Whether you are looking for classic red-sauce Italian, a sleek environment for cocktails or a brunch destination with mimosas and fried chicken and waffles, Manchester’s Trattoria Toscana offers it all. In June, Michael Beers and his aunt and uncle, Joseph and Laurie Citino, opened their restaurant in the Hartford Road space most recently occupied by Corey Wry’s CW’s Chops and Catch. Wry, who also owns Pastrami on Wry and Corey’s Catsup & Mustard in town, sold the restaurant in late 2016.

Food has “always been at the forefront of our family,” Beers says. The family’s culinary experience has roots on Hartford’s Franklin Avenue, as Beers’ grandfather owned a restaurant in the city’s “Little Italy” section (that’s now Francesco’s Ristorante.) Beers worked there from age 14 through college, earning a marketing degree from Central Connecticut State University.