Yes, we know it's old news. It didn't matter how many fights he broke up, how many morsels of food he spat onto the floor, how many tears he dried or how many times he forced his mug into the nutballs' faces and begged them to have, in various cases, sense, strength, sanity and compassion. Despite Gordon Ramsay's best efforts (the show unfolded across two explosive segments) and, we believe, an ownership change, the Burger Kitchen has closed. And now its Third Street digs has been taken over by Luigi Osteria, a casual-seeming Italian joint run by Tony Riviera of Primo Hospitality Group.

While the first association that springs to mind is a video game character with a closet full of green overalls, we haven't passed through to see if the angel hair pasta with “white truffle shrimp” and avocado ($18) tastes like the ho-hum pile-up the combination of ingredients suggests. One might have better luck with the spag' with red crab sauce ($17) or chicken cacciatore ($15).

Thankfully, the soft opening has descended. And beginning Feb. 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the restaurant will be open for brunch. Weekday lunch begins Feb. 27. In the end, you shouldn't care if the food's good. Whether it goes up in flames or rakes in the crowds, we're just happy no one ripped off his son to give this dream a shot.

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