The owners of downtown Santa Fe’s Sazón and its Mexican “New World” offerings promise the same fine dining finesse for Italian cuisine at a new restaurant next door to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Lawrence Becerra said Tuesday that he, his interior designer wife Suzanna Becerra and Sazón partner and chef Fernando Olea plan to open Sassella in the current location of Maize.

The Maize dining room will close Friday, with the bar to follow May 15. The Sassella team takes possession of the 225 Johnson Street property May 16. Becerra expects to open Sassella in mid-June. Sassella will be helmed by executive chef Cristian Pontiggia, who comes from Sassella in the Lombardy region of northwestern Italy.