other services.

He still works full-time at the credit union’s East Bremerton office, but found time Monday to come over and take orders from patrons and bus some tables.

“I’m just off (from the bank) this afternoon,” he said. “I’ve been taking days off to get this business started.”

With the search for a new niche, the breakfast menu of the Gabrielli venture was jettisoned in favor of a later opening and later afternoon hours.

The owners are still assembling a wait staff, and are looking forward to the upcoming summer season and a good reception from tourists coming over from Seattle.

It could be the first of more deli ventures.

“If it does well, we may do another one,” Schoeberl said. “That’s kind of the plan, to keep developing the concept.”

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