Perceiving the growing demand and a void in the casual dining segment among Italian joints in the country, Carlson Restaurants, which operates, franchises and licenses over 500 restaurants in 380 cities and 45 countries, will open its first Italiannis outlet in New Delhi next week.

Split into four levels with an area of 6,000 square feet in Radisson Hotel, the restaurant has been designed by Sarbjeet Singh in consultation with the Dallas-based design team of Carlson.

With the accent being on casual dining, the place is made to resemble a courtyard in an Italian villa with red tiled roofs, wrought iron furniture and a Romanesque fountain at the ground level. Italiannis can seat 140 people at one timeand according to K B Kachru, senior vice president Carlson Hospitality-India Inc, its target audience will be group eaters-families at dinner and MNC executives working in and around Gurgaon at lunch time. ``Italiannis is a relaxed, casual restaurant offering original Italian food at affordable prices. Our dishes are made fresh from authentic recipes and served in generous portions to enhance value.

Attentive service from waiters trained by transnational instructors at our Dallas headquarters will make you feel like family, unlike the stiff, formal service in most restaurants. The ambience will transport you to a traditional Roman villa, where wine and food are a way of life,'' promises Sanjiv Tyagi, vice president and general manager, Radisson Hotel.

The extensive use of azure on the walls and posters of Ferrari and Cinzano, those distinctly Italian icons, reinforces the Roman feel. Chef John Metz leads the menu and new recipe development team for Italiannis as director of culinary development. ``I havedeveloped recipes that blend flavours from all regions of Italy. My studies of rich Mediterranean-influenced northern Italian cuisine and simple pomodoro-based southern cuisine allow me to apply both styles to create, new innovative dishes for Italiannis,'' says Metz, who also oversees the training in Italiannis kitchens worldwide to ensure consistency in preparation, quality and taste.

Till they get the right combination, the Italiannis kitchen will import its pasta, oregano, cheese, olives and even tomatoes. ``Gradually, we may indegenise the ingredients,'' says Tyagi.

This is the second Carlson branch to be launched in the country after TGI Friday. Each Carlson brand has a research and development wing which creates a food bank-a collection of recipes which are used in all its branches to ensure a consistent palate. Italiannis has US-based locations in Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Orlando and Minneapolis. Internationally, it is located in Seoul, Manila, Jakarta, Panama City and has six locations in Mexico(San Angel, Polanco, Santa Fe, Satelite, Guadalajara and Cancun).

According to Kachru, Carlson is planning to open more food outlets in Mumbai, Bangalore and New Delhi.