With the arrival of Lo Spiedo, a new rotisserie and grilled meats-focused bar and restaurant with a heavy Italian influence, at the Navy Yard, there’s finally a reason for the 11,000-plus people currently employed at the former shipyard to stick around after work. And for the millions of drinkers and eaters throughout the region, there's now a good excuse to make the trek all the way down to the city’s southernmost point.

The former gatehouse near the Navy Yard’s entrance has been transformed from a cold brick and concrete grave marker for Cold War-era military might to a warm and welcoming barroom and restaurant that’s been resuscitated with dark woods, mosaic tile floors, a pewter-topped bar with exposed steel girders overhead, and murals on the dining room walls. Marc Vetri along with partners Jeff Michaud and Brad Spence worked closely with Lo Spiedo chef de cuisine Scott Calhoun to create a menu of dishes that are cooked almost entirely over wood-fired, open flames. Lo Spiedo means "the spit" in Italian. 

At the bar, Vetri Family beverage director Steve Wildy and lead bartender Stephen Warner developed a tight little cocktail list that features clever and imaginative concoctions created with squeezed-to-order juices, housemade infusions, oils, tinctures and shrubs, as well as a house-fermented ginger beer.

Signature cocktails include Gin & Tonic, housemade Gentian-cardamom tonic, Beefeater 24 and preserved lime; Paloma Sgroppino, Campari, grapefruit granita and prosecco; “Cotechino” Milk Punch, autumn-spiced Applejack, vanilla, green tea and clarified milk; Doublefire Bloody Mary, smoky, spit-fired tomatoes, Fresno chiles, and vodka; Flat Tire, Aperol, Don Q Anejo and apple shrub; and Porcini Martinez, housemade porcini tincture, Bluecoat Barrel Reserve Gin and black sesame.

There are just three taps devoted to beer. The opening lineup is Victory Halfway IPA, Stoudts Gold Lager and Bullfrog Blackberry Juju. Also on tap are House-Fermented ginger beer, plus two red and two white wines. There’s also eight white wines and eight red wines available by the glass and bottle, and additional bottled beer selections too.

As far as the food goes, Lo Spiedo menu is broken into eight sections under headings Stuzzichini, or small small plates; Fett’unta, similar to bruschetta; Insalate, vegeatbles and salads; Panini, sandwiches; Paste, pasta; Contorni, side dishes; Spiedo-Griglia, from the spit or grill; and Dolci, desserts.

Some highlights include grilled sardines and olives; cast iron skillet mac and cheese; spit-roasted vegetables salad with romesco and Sicilian olive oil; chopped pork shoulder sandwich with pickles and vinegar; rigatoni with wood-roasted tomatoes and ricotta salata; roasted half-chicken; and spit-roasted octopus.

Lo Spiedo is open Monday through Thursday 11 AM–9 PM; Friday, 11 AM–10 PM; Saturday, 5 PM–10 PM; and Sunday, 5 PM–9 PM. Catch happy hour action daily from 4 PM–6:30 PM Monday through Thursday; and 4 PM–7 PM on Friday. Sunday brunch is coming soon. 

Lo Spiedo, 4503 South Broad St., 215-282-3184, www.lo-spiedo.com