When Mario Ferrentino and Nikko Plescia took over the space that would become Mario’s Pizzeria and Ristorante on South Road, the space was a dilapidated mess, but after nearly six months of work, the two lifelong friends were able to give the place a new, polished look — while still offering classic Italian eats.

“It was daunting walking in here the first time,” Ferrentino said. Just about everything in the restaurant is new from the floor to the ceiling, he said. “Literally, the floor’s new, paintings new, ceilings new, lights new. The place was in such shambles, we had to bring it up to code.”