Italian Restaurant to Open in Clifton

A brick-oven pizzeria and Italian restaurant will open in Clifton this October.

“There’s really nowhere in Clifton that serves Italian food...Not many people deliver in Clifton either,” said co-owner Sal Speziale. “So I moved to the town and the opportunity came so I said, 'Why not?'”

The Villagio of Clifton restaurant will open in the space at 7145 Main St. in the Buckley building. Speziale and business partner Marcus Silva are working together to open the restaurant.

Speziale said that he has been in the restaurant business since 1991 and this will be the seventh Italian restaurant he has opening in the Northern Virginia area, though the latest restaurant will not be part of a chain. He previously owned the Paradiso Restaurant on Franconia Road in Alexandria, which his sister now operates.

The Villagio plans to feature a bar, outdoor patio, dining room, and a selection of Italian goods such as imported olive oil. Plans for the restaurant are currently going through the permitting process.

The opening is currently scheduled for early October. Food options, in addition to the brick-oven pizza, will include pasta dishes, calzones, and fresh bread. Speziale's mother, who is 85 years old, will be in charge of the sauces. His wife, Gina, and Silva’s wife, Colette, will also be helping out at the restaurant.

“It’s going to have a nice dining room and when you come here, you will think you are in Italy,” Speziale said.

To keep updated on the restaurant’s opening day, visit http://villagioclifton.com/