Little Original Joe’s, the new spinoff from the wildly popular Original Joe’s, opened today in West Portal. Unlike the Original Joe’s locations in North Beach and Westlake, which serve Italian-American steak with a side of ravioli to red leather booths, Little Original Joe’s is a snappy counter and market with retail and to-go offerings, focusing on “pizza, pasta, and parmigiana” (chef’s kiss). The new spot was originally announced last summer, but a long year and a half later, the wait is finally over — the lasagna has officially landed just in time for Christmas.

The menu for hot items delivers all of those promised carbs, as well as some salads and rotisserie chickens. Starters include garlic Parmesan knots and a little gem Caesar salad, while the pastas hit the red sauce classics with spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, and lasagna. There are several options for parmigiana, breading and frying chicken, meatballs, and eggplant.