With a bit of construction progress already, Maria Buonsante said it was hard to believe that just six days prior she had turned the key in the door at 655 Woodrow Rd., a stripped down storefront formerly home to McDonald's. The long-time restaurant maven has partnered Food Network "Chopped" champ Chef Franco Franzese to bring Staten Island its first "EAT Italian," a relaxed lunch and dinner concept with beer and wine, an outdoor patio plus grab-and-go items for the health-minded.

On a recent morning, Franco walked through the space, toward where the kitchen would be in the back of the restaurant, chatting excitedly about the menu: Fresh pastas, panini, signature salads, entrees to savor at a table plus gourmet pizzas.