The restaurant boom in the San Fernando Valley shows no signs of slowing, and today we get news of another new venue, this time in Woodland Hills. Tuccio's will open in early December in the old Cafe Fiore space in the Warner Center on Oxnard Street, with chef Gavin Humes (formerly of Cliff's Edge in Silver Lake and, before that, the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon) leading the kitchen. The restaurant is owned by Gina and Damien Shields, who are new to the restaurant business.

Tuccio's “will be a chef-driven look at regional Italian food, featuring house-made pastas, fresh-baked bread, pizzas and a variety of vegetable dishes drawing inspiration from Southern California,” according to Humes.  “I know, you've heard that before, right?” he quips. “We're aiming for something better, and something that doesn't yet exist in the Valley.” He also promises a wine list with lesser-known picks from California and Italy, and a cocktail program that primarily focuses on classics.

A peek at the opening menu shows a fairly substantial number of dishes, including antipasti, six salads, house-made pastas, pizzas and a few classic entrees. A couple of highlights include roasted acorn squash with brown butter, hazelnuts, lemon, ricotta salata and fennel (pictured above); squid ink tagliolini with sauteed shrimp, clams, wilted arugula and wild fennel ; and porchetta with cannellini beans, grilled rapini and salsa verde.

Tuccio's is located at 21550 Oxnard St. in Woodland Hills. The current projected opening date is Dec. 2.

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