Michael Vujovich, chef of West Seattle’s beloved Beach House Italian Cafe, just called to let me know that he’s back from his busman’s holiday and has opened a new restaurant in Burien. The ebullient restaurateur — who counted among his fans my predecessor, Laura Cassidy — sold his 12-year-old restaurant in 2005 to go traveling. Among other things, he worked as a caterer and as the chef of a restaurant in his home country of Montenegro. But his school-age family kept him anchored in Washington, and so for the past six months he’s been working on his next restaurant. On Thursday, Vujovich opened Bistro Baffi in Burien — “baffi” means “mustache” in Italian, and the chef says he wears a rather distinctive one — serving Italian cuisine in marble-topped surroundings. “This area is amazing,” he says. “It’s amazing how many people are Italian here and how many know about good food.” Curious neighbors are already filling the dining room, he says, and like any new father, the chef sounds both happy and exhausted. Check it out and let me know how your meal was.

Bistro Baffi, 15217 21st Ave., Burien, 244-0737. Open for dinner Mon.-Sat.