After two years of pandemic delays, an ambitious Italian restaurant and bar created by two area families and named for their grandparents is set to open in La Jolla on Wednesday, August 31. Replacing Whisknladle on Wall Street, Marisi draws parallels between San Diego’s tony seaside village and the cliffside towns along Italy’s sweeping Amalfi Coast in its design and menu, with handmade pasta and wood-fired dishes highlighting local produce and seafood sourced from the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market.

The opening offerings from executive chef Chad Huff, whose experience includes a couple years each at the two-Michelin-starred Providence and acclaimed pasta spot Felix Trattoria, both in Los Angeles, include a summery agnolotti with corn and California crab, curly coil-shaped trottole in a Sicilian-style pesto made with almonds and tomato, and the Roman classic, pasta alla gricia.