It's been some time since we've heard from J Street restaurateur Peter Torza, but when he has something to say he has something to say, and the word is that he will be closing his Black Pearl Oyster Bar in October to remodel and expand the quarters into Gianni's Trattoria.

Pizza will be the specialty, with his 19-year-old son Gianni overseeing the oven. Gianni Torza now tends the pizza oven Friday and Saturday nights just down J Street at Harlow's, another restaurant and bar in the Torza family.

After running Black Pearl for three and a half years, Peter Torza says he's tired of the late hours. He also wants to rekindle his Italian culinary heritage. He was inspired to start thinking trattoria when he visited Italy a couple of months ago.

Plans call for Torza to take over an adjoining hair-styling salon and knock down the wall separating the two businesses so Gianni's can have a more traditional dining room than now is in Black Pearl.

Torza hopes to have Gianni's open by Thanksgiving.