When Grana opens next to the Sprouts on Piedmont Road in January, it will serve as an ode to owner/chef Pat Pascarella’s childhood in Connecticut and his Southern Italian heritage. With wood-fired pizzas, meats, and vegetables, plus house-made pasta, a meatball tasting, and build-your-own cannoli, Grana is designed to feel like a party “no matter what time of day it is,” Pascarella says.

“This is the restaurant I was born to run and own. It’s my mom in restaurant form. It’s got sass, spunk, and really good food.” As opposed to Pascarella’s Decatur restaurant, the White Bull, Grana will be more “old-school peasant” than fancy, he says, with nightly specials for those who crave something more sophisticated, such as crudo.