Executive chef and general manager Basim Naga is enthusiastic about the restaurant and his work.

"We have a great team, and the kitchen staff is unreal," he said.

The restaurant is owned by Tony Souvagis, who owns two restaurants in Purcellville. The staff includes sous chef Frank Mayo and saucier Alexander Boidock.

"The opening went very, very well," Naga said. "I think we're fitting well into the town."

He described the restaurant's mission: To provide great food, service and prices.

"Ninety-five percent of our food is made from scratch," Naga said.

The restaurant is located in the renovated building on Crow Street, and features a downstairs eating area and bar, as well as an additional eating area and banquet room upstairs.

Including the banquet room, the building can seat up to 275 people.

Naga said he used to work at Capital Restaurant Concepts in Reston and Georgetown, then left the restaurant industry to join the Marine Corps Infantry.

He met Souvagis, the owner, who has 30 years of experience in the restaurant business, and decided Souvagis's new venture was a good fit for his skills.

"I'm just a veteran who went back to his passion," he said. "You can have talent, but talent and passion make the best combo ever."

"I have an entire staff who loves what they do, and it makes my job easy," he added. "The amount of food and beverage experience spills from this place."

Renovating the building took some time, and the process from building to opening took more than a year, Naga said.

"When I first came here, it was a cement pad and piles of wood," he said. He and the staff worked hard to renovate and decorate the building, and to test foods and develop a menu.

The menu, which includes an extensive wine list, features appetizers such as lightly fried calamari and stuffed mushrooms; and a variety of international salads, including Caribbean grilled chicken salad and Greek salad. Pastas include veal scallopini and seafood linguini, and New York strip steak and almond encrusted salmon are among the entrees. A variety of sandwiches and burgers will also be served.

Naga downplayed his own ability by praising his colleagues.

"Frank [Mayo] is great, and I couldn't do it without him," he said.

Future plans for the restaurant include wine dinners, karaoke nights and live music, Naga said.