On Sept. 1, the father and son team purchased the Italian restaurant and opened up their doors to the public under the new ownership on Sept. 2.

While the new owners are keeping the same menu for now, they plan on offering a larger selection of daily specials, as well as including some new dishes that will have a Mexican touch. Weekend hours will soon be extended.

"I came over here from Oaxaca, Mexico with my family in 1985," says Juan Gonzalez. "I started working at different restaurants and soon became a chef. I can cook almost any dish."

Aristeo Gonzalez also worked in a couple of restaurants before going into the landscaping business.

The entire family worked together over the next 17 years to purchase a family restaurant.

"We wanted a place where families can come and have a good meal. We wanted to have our family working together also," says Gonzalez.

While the original chef has agreed to stay and train the new owners for a short time, it will be Juan who will eventually become the head chef of Mio Vicino.

"We want to offer our customers the same great quality that they have come to expect from Mio Vicino. We plan to add a few things to spice up the menu a little bit, but mostly we will keep the original menu," says Gonzalez.

One of the dishes that the new owners are hoping to offer their customers soon is paella, a dish of rice, seafood and saffron.

Customers can still expect to find the large and generous portions of lasagna, chicken cannelloni and spaghetti that they have come to love.

"The portions are very large. We will keep those the same," says Gonzalez.

Along with the veal parmesan and seafood pasta, a dish served at dinner, Mio Vicino also has a lunch menu available Monday through Friday.

"We have a soup or salad of the day that goes with the lunches. And we have a wonderful chicken salad that we are serving," says Gonzalez.

And if you're in the mood for gourmet pizza, Mio Vicino is the place to go.

"We serve personal-size pizzas here. That way you can order a couple of different types and try them all. We have the Greek pizza, which has Kalamata olives, red onion and feta cheese," says Gonzalez.

There is also the shrimp pizza, with toppings of prawns, rock shrimp, feta cheese, pine nuts and a pesto sauce. Linguica, jalapeño peppers and a spicy tomato sauce make the "pizza of fire" the ideal choice for the adventurous customer.

"We are very happy to be here in Willow Glen," says Gonzales. "The customers have been so nice since we opened. My father and I think that the small changes we are making to the menu will please them. Without the customers, you have nothing. We want them to walk out with a smile on their face, a full stomach and a promise to return soon."

Mio Vicino, 1148 Lincoln Ave., is open Monday­Friday, 11:30 a.m.­10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 5 p.m.­10 p.m. Call 408.286.6027 for more information or take-out orders.