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It's a long way from Sicily to a Piedmont university soccer field. It's even farther from that soccer field to a restaurant.

But that's the route Mario Sanfilippo took to open Porticello Ristorante (3404 Whitehurst Road, Greensboro; 288-8322).

When he was a teen, Sanfilippo came with his parents to the United States from Italy and settled in the Boston area.

"There was opportunity in the States," Sanfilippo says.

Sanfilippo eventually went to UNCG in the early '80s and joined the school's soccer team.

After graduation, he married and returned to Boston, working in a bank for a few years.

"I got tired of pushing paper all day," Sanfilippo says. "I wanted to do something for myself."

So he returned to the food of his roots.

"My mother is a fabulous cook," he says.

He opened a small Italian Trattoria in Boston in 1992.

In 1998, he opened a fine dining Italian restaurant in Boston that he named Porticello, after the Sicilian town he came from.

Two years ago, Sanfilippo and his wife returned to Greensboro and began looking for a location to open another Porticello.

With the help of his partner, Carmine Federico, the head chef for the Boston location, Sanfilippo opened Porticello Ristorante at The Palms, a large facility off Westridge Road near Battleground Avenue.

The menu, though primarily southern Italian, features pasta dishes from around the country, including Pasta Marinara and Pasta Alfredo, the classic red and white sauces of Italy. There's also Pasta Bolognese with ground veal and tomato sauce, Gnocchi Sorrentino with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella and Linguine Vongole, sauteed clams and white wine.

Seafood selections include Scallops Limoncello baked in lemon, baked Shrod served over sauteed spinach, and Pesce Spada Alla Griglia, grilled swordfish.

Chicken dishes include Marsala or Piccata and Voldostano, chicken breast or veal medallions in white wine demi glaze. Grilled Angus Sirlion, Rack of Lamb and Filet Barolo, filet medallions in Barolo wine sauce rounds things off.

Porticello also offers a selection of antipasti and salads. Soups are made daily and priced accordingly.

In addition to lunch specials, Porticello also offers weekly wine specials.

Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday. A Sunday brunch special is offered from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, visit the Web site for Sanfilippo's Boston restaurant at http://porticellorestaurant.com.

Sub Shop Opens

Maya's (908 Cridland Road, Greensboro; 279-8879) has opened in the old Cloud Nine location near the intersection of Wendover Avenue.

The shop offers a selection of Middle Eastern and Italian-style subs and sandwiches, including pizza, calzone, stromboli and pasta dishes.

Owners Abbas and Ghada Maanaki ran Papa Primos on West Friendly Avenue for nearly four years before opening a pizza and sub shop in the Exxon at Cridland and Wendover.

When Cloud Nine closed next door, the Maanakis moved into the building.

Maya's offers daily lunch specials that include a sub ($5.29 for a 6-inch, $6.29 for 8-inch, $7.29 for 12-inch) and two hot dogs, fries and drink ($5.29).

Contact Carl Wilson at 373-7145 or cwilson @news-record.com