When Chef Michael Buttacavoli opened Cena in the Channel District 10 years ago, the restaurant was a flicker of life in a space that had been relatively forgotten for years. The few people who frequented the area hit golf balls in vacant lots and ran their dogs in the open spaces that surrounded what Buttacavoli dreamed would become a destination dining experience.
Except for Grand Central at Kennedy, which was then mostly known for its residential units, there was not much happening in the area,…
