WORCESTER, Mass., Feb. 2007 – Madeleine Ahlquist grew up eating "Italian comfort food." Now she and husband Robb Ahlquist plan to introduce Italian comfort food to Shrewsbury Street with their new restaurant, VIA.

Along with a selection of grilled pizzas and sandwiches, diners at VIA, 89 Shrewsbury St., will comfort themselves with authentic Italian meals such as gnocchi pie, Italian paella, Sicilian meatloaf and swordfish Milanese when VIA opens in late March.

"Many of our recipes come from the Italian countryside, some from my Italian family, and many are familiar dishes that the public will enjoy," said Madeleine Ahlquist.

VIA is the result of years of research and many trips to Italy, during which the Ahlquists visited countless restaurants and wineries from Milan to Sienna. They also learned about Italian cooking firsthand from Chef Judy Francini, the "cooking diva" whose cooking school is located near the Central Market in Florence.

"When you say 'Italian restaurant,' many people think either 'northern Italian' or 'southern Italian,' but Italy is a diverse country with many different types of restaurants," Madeleine Ahlquist said. "We're trying to bring the best of what we discovered throughout Italy to our customers."

Recognizing that certain items, such as pasta, cheese and olive oil, taste better in Italy than they do in the United States, the Ahlquists will import many ingredients fresh from Italy. VIA will also feature about 50 wines, chosen for their high quality and affordable prices, that are almost exclusively Italian.

"Italy has more than 800 grape varieties and most of them are unknown to Americans," Robb Ahlquist said. "We will have familiar bottles, but we also want to offer our customers the experience of discovering some other high-quality Italian wine."

The name "VIA" is Italian for "the way" or "street." The Ahlquists want to show diners "another way" to experience Italian dining, but VIA is also representative of Shrewsbury Street, which has become as much a part of dining for the Worcester area as the north end is for Boston and Federal Hill is for Providence.

The tag line "Italian Table" connotes the comfort food approach being introduced with the new restaurant and the Italian tradition of dining at a central table. The restaurant will feature a central table where diners can share space with others and make new friends.

The 7,500-square-foot restaurant is located in the flatiron-style building that was used for many years by the Worcester Public School Department. Niemitz Design of Boston is the designer for VIA, Gregory O'Connor Associates is the architect and Whipple Construction of Worcester is the general contractor. The same team also built One Eleven Chop House, which is adjacent to VIA, and redesigned The Sole Proprietor, 118 Highland St., which are the two other award-winning restaurants owned by the Ahlquists.

"Peter Niemitz fell in love with the building, and has restored most of the original brick and wood beams," Madeleine Ahlquist said. "The addition of a spectacular mosaic tile floor is just one of the many features the public will see in the new dining room, which gives us a link to many of our favorite restaurants in Italy, New York and Florida."

Other features include an open kitchen with a rotisserie, where such meals as Tuscan pork, chicken and wild boar will be prepared; a gelato bar; a bread baking station; an antipasto station, and a full bar for wine, liquor and cocktails.

As in their other restaurants, late-night diners will have access to many of the affordable items featured on the VIA menu until 1:30 a.m. VIA, which will be open seven days a week, will offer a "to go" menu and all meals will be moderately priced, with most meals under $20. The restaurant provides seating for 200 and includes private dining areas for 35 and 15, and a semi-private space for 25.

The building itself "is designed to be welcoming and comfortable," according to Madeleine Ahlquist. A series of glass doors in front of the restaurant open into a landscaped patio, so diners can enjoy fresh air on a sunny day or warm night. Three-season al fresco dining will also be offered.

"We believe VIA will greatly enhance the reputation of Shrewsbury Street as the area's top dining destination," Madeleine Ahlquist said. "We're proud of the success of The Sole Proprietor and One Eleven Chop House and are pleased to be able to provide Worcester with our third restaurant."

The Ahlquists are owners of The Sole Proprietor (www.TheSole.com), an award-winning seafood restaurant; One Eleven Chop House (111ChopHouse.com), the area's most popular steak house, and VIA (www.VIAItalianTable.com), which offers Italian comfort food.

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