Vashon will have a new restaurant in a familiar space when islander and chef Chris Lueck opens the Mediterranean-influenced Isola in the old Express Cuisine location.

“This is going to be an entirely new concept,” Lueck said. “It will not be anything like what I did before.”

Lueck put the space up for sale last year, when knee replacement surgery left him unable to continue running Express Cuisine. But while his effort to sell was unsuccessful, his recovery was just the opposite.

“I’m fine now,” he said, “so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to reopen with a new concept.”

Stretching from Spain to Turkey, and Croatia to North Africa — with everything from southern France to Greece in between — Mediterranean cuisine presents a wide variety of culinary opportunities. And while more details will be available as progress is made toward opening, Lueck is very clear that Isola — which is Italian for “island” — will be the embodiment of who he is as a chef.

“This time, I’m going to be doing what I want to do.”

— Sarah Low