First Look: Villagio Italian Kitchen, Decatur

1355 Clairmont Road, Decatur. 404-549-7925, villagioitaliankitchen.com.

In November, Villagio Italian Kitchen quietly opened in the former Capozzi’s space on Clairmont Road in Decatur, offering a casual dining and drinking atmosphere, and a menu of rustic favorites, from starters and salads to pizza, pasta and entrees.

The look: Situated in the same strip center as Bhojanic and Community Q, Villagio's corner storefront layout features a main dining room with brick walls and rows of cozy booths and cafe tables. The kitchen, bar area and patio are located up a short flight of stone stairs.

The scene: One recent Friday evening, the dining room was dimly lit and sparsely occupied with couples dressed for a date night dinner. Perched near the entrance, a lone troubadour serenaded them with an acoustic guitar and folkie arrangements of rock songs like "Dark Side of the Moon."

The food: The menu generally takes a straightforward approach. Fritto misto ($8) is a mix of battered and fried artichokes, mushrooms, kale and garlic cloves with garlic aioli. Spiedini kebabs ($4.50-$7.50) include oregano- and cumin-rubbed beef and harissa-marinated chicken. Veggie Alfredo pizza ($14) is topped with ricotta, sweet onions, mushrooms and arugula. Among the pasta and entree offerings ($15-$22), find butternut squash ravioli, lamb pappardelle, chicken piccata and roasted salmon.

The drinks: The beer, wine and cocktail lists seem to have taken a cue from the new wave of Italian restaurants popping up around metro Atlanta lately. Look for local craft beer on draft ($6) from Jekyll, Monday Night, Red Brick, Sweetwater and Terrapin, boutique wines from California and Italy ($6-$44), and Italian-flavored cocktails like the Al Capone ($10), with Wiser's rye, sweet vermouth and Campari.

Extras: At lunch Mondays-Saturdays, find $12 grilled pizzas, "big salads" ($9-$12), and panini with truffle fries ($8-$10).