When it comes to restaurants, this adage tends to be proven again and again: There’s no substitute for experience. The concept may be intriguing, the menu may be well-crafted and the décor may be dazzling (and often terribly expensive), but the confidence that comes with experience usually outshines them all.

The new Autentico’s Kitchen with its Italian-American menu is a product of not one but two families’ worth of restaurant experience. It’s co-owned by Michael Vitale, who grew up working in restaurants, and his wife, Daniela Vitale, whose father owns Dolce Vita Italian Restaurant in Midlothian (with Michael) and who started the area’s Vinnie’s Italian Grill chain back in 2001.