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The former High Cotton restaurant in Dunwoody is gone, but its replacement still has ties to warm-weather cuisine. The new menu and look reflect owner Peter Abraham's focus on Tuscan cooking.

Abraham transformed the space and menu into Peter's, a 130-seat venue that sports a new kitchen, dining room and bar. The entire space is infused with an array of rich brown and cappuccino shades that invoke the warmth of the region that directs the menu.

Bob Andres (ENLARGE)
Something is new under the Tuscan sun. In the old High Cotton location is Peter's, which features this osso buco (veal shank).
Bob Andres (ENLARGE)
Make room for dessert at Peter's, where the owner is from Argentina, but the chef is Italian and studied at the Tuscan Culinary Institute.
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Diners may not recognize the room, but they may know Abraham, who has been a fixture on the local food scene. For more than 20 years, he was part of Toni's in the same neighborhood.

ITALIAN PLUS

Why Tuscan? That choice was easy, said Abraham, who hails from Argentina. "My chef, Paula Bugli, is from Tuscany," he said. "She's a graduate of the Tuscan Culinary Institute and she knows northern Italian food. But we also have dishes from the South, and Argentina as well."

Begin a visit with a soup of the day, salads, Italian sausages and meatballs, thinly sliced veal with greens or a platter laden with Italian meats and pickled vegetables. Creamy slices of mozzarella are placed between slices of fried bread and served with a puree of anchovies and capers. For seafood choices, there are calamari, mussels and fried oysters.

The classic pastas are all here, as basic as spaghetti marinara and eggplant Parmigiana and as luscious as cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach, fettuccini awash in Alfredo sauce, farfalle in a vodka cream sauce and a lasagna stacked with cheese and Bolognese sauce.

Grilled salmon is topped with a sauce of shallots, parsley, oregano and garlic; and grilled prawns come atop polenta for the Italian take on shrimp and grits. Shrimp get the Francese treatment, cooked with lemon and capers and served over a bed of spinach.

There are six veal dishes, including the traditional Marsala, Francese and Saltimbocca. Veal chops are prepared with white wine and garlic, Parmigiana and in a mushroom, brandy and cream sauce. The signature dish is a deep-fried half chicken, served with sausage, potatoes, olives, capers, pepperoncini and mushrooms, all flavored by a garlic wine sauce.

Bugli prepares a daily special that may be calf's liver or duck. She also whips up an array of desserts, from a rich ricotta cheesecake with fruit to tiramisu, cannoli and panna cotta.

FROM THE BAR

More than 120 wines from the United States, Italy and Argentina are in the cellar. About eight selections are available by the glass. There's also a list of 20 bottled beers and a full cocktail menu.

PETER'S

• Where: 5592 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, 770-394-9401

• Signature dish: A deep-fried half chicken with sausage and vegetables.

• Entree price range: $14-$29.50

• Hours: 5-10:30 p.m. daily

• Reservations: Yes

• Credit cards: Yes