Bayonne’s newest restaurant is about as un-Bayonne as it gets.

Sure, there’s plenty of Italian heritage in the humble Hudson County city between the bays. It was home to an influx of European immigrants in the late 1800s through the turn of the 20th Century. It hosted a celebrated soccer team called the Bayonne Italians. Its reputation has even earned Bayonne brief Hollywood spotlights with a “Sopranos” appearance (in season 5, episode 10, the bridal shop was staged at 306 Broadway) as well as for the upcoming Vince Vaughn film, “Nonnas.”

But amid the classic red-sauce restaurants and bakeries, someone saw potential for something more modern and upscale.

Enter real estate developer Lance Lucarelli, who is making a big push to liven things up with his first restaurant endeavor, Americano. Occupying the entire ground floor of his residential building at 957 Broadway, it’s hard to miss this mammoth new addition that opened In November, and even more so, once you step inside. The $10 million build-out had me muttering my own version of that classic “Wizard of Oz” line, “I’ve a feeling we’re not in Bayonne anymore.”

“At some point you have to go back to a time that was better.” Lucarelli shared.

Drawing inspiration from the first cocktail James Bond ever drank, Americano tips its hat to classic Hollywood. Black and white portraits of silver screen royalty adorn the walls that house plush, velvet sofas, exotic plants, marble columns, and Tiffany-esque chandeliers.

“I love Bayonne. My wife is from here. I wanted to create a nice place for people to go to that didn’t require a ride into New York City. Our entire kitchen staff and most of our management is Italian. They’re the best at what they do and really understand service and hospitality,” he noted.

The good

Americano’s menu is extensive, with eight to 12 options in each category across the board. We decided to focus on the pizzas and pastas, given the showy wood-fired oven and the fact that all of their pastas are fresh and made in house daily.

Things started off okay with the arrival of the bread basket, freshly sliced sourdough served with whipped garlic butter. It would have been more enjoyable had the bread been warm or toasted, but it did the job of taking the edge off of my hunger.

The mortazza pizza ($32) was a stand-out. Gorgeous presentation aside, the combination of thinly sliced mortadella, creamy fior di latte, herby pesto and nutty pistachios was a home run. Leaning salty with a blackened undercarriage and overly doughy crust, this pie, in general, is one to order.

I was very excited for the pasta course, specifically because Roman pasta classics like carbonara, gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe are rarely executed well stateside. I was delighted to see Americano nail the one that we ordered. For starters, the bucatini alla carbonara ($31) was prepared with the proper ingredients — pasta, egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino Romano, parmigiano and freshly ground black pepper. No bacon, pancetta, cream or other substitutions (see: cheats) to be found. The fresh bucatini itself was impressively al dente and well-sauced. The emulsification was perfectly peppery and neither too runny nor too thick. It was an extremely strong pasta showing.

The bad

The most jarring thing about Americano’s menu was the prices. New York City prices in Bayonne sticker-shocked me in a way that I didn’t expect, but made more sense once I took in the size and quality of the space.

Out of the starters, we went with a classic, the fritto di calamari ($23). While the calamari was hot and crispy, the pale batter lacked flavor and seasoning, and the squid itself was rubbery. There was also a shortage of tentacles, my favorite part of the calamari, which was a bit disappointing. The aioli served alongside was pleasant, but the marinara was a little too watery. I’d skip this dish if I were to return.

Once I learned that the pizzaiolo was from Naples, I instantly began reminiscing about the pizza crawl I did when I visited a few years ago. Hoping that Americano’s margherita ($25) would take me back, it sadly did quite the opposite. At a whopping $20 more than you’d pay for the same pizza in Italy, Americano’s version was just okay. The tomatoes had a from-the-can metallic taste, which overpowered the delicate flavor of the mozzarella. The puffy crust was also underdone while the underside was deeply charred, an indication that they still need to work on managing the oven’s cooking temperature. Once management learned that there was an off-putting taste, they ran over with a small dish of marinara sauce, asking us to try it again on its own. Our tastebuds reconfirmed the unpleasant flavor, but I appreciated their quality-control efforts.

Things continued to trend downward with the linguine all’aragosta ($38), a spicy tomato-based lobster pasta dish. For $38, I anticipated either an entire lobster tail or heaps of succulent chunks strewn throughout. What I got was a bland bowl of linguine with a few pieces of chewy lobster on top. It felt like an even bigger let down next to the stellar carbonara. Once again, management was not content with our lack of enthusiasm for this dish, and reappeared shortly with a completely different version made with spiny lobster, plated with the lobster tail shell and a copious amount of meat on top. Sadly, we were too full to sample it, but took stock that the kitchen was capable of procuring a more elite version of the dish that was better aligned with its price point.

The dining experience ended with what could have been a show-stopping cotoletta di vitello ($58), a laptop screen-sized veal cutlet, pounded thin then fried until golden and served with a lemon wedge and fresh arugula. The veal was tender but lacked salt, yet the bigger issue lying with the meat being completely raw toward the bone and toward thicker areas of the cutlet. We had to send it back, but recognized its potential.

The vibe

Americano’s aesthetic is very much Copa Cabana meets chic, Italian lounge. The stark contrast of stepping from Bayonne’s tired, working class sidewalk into this ritzy, over the top haunt felt like Alice walking into Wonderland. For better or worse, Americano is a fish out of water.

The restaurant is open all day. The large bar at the entrance is utilized for coffee and pastry service, and an even larger, marble-topped bar with leather stools extends the entire length of the main dining area that’s punctuated with a wood-fired pizza oven. Oversized, brown leather banquets line the perimeter while cozy velvet sofa fill the interior. Plants add privacy to the well-spaced seating area, leaving ample room for the white jacket-clad servers to sail through with serving platters.

This place is undoubtedly stunning. Jazzy covers of contemporary hits pumped from the sound system, but did not interfere with conversation. A mix of well-dressed diners and curious locals who likely wandered in off the street filled half of the dining room on a Saturday night.

The bottom line

If you’re feeling fancy, go get dressed up and have a night out at Americano (don’t forget your wallet). Service was exceptional and their authentic Italian preparations were impressive but lacked flavor at times and consistency overall. Locals looking for familiar old school Italian may want to stick with Cafe Bello. Americano is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. and offers live jazz on Tuesdays.

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Stephanie Rizzolo may be reached at stephanienjdotcom@gmail.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.