For her first restaurant, Angela Petruzzelli is looking to bring a slice of Puglia to Shockoe Slip. Petruzzelli is preparing to take her Italian pop-up concept Sprezza full-time and has leased the former longtime home of Morton’s The Steakhouse at 111 Virginia St. in the Turning Basin building.

Petruzzelli, who was born in Italy and grew up in Miami, started Sprezza in March 2021, popping in at Broken Tulip in Carytown, Pizza Bones in Church Hill and in Mise En Place nearby in the Slip. She launched it on the idea of offering truly authentic Italian food.