A new Italian restaurant called Via will open this week in the recently closed Tutti Santi space on the southwest corner of Greenfield and Warner in Gilbert.
The kitchen – which will offer pizza, pasta, and paninis – will be headed by Benjamin Romine, the executive chef who left Ahwatukee fave Va Bene late last year after eight years.
Romine has revived the space’s centerpiece – a wood-burning oven (pictured) that sat idle at Tutti Santi – making Via one of the East Valley’s few spots for wood-fired pizzas (all 14 inches, $15-$18).
Pasta dishes include linguini pomodoro fresco ($15), penne arrabiatta ($15), and shrimp scampi ($17). There also will be a ravioli of the day.
The Pear Manchego – Spanish chorizo, manchego cheese, pear slices, and fig jam on ciabatta – headlines the roster of paninis ($12-$14 with salad or fries).
Prices will be about $2 cheaper on the lunch menu, Romine says, adding that almost everything will be made in-house, including pizza dough, sauces, and dressings.
Since Tutti Santi’s closing last month, the new ownership hasn’t done much with the interior other than a fresh coat of  paint and new shelves behind the full bar (pictured).
The restaurant also features a rustic stone floor, counter seating around the pizza oven, and a nice-sized east patio.
Romine is planning to hold a variety of events at Via, such as wine and whiskey dinners, cooking classes, chef competitions, and live music on weekends.
Via has completed staff training and held a “friends and family” practice night. Now it’s just waiting for its final inspection, which Romine says will happen “within two or three days.”
Via will be open for lunch and dinner daily.
