JUST HOW MANY PIZZA PARLORS, pasta houses and seafood linguine palaces can this area support? Apparently, there’s always room for one more.  Italian restaurants here are more than plentiful, from intimate, authentic family-run places to mid-price casual chain names to chic high-end Mediterranean experiences. Italian Tradition is a fresh arrival, occupying the space in the Rosemary District’s Citrus Square that was previously the home of Pomona. This historic neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying. On a block of Orange Avenue shops with attractive condominium residences overhead, the American bistro called The Rosemary is at one end of the street, and now Italian Tradition is at the other. Near the downtown core but not yet the recipient of a roundabout, the area has good energy and lots of buzz.

The owners of Italian Tradition are Carlo (chef) and Tina (front of the house) Narbona, who have spent some 30 years in the restaurant business. They and their team had a soft opening toward the end of summer without changing the sophisticated decor of the two dining rooms and pretty, enclosed outdoor patio area. They may put their own stamp on the décor later, but for now, it’s comfortable, classy and familiar, especially for regulars at the previous establishment.