Italian restaurant La Locanda Italiano will host a grand opening Dec. 27 in Old Town Scottsdale.

La Locanda Ristorante Italiano offers an authentic Italian dining experience using the best local ingredients, served with flourish.

The menu is simple, with fresh original recipes from the northern regions of Italy. Pasta is freshly made, and the restaurant also offers hearty entrees with meats and seafood selections. Gourmet salads are made from local organic produce.

La Locanda has an impressive wine list, featuring flavors from Italy and around the world.

La Locanda means "the inn" in Italian. The decor inside is a blend of old world and modern influences. Rat Pack music plays in the background.

"We want our guests to feel they are in a very special setting, we keep it simple and friendly while maintaining a very high level of culinary expertise," Andrea Volpi, La Locanda chef and co-owner, said.

Andrea Volpi founded a La Locanda in Chicago in 1989 and opened another in North Scottsdale that ran from 1994-2008. After eight years opening other restaurants in North Scottsdale and beyond Arizona, Volpi teamed up with original La Locanda chef Gugliermo Alcala and Carlos Ochoa, general manager for Morton's steakhouse, to open La Locanda at 6830 E. 5th Ave in Scottsdale.