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It's not an unusual story for the metro area's dining scene: Transplanted New Yorkers, pining for the pizza they can only get in the boroughs, decide to open their own home-away-from-good-pizza restaurant. In the case of Zucca, they didn't stop with just bringing classic New York pizza; this is classic Staten Island pizza.

"This is a really thin, crispy crust with an age-old recipe for marinara sauce," manager Ross Vaughn said. "The owners keep it a secret."

Andy Sharp/AJC Staff (ENLARGE)
Georgeann Burton (left) and her daughter, Talia Neal, sit at the bar of the new Zucca Bar & Pizzeria on Chastain Road in Kennesaw. It's the second Cobb County location for Zucca, the original of which is at Market Village in Smyrna.
Andy Sharp/AJC Staff (ENLARGE)
Whether it's a pizza with spinach and tomatoes (top left), pepperoni (top right) or ricotta and mozzarella cheeses (bottom), Zucca does them the Staten Island, thin-crust way.
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• Signature dish: Staten Island thin-crust pizza • Entree price range: $10-$16 • Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays • Reservations: yes, after 6 p.m. • Credit cards: yes •Information: www.zuccaonline.com

But Zucca isn't just about pizza, as anyone who has discovered the first location in Smyrna and the second space just opened off Chastain Road in Kennesaw knows. It's closer to an Italian version of Cheers, a warm wood and brick restaurant you might find in an old New York neighborhood.

"We wanted something that would fit into the neighborhood and be a place to accommodate families," Vaughn said. "But it definitely has a New York feel."

Be hungry

You don't have to be a Northern transplant to go for the extensive menu of Italian favorites. They're all here — penne, linguine, spaghetti, fusilli, rigatoni, ravioli, fettuccine and manicotti, topped or stuffed with chicken, cheese, lobster, grouper, sausage, shrimp, prosciutto or eggplant. They have sauces of tomatoes, creamy Parmesan, vodka, garlic and meat.

Starters include calamari, mussels, clams, fried zucchini, eggplant and nifty little risotto balls, rice mixed with cheese that's breaded and fried. Lunch is heavy on salads, calzones and sandwiches, from the Italian hoagie to the chicken club or sausage and peppers on a roll.

Late-night case of the munchies? Drop in for a custom-made pizza, corn dog, quesadillas, a salad or a sandwich from the wee-hours menu.

From the bar

The full bar places an emphasis on the vodka selection. Among the cocktails is the Zuccatini, a martini twist on a Bloody Mary. The wine list features selections from around the globe, grouped into three categories: $5.50, $7.50 or $9.50 per glass or in the correspondingly priced bottle. A reserve list of by-the-bottle only selection includes Italian and California specialties. Beer lovers will find 12 on tap and 43 brands by the bottle.

In or out

There's room for about 85 in the dining room and 40 on the year-round patio. An acoustic guitarist entertains on Sundays; more music is in the works for Thursdays and Saturdays.