Exclusive first look: See inside Charlotte’s newest Italian restaurant, opening today
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Spaghett opens July 11 in Charlotte under chefs Kendall Moore and Amanda Britton.
- Menu highlights locally sourced Carolinas ingredients through an Italian lens.
- Reservations release daily at 10 a.m.; limited bar and walk-in seating offered.
Craft pasta and cocktail restaurant Spaghett, the latest venture from James Beard Award finalist Sam Hart, is set to open Friday, July 11 — but early reservations are getting snapped up quickly.
Charlotteans have been waiting for a taste of the new Italian spot since December 2023, the year Hart was a finalist for the James Beard Awards’ Best Chefs in America: Southeast.
Now, Spaghett is settling into the century-old Morrison House on West 10th Street most recently occupied by Poplar, preparing to dazzle patrons with something new. This time, executive chef Kendall Moore and bar director Amanda Britton are leading the way.
“This is Kendall and Amanda’s restaurant, from the final touches of the design, the way that it’s structured, from the way that the menu is going to be operating. ... They’ve put their heart and soul into it to create what it’s going to be on opening day and after that, as well,” Hart told CharlotteFive.
Last week, we were invited for an exclusive first look of the reimagined space. Check out our photo gallery below and the video above:
If you want to get in line, know that reservations will be released two weeks in advance every morning at 10 a.m. for the 44-seat space. However, a few tables will be held back for walk-ins, and the bar seats will be first come, first served.
The vision for Spaghett
Hart — who owns sensory-focused tasting restaurant Counter- as part of their Irreverently Refined Hospitality group — is known for creating a dining experience with locally sourced ingredients. They are also working on opening a Japanese-inspired robatayaki food stall called Maneki in The Alley.
Moore’s vision for Spaghett follows a similar path, highlighting the “food of the Carolinas through an Italian lens.”
“We’re working hand-in-hand with our local producers, our farms — sourcing virtually everything from the Carolinas and within the region,” Moore told CharlotteFive.
“We just really want to help everybody fall in love with all the wonderful produce and ingredients that we have in our backyard. And we feel like because Italian food is so approachable and wonderful and so ingredient focused, that serving food in that style really makes sense to help celebrate and provide everybody with a wonderful meal,” he added.
He’s been focused on perfecting fresh pasta for more than a decade, often working through the night after restaurant shifts. He most recently worked at Tavola, an upscale Italian eatery in Charlottesville. But the Charlotte native’s name may already ring a bell here, as his brother is well-known Charlotte chef Matt Moore, who joined Customshop as its chef de cuisine in December.
The inspiration for Spaghett
As for the setting, diners can expect the feel of a relaxed neighborhood spot in the historic house, sectioned off into three dining rooms to accommodate the original footprint.
The snug setup includes a bar with seating for six, where customers will get a front-row seat to Britton’s work. One of those drinks will include the beer cocktail called Spaghett, a mix of Miller High Life, Aperol and lemon juice that was the inspiration for the restaurant’s name.
Britton, who grew up outside Philadelphia, brought the drink to Charlotte after reading about it in Bon Appetit and quickly becoming among its strongest proponents. It was on the menu at Vana, where she served it to Hart for the first time, unknowingly sewing the seeds of Spaghett’s origin.
“I share the gospel of Spaghett. I think it’s super delicious. And I think it’s also a great representation of what we’re trying to do here — just a mashup of Italian things and things that are very much American, like a Miller High Life. So I think it’s a great representation of the fun and cheeky, and the lightness that we also want to bring,” Britton said.
Local spirits will be on the menu, as well. “That’s going to be my my nod to the Carolinas — I have worked with tons and tons of local distilleries,” she added.
What to expect at Spaghett
As you look around each space, you’ll see simple tables and chairs that maximize space in the dining rooms, painted a vibrant spring green. Wide sections of whimsical, floral wallpaper delineate each room.
Hart said there was “a lot of deep diving through the Fourth Ward Historical Society and all this stuff to figure out what this place was and how we can translate it to what it would be today, not really trying to make it anything other than what it is.”
“When you’re eating and you’re looking inside, it just it’ll really encapsulate the feeling of being a neighborhood restaurant, which is what we are in our bones,” Moore said.
A millworking team from 8Lincoln30 worked to blend details from the original Young-Morrison House and replicate them throughout, giving the feel of a “gingerbread house.”
“They’re just what adds so much to this house ... instead of it making it feel out of place, there’s so much to be thoughtful and making sure every piece feels like it belongs there,” Britton said.
Other details to look for include local artwork — another trademark feature of Hart’s restaurants. The team is working with Compari and Wilmington artist Gerb to re-envision vintage Campari advertisements in the bar space, which will evolve over time with the addition of more local art.
“We’re really leaning into the history and the warmth of the space to dictate what we do with our hospitality and with the food and the beverage,” Moore said.
When the weather is nice, the intimate patio for 14 guests will open, offering umbrella-shaded tables for alfresco dining surrounded by lush greenery.
“I just really look forward to being able to share that bit of my soul and the bit of the soul of the community with our guests, and making this feel like a place you can gather and leave happier than you came,” Moore said.
Alex Cason contributed reporting.
Spaghett
Location: 224 W 10th St. Charlotte, NC
Cuisine: Italian
Instagram: @restaurantspaghett
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This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
