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The new restaurant -- which replaces Manny's in the Cultural District and opened at the beginning of June -- has switched from American cuisine to northern Italian and Italian-American. While offering individual portions, it also caters to family dining with large plates to serve three to five people.

The executive chef and manager is Andrew Emberg, 25, who has worked for owner Robin Fernandez at Bossa Nova and at several other Fernandez venues.

"I graduated from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, focusing on pastry arts, so this is a little different," he says. "I've had moderate experience in Italian cooking. I worked at a resort with an eclectic-style restaurant that featured some Italian dishes on the menu."

Emberg and Fernandez started planning the transition from Manny's to Mia Cucina about three weeks before opening, the chef says.

"Our prices also have been revamped. You can get a meal with a glass of wine and bread for $20 to $25," Emberg says. "We also are a family establishment now, with large tables that accommodate groups."

Italian-style favorites dominate the appetizer menu, which features bruschetta, artichoke and spinach dip, a cheese-and-meat platter, bread sticks with dipping sauces, fried zucchini, buffalo mozzarella cheese and tomatoes, and greens and beans. Small meatballs come topped with parmesan cheese. The meatballs that come with pasta, however, are the size of baseballs, the chef says.

Italian wedding and pasta fagioli are soup staples, as well as a chopped salad and Caesar. A Famiglia Salad Bowl serves three to five, with a choice of balsamic vinaigrette, Caesar, blue cheese, parmesan-peppercorn and ranch dressings.

Thin-crust pizzas are simply topped, including traditional Margherita with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil; and Ricardo's Pizza, featuring fresh mozzarella with marinara sauce. More elegant is the prosciutto & spinach pizza, with thinly sliced prosciutto, provolone cheese, dried figs and spinach.

A wide variety of pastas are offered, some made in-house, Emberg says, and some are gluten-free to accommodate diners with wheat or semolina allergies or gluten intolerance. Spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, capellini, gnocchi or linguini can be topped with Bolognese, Alfredo, marinara, pesto, vodka cream or garlic and oil; the sauces are made from scratch. Optional toppings are sausage, chicken, shrimp and those huge meatballs.

Ravioli comes with the "stuffing of the day," while lasagna features four layers with a blend of cheeses and Bolognese sauce. There's linguine tossed with mussels, shrimp, scallops, crab and marinara sauce; fettuccine with a vegetable medley and Alfredo sauce; and cappellini with spinach, portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, pine nuts and pesto.

Individual and family portions of veal Marsala, chicken Parmigiana and chicken Romano are available. Among the specialties of the house are a seafood strudel, featuring scallops, shrimp and a blend of crab wrapped up and served in a pool of sherry cream sauce; osso bucco, braised and slow-roasted veal shank that comes with mushrooms, onions and peppers; and Rib-eye Pizzaola, a beefsteak marinated in red wine that's broiled and topped with onions, peppers and provolone.

"All the wines are Italian -- 12 each of white and red," Emberg says.

Mia Cucina features a full bar, as well as dessert wines, Bellinis and several flavors of Italian sodas.

There's a rotating dessert menu, too, from "eclectic sorbets" -- lemon champagne to raspberry-grapefruit -- tiramisu and frozen cheesecake.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 7 large eggs

• 1 cup grated romano cheese, more for garnish

• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• Olive oil, for sauteing chicken

• 4 whole chicken breasts, skinned and boned, cut in halves and pounded flat

• Lemon slices, for garnish

• Chiffonade of fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the flour in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss to incorporate the seasoning. In another bowl, place the eggs, 1 cup cheese and the lemon juice (see Photo 1). Whisk until smooth (Photo 2).

Coat the bottom of a medium-size ovenproof skillet with olive oil and heat. Dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour (Photo 3), then in the egg mixture. As they are coated, place the chicken breasts into the hot oil (Photo 4) and cook until the first side is golden brown, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Carefully flip the chicken breasts -- the crust should be firm and golden brown. Cook the other side to develop a light crust.

Transfer the chicken to the heated oven and continue cooking until bubbly and cooked through, for 5 to 7 minutes. For each serving, overlap 2 chicken breast halves on a dinner plate and garnish with a little more romano, the lemon slices and the basil chiffonade.

Makes 4 servings.

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