New Johnson County restaurant will offer Italian favorites, from pasta to tiramisu

Nico & Ana’s Italian Street Food is taking a space in The Fountains shopping center at 6541 W. 119th, Overland Park. It is scheduled to open by the end of the month.

Owner Armando Dela Torre co-founded Mi Ranchito Mexican Restaurant with his brothers, and it has eight locations in the region. He previously owned Italian restaurants and has long worked on developing Italian menu items.

He is naming the new restaurant after his late parents, Nicolas and Ana Maria. His five children also will work there.

“I’ve loved Italian food all my life. There are Italian roots in my family — my father — and Italian family friends,” he said.

Pasta dishes will include fettuccine (with a choice of grilled chicken, grilled shrimp or broccoli); carbonara with grilled chicken and pancetta; linguine alle vongole with baby clams; spaghetti with pesto cream sauce; and baked pastas such as lasagna.

Appetizers will include artichoke spinach dip, fried calamari and meatballs. It also will have salads, soups, Italian flatbread wraps, desserts such as tiramisu, wine, beer and some cocktails.

The restaurant will seat about 70 people. It will have 25 to 30 employees and is still hiring.

Spin Pizza formerly occupied the space.

This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 5:30 AM.