When news broke a few weeks back that La Ciccia spinoff La Nebbia was shuttering, owners Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan hinted that they had a buyer for the space who was well known in the SF restaurant world. And it turns out that the buyer is Sharon Ardiana of Gialina and Ragazza fame, and Inside Scoop reports that she'll be transforming the place into a casual expansion of her Italian/Mediterranean empire called Ardiana, with a late spring/early summer ETA.

Like at La Nebbia and at her other restaurants, pizza will be on the menu, but at Ardiana the focus will be more on "vegetable-centric small plates and heartier entrees."

Ardiana says that Conti and Degan approached her about taking the space, and wanted someone they could rely on to carry on the spirit of what they started three years ago in the space.

In a release, Ardiana says that the new restaurant's menu will "marry Italian and Mediterranean flavors through the California lens of abundant produce and products, which has influenced me throughout my career."

Ardiana is partnering with her existing business partner, Ragazza general manager Greg Hinds, and she tells the Scoop, "Greg and I are looking forward to carrying the torch that Lorella and Massimo have lit."

Up until last year, Gialina had held a seemingly permanent spot on critic Michael Bauer's Top 100 restaurants list, having been crowned his favorite local pizzeria a number of years back. Consistency issues and/or the eclipsing power of several newer spots caused it to get knocked off his annual compendium in 2016, getting replaced by the likes of Nob Hill Neapolitan spot Del Popolo. Gialina remains on SFist's definitive list of the city's best pizza, however.

We'll bring you more details about Ardiana as the opening date approaches.

Ardiana - 1781 Church Street, near 30th - Opening this spring or summer