MINERAL WELLS - Steve and Wes Peters opened Carmella's at Woodridge Wednesday, making it the fourth restaurant owned by the brothers in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

They selected the recently refurbished Woodridge Plantation golf course in Mineral Wells as the location for a "nice, casual sit-down restaurant."

Carmella's will feature the "old-world" family recipes from Wes's wife, Carmela, whose great-grandparents, Giovanni and Oranda Petrella, arrived in America from Naples, Italy, in 1900. The Peters family says it will be combining the Petrellas' recipes with the finest ingredients and a traditional Italian dining experience.

The menu is not limited to Italian dishes, however, as steaks, grilled chicken and seafood are offered.

The restaurant is in the Woodridge golf course's upstairs clubhouse in the former Colonnade restaurant site. There is seating for 75 and an outdoor covered patio seating another 20 people is expected to be open by the end of next week, Steve Peters said.

An adjoining banquet room for meetings, wedding receptions and other social functions can handle 175-225 people, he said.

The Peterses opened River City Tavern & Grill on Murdoch Avenue in Parkersburg in 2001, River City Tavern & Grill in Marietta's Comfort Inn on Pike Street in 2006 and River City's Boat House along the Ohio River on Virginia Street in Marietta in 2007.

Steve Peters said he is not intimidated by the idea of opening a fourth restaurant in a sluggish economy.

He sees it as an opportunity to focus on a different menu than the River City locations and to "cross market" his restaurants' offerings into other places.

Instead of a customer visiting a River City restaurant only once a week, Peters hopes to attract patrons looking for another meal at a different family venue.

Peters said he is excited to be a part of the improvements at Woodridge Plantation, which he believes is now one of the finest golf facilities in the region. The dining and banquet rooms overlook the golf course and rolling landscape.

"It is gorgeous out here," he said.

The Peterses are leasing the facility from a four-member board, which has the backing of the Woodridge Plantation homeowners.

Carmella's at Woodridge has started out opening only for dinner, from 4-10 p.m., with lunch hours being added later. The restaurant is open six days a week, closing on Mondays.