Dino Redzic adds a flair for the dramatic to his global Italian dishes. Dino Redzic has taken generations of cooking knowledge, plus exposure to some of the finest chefs into the world, and put them into his global Italian restaurants. Every meal is a kind of show at his newest restaurant, Dino’s in Mission Square Plaza, where the house salad is a hollowed plum tomato stuffed with greens. The beef, lamb, and veal sausages made by family members in New York are served sizzling hot with some dramatic flair, such as a rosemary sprig smoldering like incense.

For 300 years, his family has included butchers and chefs, making meals with as much drama and history as they have flavor. With his background, Redzic was confident in his abilities, but knew that there was much to learn in the vast pantry called America.

“I thought I knew it all until a little gentleman from Santa Fe cooked the best French meal I’ve ever had,” he says. “America is so gifted with fresh food. In Italy in February, you can only dream about fresh tomatoes.”

Born in Montenegro, he learned the trade from his parents who had a restaurant in Zurich for 30 years. After an apprenticeship in Europe, he ended up in New York, owning two restaurants there, Amici Amore and Butcher Bros. Steak House. He also worked at the James Beard Foundation, a place where self-taught cooks with a passion for food helped create a new generation of chefs. Redzic likes the Old World customs, where each village has its own tastes and seasonal changes dictate dishes.

“They don’t cook alike. If you’re in Sicily, the only meat you can have is goat because the area is all rock,” he says. In his attempt to duplicate a true Italian restaurant in America, however, there are some things he can’t replicate, like 2 p.m. closings. “Try that here,” he says. “You’ll go out of business. It’s just the pace of life.

” Redzic has adjusted to the pace of Naples, and now runs Dino’s, after opening Trattoria Dino Ristorante and Pizza Pizza on the East Trail, which have both become Donna’s Sports Pub. Dino’s is an ambitious undertaking, with scores of items on the menu, four to five fresh fish dishes daily, and his own fresh chives adorning each table. He likes to keep his staff on their toes by serving flaming tableside dishes that give an added flair in presentation. He admits that some specials are expensive to produce, but they bring in new clientele as well as keep his sophisticated regulars coming back. Even in the depths of summer, he caters to those who enjoy fine dining year round.

Early bird specials blend with a daily staff meeting, during which servers try the specials themselves. Redzic especially likes running the Chef’s Table, set up right next to the kitchen. “The biggest fear of any chef is when his product doesn’t move. It really hurts your pocket,” he says. “I love being in the dining room. You can reflect and see whether people are enjoying your food or not.”