Avvio sounds sleek, like a celebrity baby name, but it loosely translates to “start” in Italian. What a fitting name for this restart of Papa Razzi, a 20-year Garden City favorite. Avvio’s concept is similar to its predecessor. This is not surprising since both the Newport Restaurant Group and the Papa Razzi chain are owned by the same Rhode Island-based parent company. Though I never visited the Papa Razzi in Garden City, I had my share of meals in the New Jersey location during my youth, from preteen mall trips to high school dates.

I was feeling some nostalgia for those thin bread sticks. Those, thankfully, are still around. Everything else, though, has a more posh feel: instead of 1990s bistro Italian, the menu leans closer to the Italian craft food concept epitomized by hot spots like Eataly. Though the menu includes Italian classics like Veal Parmesan, other dishes demonstrate a creative use of quality ingredients and a mix of local and Italian imports. Like other Newport Restaurant Group properties, I found everything to be well designed, from the website to the bathroom.