At the new Italian spot opening in NoDa, you’ll find square pizza, handmade pasta

James Beard-nominated chef Paul Verica hopes to create a casual NoDa neighborhood standby in his new Italian restaurant, Orto, that will offer the quality and creativity he’s become known for at The Stanley at a price point that can make regulars of Charlotte’s foodies.

The spring opening of this new Italian joint adds to the argument that everyone loves Italian — and to the evidence that Charlotte restaurateurs are banking on it. But Verica’s inspiration for the concept behind Orto — a fond memory of growing up around Italian food — is much more personal than that.

“Italian is my favorite food,” said Verica, who is Italian by heritage. “It’s a big part of the reason I got into food: Hanging out with my grandmother in the kitchen, seeing her cook. … A typical Sunday dinner would be pasta, ravioli, gravy. But it was always more about spending time with her.”

Orto will offer handmade pastas and pizza at a reasonable price point, Verica said. (You might even be able to sleuth out his vision for Orto in some dishes he’s trying out on the menu at The Stanley.) The restaurant, which will be located under the Novel apartment buildings off 36th Street, will also have a beverage program, though that’s still in the works.

Verica plans to take an intensive two-week research and development trip to Italy ahead of the restaurant’s opening. He said he’s currently focusing on the northern region and plans to visit Florence, Pisa, Genoa, Milan and Parma, as well as Venice or Bologna.

“It’s going to be a whirlwind trip, but I want to eat and see as much as I possibly can,” Verica said.

Amid the growth in Italian restaurants around the area, it’s easy to wonder how Orto will stick out. Verica said his new venture will stand out with its attention to quality ingredients, its creativity and its commitment to hospitality. He said Orto will — like The Stanley — be as farm-driven and as local as possible. All of the restaurant’s pasta will be made in-house.

He’s also hoping Orto’s square Detroit-style pizza will stand out among the more popular round Neapolitan style. Inspired by an “upside-down” pizza – cheese first, sauce second – at his favorite joint Pica’s in Philadelphia, Verica said he’s experimenting with his own unconventional approach to the beloved pie.

Verica said he will start off leading the kitchen at Orto with help from his 23-year-old son, Alex, sous chef at The Stanley, as they search for a head chef. He said he’s also solicited the help of Ben Philpott, formerly of now-closed Lumiere and Block & Grinder.

Orto

416 E. 36th St.

Expected to open in April 2020.

Instagram: @ortonoda