Downtown Raleigh Is Having an Italian Renaissance

Glenwood South’s Italian food game is on the comeup.

Italian food is clearly having a moment—so much so that even Raleigh’s party district, long energized by bumping bars, has recently seen a handful of such concepts open.

In a matter of months—and within mere blocks—already popular Flour & Barrel, Anthony’s La Piazza and Pierro’s Italian Bistro have delivered gusto onto the Glenwood South scene, with yet another, La Cucina Italiana, on the way in Smoky Hollow. Not to mention recently bowed fast-casual Vic’s Pizzeria, dishing its family-famous New York-style pies a la its City Market Vic’s Italian Restaurant.

So why now? “Italian food is the most popular food in the U.S.,” maintains Pierro’s co-owner/executive chef Daniel Fair. “When you [think of what’s] going to be successful, Italian comes to the forefront.”

Fair notes they’ve been eyeing Raleigh for quite some time after realizing there “weren’t many Italian restaurants in the area.” Clearly, they weren’t the only savvy restaurateurs with a hunch. Fast-forward to a proliferation of pasta and pies extending delizioso concepts across DTR via the likes of 2024’s Figulina and La Terrazza.

But more Italian doesn’t dilute the dish, it drives it—and forces you to define your craving. “Competition is always a good thing because it pushes businesses to do better,” says Rome native and Rocco’s GM/co-owner Pietro Luca. “It’s just a matter of what people look for. But we have a specific niche type of cuisine—which is the original Italian cuisine.”

Leaning authentic in concept and conception, Rocco’s menu spotlights homecooked dishes straight from Luca and co-owner Gianni Cinelli’s nonna and madre, while neighbor Anthony’s La Piazza serves up a mom-and-pop vibe that’s at once “trendy and elegant,” says owner Anthony Scafidi, who also runs La Piazza JoCo locales.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Flour & Barrel has carved out a less traditional take on its chef-curated menu thanks to executive chef Katsuji Tanabe’s experimentation with such unorthodox ingredients as squid ink in spaghetti. 

And offering a high-end take on classics, Fayetteville-founded and family-owned and -operated Pierro’s features upscale Italian in addition to chophouse selects like high-end steaks, apps, flatbreads, pizzas and the like—in addition to an extensive bar. Scafidi and Pierro’s co-owner Michael Laurenceau agree that with Raleigh’s explosion in growth—coupled with an ever-growing number of people moving here—the population will be able to support all these new concepts. 

“We’re honored to be a part of the Italian food explosion in DTR and are excited to see where this leads,” emphasizes Flour & Barrel’s Anthony Rapillo. “Glenwood South is more than college bars. We knew that when we envisioned Flour & Barrel in early 2023, and we’re happy other business owners saw that too.” Buon appetito! 

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