Your own Italian grandmother

I was happily ensconced in an armchair beneath a towering magnolia tree at a party, listening to a friend talk baseball, when I realized we had to leave. Right then.

Everyone seemed incredulous that we were leaving at 9:30 p.m. to dine. No one eats late anymore. I countered that in Spain, if you go to dinner at 10 p.m., you’re the only ones in the restaurant; long about midnight, the crowd starts to arrive.

Fortunately, we weren’t very far from Nonna, the new Italian that has gone into the old Joss space on Sunset Boulevard at the border of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Pulling in front, I hardly recognized the place. Joss used to be one of those unobtrusive addresses, the kind of place where you’d see stars eating Chinese food with their kids. Now the front is opened up to the street and tables are set out on the broad sidewalk, making Nonna a wonderful spot for alfresco dining. It’s a little bit of the Riviera on Sunset.

“Nonna” means “grandmother” in Italian, and yes, Nonna is an Italian restaurant. Paolo Giovani, former owner of Il Sole, had been billed as chef -- and he was there the night I ate -- but he’s already gone, and Bruno Puddu, formerly of Piccolo in Venice Beach, is now the chef. Puddu has been there all along, said owner Scott Zacky. When asked about Giovani’s departure, Zacky won’t say anything other than “That’s a sensitive issue.”

I was happily surprised to see Oscar Rios, one of Spago’s best waiters, there. Zacky has been a regular at Friday lunch at Spago, and for this, his first restaurant, he hired Rios as general manager. He couldn’t have made a better choice. As always, Rios is a warm and welcoming presence.

The menu, though, is middle of the road for an L.A. Italian, offering a long list of familiar favorites, but with a few more unusual dishes, like pappa al pomodoro, the Tuscan bread and tomato soup, or . . . well, that’s about it.

Meanwhile, consider the raw artichoke salad dressed in lemon and olive oil, or a wild arugula salad with shaved Parmesan. Beef carpaccio comes topped with a flurry of emerald rucola. Et cetera, et cetera.

You also have the option of starting with a thin-crusted pizza, and they’re very decent for a place that doesn’t have a wood-burning oven. Classic too. The handful of choices includes a Margherita and a burrata pizza made with fresh tomatoes.

I like that the kitchen is open most nights until midnight, so you can pop in for a late-night spaghetti aglio olio -- with garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper. Or spaghetti all’ aragosta with half a Maine lobster and cherry tomatoes.

If you’re wondering why two of the five main courses on the regular dinner menu are chicken, look no further than Mr. Zacky, whose family business is Zacky Farms. You can get an organic chicken breast cooked in white wine with shallots and herbs, or get it Milanese style, pounded and breaded. But there is also a page of daily specials, which may include spinach and ricotta cheese gnocchi in a beef and mushroom sauce, or osso buco della nonna served with grilled polenta.

The crowd is not your exuberant Buca di Beppo following. Everyone seems to be quietly enjoying their dinner, having a conversation, relaxing. “Quiet” is the operative word here, at least on the night I went. What a luxury it seems to be able to talk without straining and to have such excellent, considerate service.

So far, so good. And though it’s maybe too early to tell what the change of chef implies, the fact that Zacky is a hands-on owner bodes well for this new Italian, which is, despite the fancy ‘hood, very much of a neighborhood restaurant.

virbila@latimes.com

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Nonna

Where: 9255 W. Sunset Blvd.,

West Hollywood

When: 11 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Fridays, 6 p.m.

to midnight Saturdays, 6 to 10 p.m. Sundays

Price: Lunch appetizers, $7.50 to $10; pizza, $12 to $16; pasta, $13 to $16; entrees, $17.50 to $28. Dinner appetizers, $9.50 to $21; pizza, $14 to $16; pasta, $18 to $28; entrees, $19.50 to $42

Info: (310) 270-4455