Spring is here, and Bistro Mezzaluna on Hilton Head Island has the deck ready- it's a wonderful place to dine, have tapas and drink wine under the stars. Chef Vito LoGrasso will join the staff in April. He'll reinforce the restaurant's catering division for groups of up to 150 and for luncheons, parties and dinners at Lowcountry homes and businesses. With The Heritage golf tournament on the horizon, let Bistro Mezzaluna lighten your entertaining load.

LoGrasso and his family are from Sicily. They settled in Brooklyn, NY as the owners of several Italian restaurants and also own "A Villa Louisa," a large restaurant, banquet and catering establishment in Bolton, Conn. Personable and talented, LoGrasso speaks fluent Italian and is a master of Italian cuisine. His specialties include thinly sliced beef rolled with seasoned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, baked and served with marinara sauce.

In addition to a diverse regular menu, Bistro Mezzaluna offers nightly specials including Snapper Marichiari. Sautèed red snapper is complemented by clams and mussels with marinara, over linguini. Shrimp Emmy is gently sautèed large shrimp with sundried tomatoes, a hint of garlic in a Mediterranean sauce and goat cheese. It's served with tagliatelle pasta.

For a lighter appetite, the beautiful cucumber salad is a good choice ($8.95, with grilled chicken add $5) Thinly sliced cucumbers make a bowl filled with fresh salad greens. It's surrounded by goat cheese, tomatoes and mandarin oranges. Mediterranean dressing completes the dish.

Appetizers include a colossal shrimp cocktail and a diver scallop over cheese ravioli. The dessert menu stars limoncello gelato, tiramisu, spumoni and house-made canoli. New additions to the wine list are Layercake Shiraz, Grgich Hills Estate Fume Blanc and Zardetto Prosecco.

If you've lived in the Lowcountry for a while, you may remember the "jam sessions" at Big Rocco's. This popular event has found a new home at Bistro Mezzaluna, where it's called "Live on Stage" and features Tommy Beaumont and Mark Husbands & Co. Joining them will be Steve Ryder, Dean St. Hillaire, Tommy Simms, Janelle Stewart, Sterling & Chevette Colvin and others. All musicians are invited every Monday at 7:30 p.m. Mark and Valerie serve performers and the audience free late night pizza at the jam sessions.

Bistro Mezzaluna hosts popular local dance band Target most Fridays. Elegant Teri Rini Powers plays grand piano and sings on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. On Saturdays for date night, look for performances by Dean St. Hillaire, Cheryl Christine, the Grovetones, Candace Woodson and the Domino Theory Band.

Local owners Mark & Valerie welcome all to Bistro Mezzaluna. They make patrons feel like guests in their home, and their motto is "Drink, dine and dance and be merry! Buon Appetito!"