South Enders have been keeping a close eye on the restaurant space above the Star Store. They are ready to reclaim their favorite summer hang-out, the outdoor patio overlooking Saratoga Passage.

The wait is over. In time for Fourth of July, the Prima Bistro will open its doors.

“We want to be known as a place with really good food and wine where people can come back more than once a week because the prices are reasonable,” general manager Jenn Jurriaans said. “We are not exclusive to anybody.”

Open seven days a week, serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant will be a place where people can come for a romantic dinner, but it will be casual enough for tourists to stop in, and the Prima Bistro will definitely be kid-friendly.

“Our own 3-year-old will be there often,” Jurriaans said.

One of the Prima team’s goals is to be open after WICA performances and movies at the Clyde. Many locals have told them they would like to have a place where they could get a glass of wine or a snack after a night at the theatre.

The menu will offer simple, fresh, classic bistro food – great salads, steaks, fish and seafood dishes, and a good selection of vegetarian options.

Chef Sieb Jurriaans said he hopes the signature dish will be Steak Frites, a grilled hangar steak with roquefort aioli, braised greens and french fries.

But with the best of Northwest seafood literally swimming in the waters less that 50 feet away from the bistro, local mussels, fish and other delicacies will be part of the menu, as well, said co-manager Cole Radcliff.

“The fresher, the more local – the better,” he said.

As a chef, Sieb likes to offer the best to his customers.

“Sieb doesn’t compromise anything when it comes to his food,” Ratcliff said.

The menu has a variety of vegetarian options such as spinach salad with avocado, chickpeas, egg and a light curry vinaigrette, the warm asparagus salad and the risotto primavera with organic summer vegetables.

A full bar and an extensive wine list round out the menu. The wine selection will be varied and reasonably priced. The Prima Bistro has a wine selection from all over the world with a focus on Northwest wines, Radcliff said.

Radcliff has managed a number of restaurants, has worked as a wine distributor and knows what he is talking about.

The restaurant will have a sophisticated look, yet it’ll be a bit more subtle and earthier than the Star Bistro. Warm bordeaux colors and dark wood make for a comfortable atmosphere.

The Jurriaans have been waiting for an opportunity to start a restaurant on South Whidbey for many years.

“This was kind of a dream come true for us,” Jenn said.

The couple has a special connection to the island. Sieb proposed to Jenn on the island and they were married here.

“It’s the feeling once you get on the ferry,” Jenn said. “We were ready to slow down.”

Coming from Seattle, they already enjoy the slower-paced island life.

“Slow down and speed up,” her husband Sieb added referring to the new restaurant project.

The third man aboard the Prima Bistro ship, Cole is long-time friend. He became part of the project soon after the Jurriaans found the location.

“If I could do anything to help the restaurant succeed, I wanted to be a part of it,” he said.

Sieb and Cole both have several years of experience in the restaurant business. They most recently opened Saltoro in North Seattle together.

Jenn is a teacher for the Seattle school district and is finishing out the school year while renovating the restaurant and getting it ready for the grand-opening.

“We have so many people to thank for helping get this restaurant up and running, too many to list,” she said. “However we want to acknowledge Gene and Tamar Felton for their amazing support and encouragement, Gary Riedling for his tireless and skilled work, Lauren Pool and Anne Bobinac at Whidbey Island Bank for believing in us, Nancy Rowan at the Langley Chamber for her positivity and excitement over this venture and Patricia Savage for her expandable home!”