When Cambridge chef Chris Willis decided he wanted to open a restaurant with wife, Pam, he took to his bike, riding around the city to find the right spot in a tight market. He’d talk to business owners, or leave them letters, asking them to call if they ever wanted to give up their space. And one day, someone did.

At the end of last summer, Pam and Chris Willis signed a lease to take over the India Castle space at 928 Massachusetts Ave., between Central and Harvard Squares, to open Pammy’s on July 11. Just down the street from their home on Hancock, the couple likes to view the 85-seat spot as an extension of their living room--an eclectic, warm atmosphere serving innovative Italian fare.