Half a year after the closure of European transplant Carluccio’s, there’s a new bustle of activity down on the 100 block of King Street. The smells of Italian food waft through the door anew, thanks in large part to the showpiece pizza oven now taking up residence near the restaurant’s entrance, adjacent to a eat-in counter where several patrons are usually found lingering over a square slice.

#Say hello to Mia’s, the newest resident of a property that has seemed to change hands more than most. According to Alexandria Restaurant Partners’ corporate executive chef Graham Duncan, the idea of a “cursed location” is only folklore.