Volo will be unlike any other Italian spot in Charlotte. Here’s how.
Eat authentic Italian food, drink an experimental cocktail and walk away from your meal feeling like you’re part of a family. If this is what you get after you visit Volo, a new Italian spot in Myers Park, your experience has been a success in the eyes of the restaurant’s team.
Open for less than a week, Volo is establishing its footing in an increasingly crowded market for Italian food in Charlotte. Volo hopes to stand out from the crowd with its team that includes native Italians, commitment to quality and authenticity and penchant for performance and hospitality, managing partner Marco Antenucci said.
Born and raised in Italy, Antenucci brings a competitive edge to the burgeoning Italian scene in Charlotte. His deep knowledge of Italian food comes from his childhood, as well as his work in professional kitchens in his home country.
“I know exactly what Italian food is, what it means,” Antenucci said. “I know exactly why a recipe is made a certain way and not another. There’s a reason for the flavor, there’s a reason for the way ingredients are put together.”
Antenucci also has several years of experience under his belt working in restaurants in places such as London, Miami and New York City. Alongside partners Domenico Marsocci and Matthew Porillo, Antenucci has worked tirelessly to make sure Volo will be unlike any other Italian spot in Charlotte.
A taste of love in the food
Antenucci, who begins his day at the restaurant hours before opening time, said the restaurant’s Italian heart is seen in the high-quality ingredients they use.
“Our pasta is made in the house,” Antenucci said. “We have a squid ink pasta, semolina pasta. We have gnocchi. There’s a lot of work and love we put into everything. We put effort into things early in the morning to set us up for success at night.”
The food Volo serves is so fresh, in fact, that the only freezer the restaurant has is a small one for ice cream and sorbet. Keeping a smaller menu is further assurance to customers you’re serving fresh food, Antenucci said.
Volo’s menu includes a traditional take on orecchiette with anchovies and broccolini, housemade squid ink scialatelli and a host of other Italian dishes.
A mix of Italy and experiment at the bar
Volo’s direct connection to Italy extends beyond Antenucci. Alex Mereu, Volo’s bar manager, has known Antenucci since childhood, when they met at age 5 in south Sardinia. They’ve been close ever since.
“Marco is like a brother to me,” Mereu said.
Mereu is embracing experiment and creativity at the 12-seat bar at Volo. For example, the bar serves several takes on an old fashioned, one with bacon-infused smoke and another that uses whiskey infused with Cuban tobacco. In a nod to Italy, also on the menu is a Negroni, with some ingredients made in house. The bar also serves hand-selected wines, mostly Italian of course.
Mereu also works closely with the kitchen to make sure the cocktails mesh well with the plates.
“I work shoulder-to-shoulder with Marco in the kitchen to see what drinks can be put together to compliment the food,” Mereu said. “Everything is designed to be paired. Servers have a list of what goes with what to help guests choose.”
As the floor embraces the art of presentation, the bar too showcases performance.
“People love the way we make cocktails,” Mereu said. “Everyone gets silent when the bartender is making something just to watch what happens.”
If you have fun, the guests do, too
Antenucci said that Volo takes its approach to another level with its commitment to a familial and hospitable environment. To achieve that, he said it’s the little things that matter, from having the chef come out to greet people to approaching food presentation as a performance.
What’s more, adding a little pizzazz to plating and presentation makes the experience exciting for everyone involved.
“Americans love the show, and we also have fun too,” Antenucci said. “If you have fun, the guests have fun, too. That’s what makes the difference.”
Volo
1039 Providence Road
Instagram: @volo_ristorante
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 5:44 AM.
