Caruso’s Grocery has been in the works for a long time. The “fun, not fussy” red sauce Italian restaurant was initially scheduled to open in early 2020 on Capitol Hill, but then the pandemic forced partners Chef Matt Adler and Neighborhood Restaurant Group to press pause.

But if you peer through the windows these days, you’ll see signs that the restaurant is on track to open this spring. Adler’s in there making the big and little decisions that will make Caruso’s Grocery stand out.