New Italian Restaurant Heads to South Lamar With Pasta and Wine

East Austin It’s Italian Market and Cafe is expanding with a new restaurant on South Lamar, under the name It’s Italian Cucina. Northern Italian cuisine is the focus on the menu, including pasta, meats, cheese, and desserts for lunch and dinner, along with Italian wines, beers, and coffee.

Like the original store, It’s Italian Cucina will also sell retail goods. This means Italian olive oils, wines, truffles, balsamic vinegars and other products. When it opens in the summer, hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

It’s Italian Cucina will be found at at the Post South Lamar, which is also home to tapas spot Barlata. Other Italian restaurants along and near South Lamar include Cantine, Juliet, and Aroma.

It’s Italian owner Al Fini opened It’s Italian Market and Cafe in 2016 on East 7th Street. The original location emphasized the shop aspect, as well as served bruschetta, salads, cheese, and sandwiches.

Update, June 13: Fini told Eater that the expansion means that the East 7th Street store, It’s Italian Market and Cafe, will close, because of how small the store it (he said he "felt like a bird without the wings). He said he will replace It’s Italian with a new upscale market, and teased a new store somewhere else in North Austin for 2018.

• It’s Italian Market and Cafe [Official]