As a man known for his Mediterranean cooking, it seemed logical that Bill Patterson would introduce Italian dishes into the menu of Chimayo, which he is in the process of purchasing.

But after a month of mulling it over, Patterson has decided to return the restaurant to what he calls its roots, when it offered tacos, burritos, and nachos throughout the day and into the evening.

“The restaurant served its lunch menu all day, originally,” Patterson said. “About five years ago, a dinner menu started. We’re going to keep the menu that made Chimayo an Eastsound favorite. I want the lunch menu to be available all the time, plus some pasta specials. I hope kids and families will return. I want to offer a place where families can come out and not spend an arm and leg, especially in this economy.”

Patterson is in the process of buying the restaurant from Karen Campbell, who opened it 15 years ago. The sale will be complete in November. It started as a walk-up burrito window, and grew into what it is now. The restaurant recently underwent a remodel, after a January 2008 freak fire left smoke damage. Campbell had reopened the restaurant in April.

“I was Karen’s hand-picked successor,” Patterson said. “She had a keen idea that I’d be interested, and she was right. Before I bought Chimayo, I was a regular lunch customer. I had a very strong appreciation for what Karen did.”

Patterson has been managing the restaurant since Aug. 6, and Campbell has been helping with the transition. She will be lending her assistance until the sale closes.

“Karen has been very involved,” he said. “She wants it to work. She is 100 percent behind my idea to return the restaurant to the way it was five years ago.”

Campbell’s post-Chimayo plans include lots of traveling – she has a trip planned to Kenya and Italy. She just got back from a rock climbing and river rafting excursion in Idaho.

“I want to have some semblance of a normal life again,” Campbell said. “I want to eat food from my fridge, hang out with friends, and play with my dog. I need to restore a sense of calm in my life. I was on-call 24/7 for 15 years.”

Patterson says he’s been cooking “for many, many years.” He owned a restaurant in Eastern Washington, and since moving here in 2000, he has become known for his catering, gourmet sausages, and the “Sazio Supper Club,” which is a weekly event held in the winter months. Patterson plans to host the Sunday-night Italian-style dinners at Chimayo; they start again in October.

Nearly all of Chimayo’s staff is staying on, except for the chef, who had already planned to move in the fall. So Patterson is doing what he does best: getting in front of the stove.

“At the end of the day I’m just a guy who likes to eat,” Patterson. “I approach food passionately. It’s a very important part of my life.”

Chimayo, located in the Our House Building in Eastsound, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.