New, upscale Italian restaurant opens near KC. Owner says the area ‘is begging’ for it
Members of Lee’s Summit community Facebook pages love to sing praises for Garozzo’s, even though it hasn’t been in the area for seven years.
There aren’t too many Italian spots nearby, either (Bella’s and Farfalle Bistro might be the only two local ones). Josh Edwards closed his taco bar, Calaveras, and reopened it as Vetta Italian Eatery this week for exactly that reason.
“Lee’s Summit is begging for Italian,” Josh said.
Vetta Italian Eatery, 219 SE Main St., is in historic downtown Lee’s Summit. On sunny days, its garage-style doors open up to the sidewalk, trains chugging along the parallel tracks.
The decor hints at its past life: It has the same glittery chandeliers, exposed brick and chic black walls. Josh’s wife, Lanni Edwards, was the decorating expert whose eye for design helped flip the concept into an upscale Italian place. The couple opened the place with Josh’s father, Jeff Edwards.
But of course, the biggest difference between Calaveras and Vetta is the menu.
It carries pasta dishes galore: capelli d’angelo (angel hair pasta with crushed tomato, garlic, basil and olive oil), alfredo, manicotti, tortellini alla panna (beef, pork and prosciutto-stuffed tortellini, alfredo sauce, mushrooms and peas) and more.
Other items on the menu include eggplant Parmesan, shrimp scampi, sauteed chicken and ribeye.
Josh pointed out the deep fried gnocchi as an especially popular appetizer. He’s going for a St. Louis-style Italian restaurant, featuring familiar dishes like toasted ravioli.
Vetta will have specials multiple nights of the week. Wednesdays, for example, will be half-off wine nights. On Sundays, it’ll offer family-style pastas and salads. Tuesdays are build-your-own pasta nights
It’ll also offer porchetta and prime rib on select nights.
Josh said he and his team have been plenty busy in the first week they’ve been open. So far, residents seem to enjoy it.
“The feedback has just been overwhelming, people have been like, ‘Thank you for coming, we don’t have to cook Italian food anymore,’” he said.
Calaveras opened in 2022 and closed early this year. Josh said the concept would’ve survived, but it wasn’t doing quite as well as they had hoped. So, they decided to pivot.
“It was more niche-style tacos,” Josh said. “It just didn’t work in Lee’s Summit.”
Next door is Josh’s other concept, Smoke Brewing. It serves barbecue, mixed drinks and beer.
Josh said he’s been pleased to see how Lee’s Summit has grown and developed over the past several years. It’s a bar and restaurant hot spot.
Third Street Social, Konrad’s Kitchen and Tap House, Grains and Taps, Hand in Glove and several other bars and eateries make up the neighborhood.
Josh hopes his spot will quickly become a staple in the community.
“I think food is cool and a unique way of bringing people together,” he said. “That’s the fun thing about it.”
Vetta is open from 3 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM.