By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Fans of a legendary Upper West Side restaurant that closed last year will forever miss the food, but at least they'll soon be able to enjoy the romantic pastel canvases of nude women that have hung on its walls for decades.
When Café Des Artistes closed in August of 2009, property manager Gerard Picaso told Crain's New York that the murals could be removed if the new owners didn't want them.
But Gianfranco Sorrentino and Paula Bolla Sorrentino, the restaurateurs taking over the space at 1 W. 67th St., now say the revamped murals will be "the stars" of the decor at the new eatery, to be named The Leopard at Des Artistes.
"The restoration will [restore] the original color vibrance, fix some cracks, and repair the surfaces so they can look their best," Paula Bolla Sorrentino wrote in an e-mail.
The legendary Howard Chandler Christy murals — which depict naked young women frolicking through nature scenes — will be highlighted by a special lighting system, Sorrentino said. The restoration is set to take place in 2011.
The Sorrentinos, the owners of Il Gattopardo on West 54th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues, say they're now interviewing staff in Italy for their new restaurant off of Central Park West.
As for cuisine, The Leopard at Des Artistes will serve "Southern Italian dishes with extreme respect to the Italian culinary traditions," said Paul Bolla Sorrentino in an e-mail.
