FERNDALE -- If restaurants are theater, and they are, the local stage just welcomed a stylish new production that has the potential of becoming a major hit.

It's called Via Nove, a reference to its location on Nine Mile, and its multilevel setting and contemporary Italian menu add an upscale element to the street.

The fare is brimming with fresh ideas from the veteran chef Joe Beato, his namesake nephew, Joey, who spent several months in Rome preparing for this, and their partners, Karen and David Day. The senior Beato thought he was headed for retirement until his nephew said, "Not so fast."

Set into the multilevel space next door to Assaggi Mediterranean Bistro, the other ambitious restaurant in the downtown mix that is mostly composed of modest little ethnic cafes, Via Nove anchors the eclectic two-block stretch just west of Woodward Avenue.

Designer Ron Rea breathed new life into the building -- actually three buildings that were combined in 2000 by the previous regime -- and has warmed it up considerably with the witty, offhand touches he's known for. Check out the fresh lemons set into little clay flower pots offhandedly placed on a table, and the Renaissance-style banners that hang from the high ceiling in the airy upper room.

Lighting is more crucial to comfort in restaurants, and here it is artful and varied. The front dining room's black banquettes and wood grain tables set with green linen napkins and white china are bathed in subtle indirect lighting that adds just the right amount of illumination.

Candles flicker on each table and also in a dramatic, multiarmed, wrought-iron candelabrum that's against one wall, and an outsized urn-shaped vase set in an alcove is brought into focus by a spotlight.

The expanse of front windows, left uncovered to allow the street scene to be part of the action, adds to the room's drama. And just wait until spring, when the spacious patio will come to life with a fountain, statuary and live tomato plants.

A second dining area behind the two-sided, tile-topped bar offers seating on a balcony as well as at tables on the bar level, set around a small bandstand and a piano painted pale green. The look is festive and upbeat, maybe not quite as romantic as the cozily lit front room, but with a lot of appeal.

The younger chef Beato, who worked with his uncle at Il Centro on Lothrop Road in Detroit for five years, prepared for Via Nove with several months of cooking and observing at Caffe Veneto near the Coliseum in Rome, and the menu shows the influence.

It begins with an interesting list of appetizers, several involving seafood, such as the chilled cocktail of shrimp, scallops and octopus served in a Margarita glass, and a warm version that includes strips of grilled calamari, shrimp and scallops over baby greens in a balsamic and citrus reduction.

The three soups include a seldom-seen blend of salt cod, chick peas and rosemary -- zuppa di ceci and baccala -- as well as the familiar minestrone, this one completely meatless, and a simple chicken broth with pastina (rice-sized pasta).

Pastas are made in house, and that's obvious the moment you bite into the cavatelli al'ortolana, which teams the hand-formed oblong rolls with braised rapini and garlic, one of eight pasta dishes that include linguine with baby clams and mussels tossed with herbs, garlic and olive oil; and fettuccine with home style Italian sausage, fresh tomato sauce sparked with fennel, spinach and cream.

Pastas are not served in overpowering portions, but are certainly generous enough to satisfy most appetites. They, like the other entrees, are accompanied by focaccia (the only dish that will remind diners of the more modest Il Centro) and a very nice house salad, just a sprinkling of baby and bitter greens in a subtle dressing, a nice twist on the conventional green salad.

The baker's dozen main courses include a notable saltimbocca -- tiny, tender veal scallops sauteed with prosciutto in a fragrant sage and vermouth sauce -- grilled prawns with tomato and lobster sauce, and seared chicken breast with risotto and spinach stuffed Portobello mushroom.

Pork loin is stuffed with apples and chestnuts and served with cabbage strudel, and double-cut veal chops arrive with arugula and pear tomato salad. Simple and delicious.

Pastry chef Tom Hayden contributes some gorgeous desserts that live up to their good looks. Roasted chestnut charlotte with chestnut mousse and a dab of hazelnut/chocolate gelato is a showstopper, as is the tiny molten chocolate cake teamed with pistachio ice cream and candied walnuts.

A cheese plate for two is an option to the sweeter confections, and it includes a poached pear, spiced almonds and three cheeses along with housemade crackers. Yes, a dish for the sophisticates in the crowd with the discipline to pass up chocolate and gelato.

Service is friendly and unpretentious by a young staff in long-sleeved white shirts and colorful ties, and everyone, from the hostesses at the door to bar manager Michael Smiatacz Jr., seems happy at the turn of events that revived this strategic location.

You can reach Molly Abraham at (313) 222-1475 or abraham67@ comcast.net.