Julia Blackbird's, which opened on West 32nd Street in 2000, was an early pioneer in the revitalization of the Highlands Square shopping district. But a sixteen-year run in the West Highland neighborhood has come to an end. The place won't sit vacant for long, though; a new sign is already up announcing that an Italian restaurant and wine bar called Spatola will soon open in the space.

Longtime residents may recall that the tiny brick eatery separated from the street by a sunny courtyard was not the first home of Julia Blackbird's. Chef/owner Julia Siegfried originally opened her ode to New Mexican cooking across the street and a block west, at 3617 West 32nd Avenue, which is now home to a Novo Coffee outpost.

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