IF PASSERSBY last fall wondered what was going on behind that spiffy new Bocca awning at the intersection of 22nd and Talbott streets, the mirrored blackout windows provided no clues. “Are the lights even on yet?” wondered the drive-by Gladys Kravitzes.

Even after the business, a restaurant serving “modern Italian cuisine,” officially opened in the middle of November, it maintained an air of mystery. Yes, the lights were on, though just barely visible.