Replacing the Thorn Tree, a short-lived African safari theme restaurant in Norcross, Firenze Ristorante recently opened in the sprawling Peachtree Parkway shopping center space once occupied by Tomas.
Andrea Montobbio, an Italian chef who’s worked at Pricci, Enoteca Carbonari, NEO and Taverna Fiorentina, is in the kitchen with a multicourse menu featuring antipasti, wood-fired pizza, handmade pasta, and a variety of fish and meat dishes.
The look: Thorn Tree's flaming torches and big game taxidermic displays are gone, and the ambience has been softened to a fine dining glow. The spacious mirrored bar area adjoining the dining room remains, along with the solarium-style room in back and a secluded outdoor deck.
The scene: One evening, the bar was busy with a lively sports crowd that included the friendly bartender and equally friendly server. In the much quieter dining room, mostly middle-aged couples and small parties filled a smattering of tables.
The menu: Montobbio's offerings include a Prosciutto di Parma pizza ($11) with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and arugula, and roasted butternut squash ravioli with scallops in a brown butter and fried sage sauce ($22). There's a daily market-priced fish, and on the richer, meatier side, Chianti-braised short ribs ($24) come with four-cheese polenta and caramelized onions, and a pan-fried veal chop ($26) is covered with pomodoro sauce and cheese.
The drinks: The mostly Italian and California wine list includes both familiar and not-so-familiar selections by the glass ($7-$12) or the bottle ($26-$42). There's also a small reserve bottle list ($65-$125).
The extras: Lunch is served 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays, with lower-priced entrees, such as spaghetti with veal meatballs ($9), and sandwiches, such as grilled grouper ($11). Look for weeknight dinner specials, including half-priced bottles of wine on Mondays, a $14.95 three-pasta sampler on Tuesdays, and a $29.95 three-course dinner on Wednesdays.
Dining out
Firenze Ristorante, Norcross
Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Dinner: 5-10 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Starters, soup and salads, $5-$14; pizza, $10-$11; pasta, $12-$22; entrees, $19-$26, lunch entrees, $6-$11.
6025 Peachtree Parkway, Norcross. 770-817-8733, www.firenzeristorante.net.
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