by Don Cazentre

The smell of the wood fire tells you this is a place with local restaurant legend John Stage's signature on it. When you get to the blackened and blistered Neapolitan-influenced pizzas and the long list of Italian-style Negroni cocktails on the bar menu, you know it's a little different.

Apizza Regionale opens at 5 p.m. Thursday at 260 W. Genesee St., in the spot once occupied by Mimi's Bakery & Cafe. After Thursday's opening, regular hours will be 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. Friday; 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday. It's operated by John Stage, founder of the original Dinosaur Bar-B-Que across the street and the nine Dinos that followed, and his friend and former Dino bar manager, Paul Messina.

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Source: http://www.syracuse.com/