A new Italian restaurant called Tre Pazzi has replaced The Pizza Place, a local pizzeria popular among Placer High students.

“We have been open six weeks, and it has been extremely busy,” says co-founder Jim Brill.

 After a long period of remodeling, the restaurant opened and introduced an authentic Italian cuisine. The menu consists of an assortment of appetizers, pastas, salads, meats (including veal, lamb, and chicken), pizzas, and desserts, all prepared with local ingredients.

“Simplicity and freshness are the key to authentic Italian cooking,” states their website.

The menu is set to change frequently depending on seasonality. The entire wine selection is imported from Italy.

The restaurant is small, and with roughly 50 seats, the close quarters provide a warm atmosphere much like the preceding pizzeria. The walls are hung with photographs of Venice, and the simple style and layout exudes a rustic appeal that gives off the desired reflection to restaurants from Italy. The waiters and waitresses are respectful and friendly; they seem to be attentive, yet don’t linger at the tables.

Even when the restaurant is fully packed, there was only a five-minute wait for a table for two. After being seated by one of restaurant owners, a platter of salami and vegetables is placed with bread and your order of drinks. There are plenty of waiters and waitresses to call upon. After dining several times at Tre Pazzi, I haven’t noticed any long period of waiting. In fact, everything seems to flow smoothly; from ordering drinks to paying the bill. The meals are titled in Italian and described in English on the menu.

Local customers and critics have given the restaurant high reviews, and I concur. Tre Pazzi deserves a strong review and is a must for delicious, authentic Italian cuisine. Many of the interviewed customers are thrilled about the new Tre Pazzi and believe that the place will become a local favorite

Tre Pazzi is located on 928 Lincoln Way in downtown Auburn and is open 11:30am to 9:00pm, Monday through Saturday. The restaurant has its own website (trepazzi.net), where you can find their latest menu, wine list, and contact information.