Venerable. The word springs to mind when thinking of restaurateur Tony LaRocco. He is perhaps best known to Atlantans as the man behind Fratelli di Napoli and the Tap Room, but he has owned and operated a slew of other restaurants from Florida to Manhattan.

Becky Stein/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Cannoli's with espresso
Becky Stein/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Vita at lunchtime.
Becky Stein/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Mussels fra diavolo in a spicy tomato sauce
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After surviving leukemia, he's opened Vita, which means "life" in Italian, just up Bennett Street from the old Fratelli di Napoli location in a former Mick's.

Unfortunately, real estate in Atlanta differs markedly from that in New York, making the most notable impression at Vita that of a space that makes it impossible to truly embrace the Italian family-style, New York tradition LaRocco is going for.

With 250 seats, it's cavernous, with loud red splashed on the walls and tablecloths, and exposed brick and wrought iron lanterns lining the inner part of the over-sized dining area. It's a stretch to imagine a cozy table for two hundred. Minor, superficial changes have transformed one restaurant into another as easily as trying on a new suit.

Forget the décor, then. LaRocco specializes in service, and the waiters at Vita all have the seasoned charm of a staff that has been pouring drinks and serving up cordiality for a good while. It's classic Italian-American hospitality, Atlanta style. And in an Italian restaurant — no matter where it is — this kind of comfort factor is as much a part of the experience as the food.

Vita's menu adds Old-World charm to its classic Italian offerings, but with a heavy American accent. Between starters of bruschetta served traditionally with tomatoes, basil and garlic on toasted slices of bread and a sweet, spicy, Sicilian caponata studded with golden raisins is the menu's best: mussels "fra diavolo."

This dashing sauce of peppered tomato and garlic is named after the 18th-century Italian guerilla leader Michele Pezza, who notoriously rebelled against the French occupation of Naples. The sauce has become synonymous with spicy, and is a favorite in the Northeast, where it's most often combined with linguine and served with everything from shrimp to chicken.

It's rarely seen in Atlanta, and Vita's version doesn't disappoint — it's hotly layered with flavors of tomato and garlic, streamlined into an underlying heat that makes lips tingle and red wine a must. The mussels, while clean and plump, are merely a vehicle. Add bread for dipping and there's really no reason to order anything else.

Pasta is this kitchen's next best option; penne cooked perfectly and served with escarole and white beans is a simple offering reminiscent of Italian wedding soup, and another example of one of Vita's best dishes.

Still, Vita's menu needs to be carefully navigated for a successful meal. Steer into the direction of classics such as chicken piccata and a blonde-on-blonde scaloppini of chicken will appear, pounded too thick and the sauce a mere shadow of the tawny, caper-studded classic. Veal is a little more on course; a thick, center-cut chop blanketed in mushrooms and Madeira proves tender and flavorful, though bland, lifeless sides of "seasonal" vegetables and mashed potatoes are downright embarrassing, completely overlooked by the kitchen.

The wine list is marginally interesting, with a respectable array of Italian and Californian bottles offered in a wide price range. Problems arise when the cellar doesn't actually produce a bottle that's listed. Oh well, time to move on to choice No. 2.

Perhaps not so strangely, I enjoyed a plate of tiny cannoli as much as that big bowl of mussels. The freckled, bubbly-surfaced shells were crisp and fresh, filled with sweet ricotta and laced with cocoa. A well-made cappuccino to accompany makes for an enjoyable meal's end.

Because of its size, Vita is never going to have the charm required of an Italian-American café. But with luck and a GPS geared for gastronomy, the menu can be kept on course.