They say the world’s getting smaller.

So why is it so hard to find an Italian restaurant that doesn’t look like a theme park?

Clearly you haven’t been to Wellesley lately. Yes, Wellesley. The otherwise quiet town’s abuzz over the opening of Alta Strada, the latest gastronomic brainchild of Michael Schlow (chef behind heavyweights Radius, Great Bay, and Via Matta).

Schlow is manning the stoves alongside Luis Morales, who helped launch Via Matta. Together they’re churning out authentic dishes like white bean salads, house-made ricotta, prosciutto with fig crostini, and a bliss-inducing panna cotta.

Toss in a nicely edited wine list, spot-on service, a takeout market, and a come-as-you-are vibe, and this place is authentic enough to give any contemporary Milanese trattoria a run for its Euro. In downtown Wellesley.

Maybe it is a small world after all.

Alta Strada, 92 Central Street, Wellesley (781-237-6100).