Diego Mota and Taylor Amara, a Harwich husband-and-wife team, want to bring their "Italian without borders" concept to Yarmouth Port. Leonessa, the couple's new regional Italian restaurant, will open soon along Route 6A at 43 Main St., replacing the former Grill 43 restaurant that recently shuttered. The restaurant will celebrate how Italian cuisine varies from region to region, serving meals infused with North African, French and other culinary influences.

"Being in New England and such a seasonal market, we have the beauty of cooking with the seasons .... instead of tying myself to just the Italian cuisine, it'd be nice to showcase the other regions as well, using New England ingredients," said Diego Mota, chef owner.