The kitchen is ready to go. The white tablecloths are draped over the tables and the doors are ready to open, but diners will have to wait a little longer to taste the rustic Italian menu at Slay Italian Kitchen, the latest restaurant by respected chef David Slay. “As of now it will be after the new year,” Slay wrote in an email to the Southern California News Group.

The chef, who lives a couple of blocks away from his soon-to-open spot at 1001 Manhattan Ave., also opened the nearby Slay Steak + Fish House in Manhattan Beach earlier this year. He also owns Park Ave Steaks & Chops and Il Garage Ristorante in Orange County. While a mid-November debut was expected for Slay Italian Kitchen, Slay said he is still waiting for final city inspections in order to open his new spot.