Local photographer brings Piedmont wine culture to the page.
File under: a robust read. What started as a Raleigh-rooted wine obsession now spans two volumes and 1,000 pages. After years of travel and research in Piedmont (and shaping the wine program at Figulina), local photographer Jeff Bramwell is bottling it all into On the Road in Piemonte With Winemakers, Farmers & Chefs, out this July.
Less textbook, more travelogue, Bramwell’s debut dives into Piedmont’s culinary culture through the people behind it—winemakers, farmers and chefs—exploring everything from the region’s craft and cuisine to hyperlocal traditions.
“Italy always gets short-changed in wine books compared to France—and Piedmont especially,” says Bramwell. “There is just a massive, massive wealth of stuff that I didn’t think was getting the credit and attention it deserved.”
The castle of Serralunga d’Alba | Photo by Jeff BramwellOsteria Veglio in the town of La Morra | Photo by Jeff Bramwell
Each chapter is framed around a theme or story, with Bramwell stepping back as observer—letting the voices of the region shape the narrative. Many focus on defining threads, whether it’s a winemaker bringing back a grape that almost went extinct or stories deeply tied to a family’s DNA, he explains.
Layer in his photography of the wine, cuisine and countryside, and the result is equal parts visual feast and cultural archive.
For Raleigh readers, it’s not just aspirational—it’s actionable. With 85 recipes and plenty of ingredient-driven context, the deep dive doubles as a guide to thinking more intentionally about what’s on your plate (and in your glass) at home.
Consider it a love letter to the Italian way of life—delivered one story and one sip at a time. @piemontebook
From humble beginnings in 2024 to a James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist nod only about a year later, DTR pasta darling Figulina has never stopped evolving. Now, it’s literally turning up the heat—adding a fryer, grill and other equipment to broaden the menu, following a weeklong closure Jan. 5–12.
“We’ve been working with saute, which is great, but we haven’t been able to do, say, fried apps,” says chef-owner David Ellis, teasing a potential arancini addition—plus new “nibbles” feat. the likes of marinated olives, house focaccia and spiced nuts. “We’ll be able to bring some more textures into our cuisine this way,” not to mention new cooking techniques unlocked by the reno.
The grill will also expand Figulina’s “Mountain-to-Sea” section—entree-size plates beyond the core rotating pastas—from two dishes to four or five. Think shareable proteins like lamb loin chops, braised beef cheek, pan-seared scallops, and grilled whole branzino.
Ellis stresses the revamp is something he’s wanted to do from the start—and the January pause provides the perfect timing. “You don’t really get the opportunity to close too many times to do some big changes,” he notes. “We didn’t want to just close and rest our laurels. … This is what made sense to me.”
Jeff Bramwell
At its core, the refreshed menu will stay true to Figulina’s Italian-meets-Southern pastacentric MO, but Ellis plans to lean further into his British culinary roots as well—already visible at brunch (bubble and squeak, English scones, and crumpets in the eggs Benny). One definite new dinner addition? Scotch egg—a soft-boiled egg wrapped in nduja sausage, bread-crumbed and fried.
“It’s delicious, but you don’t really see a whole lot of that around here,” maintains Ellis. “I wasn’t sure how the feedback would be on going super heavy on the British side—but it’s been good and I want to lean into it a little bit more.”
Between the kitchen revamp, revived grab-and-go lunch, new Monday hours, special dinners, Sunday patio hangs, and the fleshed-out provisions store, Ellis and his crew prove they’re not afraid to adapt.
“The restaurant’s always been evolving from day one—we didn’t just open and say, ‘This is it; it’s going to be this forever,’” he says. “We hope to stay in that whole world of James Beard. … We’re just gonna keep doing what we’re doing: serving delicious food and making people happy—and if that happens, it happens.”
And who knows—maybe next year Michelin will come calling too. figulinaraleigh.com
Take everything you know about “traditional” pasta and throw it out the window. As you likely know, a refreshing new pasta concept is twirling into the former Humble Pie space in early 2024. Now, we have a first look at Figulina’s tasty menu and additional details on the restaurant, opening at the hands of former Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis, along with his wife, Sam, and CDC Dylan Shook, who also worked with him at Poole’s.
While the menu will feature some of your classics—done really well, naturally—like a super-comforting Bolognese, the highlight of the menu will be less-common pasta types you may not have heard of. Think rotolo, in which the fillings are rolled up in pasta sheets and baked in the oven; and corzetti, which Ellis makes with a white wine-based dough flavored with pimentón (a type of paprika) and Old Bay—a nod to the South—that’s cut into circles and imprinted with different designs using a special stamp.
Local ingredients will be prominent throughout the entire menu, which, in addition to six or seven pastas, will also include lighter fare like crudos, charcuterie and salads. Because, you know, balance. A large full-service bar will serve up wine, beer and simple cocktails incorporating local elements as well.
Having worked at Poole’s for four years, Ellis is well-versed in cooking with local ingredients, and pasta will serve as the ultimate vessel for showcasing the state’s harvest. Before that, the Stoke-on-Trent, England-born chef proprietor also honed his pasta-making skills working in kitchens across the world—from England to France to New Zealand and Australia.
It wasn’t until the pandemic, however, that making pasta became a “new obsession,” says Ellis. And having always wanted to open a restaurant, going with a pasta concept just made sense at the time. “There is a small pasta scene in Raleigh, but I felt there was space for a fresh handmade pasta restaurant,” he adds. “There seems to be a little bit of a pasta buzz right now and we hope that people will be excited by what we bring to the table.”
But Figulina is guaranteed to stand out from the rest. In addition to an extraordinary menu, the restaurant will also feature an on-display pasta production room, where guests will be able to see the pasta being rolled and cut into shapes, and a provisions aspect that will start small and eventually grow to offer take-home pasta kits, dry and fresh pasta, sauces, and the like.
Additionally, Ellis and his team envision Figulina will grow and evolve as a whole over time. “We have so many ideas,” says Sam, who created the branding for the restaurant. “We look forward to growing into the space and bringing all those ideas to life.” In the meantime, prepare yourself for a world of new pasta-bilities (!). @figulina.raleigh
EXCLUSIVE:Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis opening new restaurant in Humble Pie space
Following Humble Pie’s announcement that it’s closing its doors after 30 years of service, the first question on everyone’s minds was: What’s going to open in its place? Well, we have your answer. Figulina: Pasta and Provisions, a pastacentric restaurant by former Poole’s Diner chef de cuisine David Ellis, will be opening in the space in December/January. Finally, some good news for Downtown Raleigh.
Not your classic Italian concept (you won’t find any cacio e pepe here, says Ellis), Figulina will use pasta as a vessel to highlight North Carolina ingredients from local farming and fishing communities—with a touch of Southern flair, naturally. In turn, the menu will be created around the seasons. “We’re kind of just going to have a bit of fun with it,” says Ellis. “At the same time, you may see a tagliatelle Bolognese.”
Like a lot of people, Ellis especially got into making and eating pasta during the pandemic. He’s also worked with pasta over his years as a chef. The English Stoke-on-Trent native honed his culinary skills across the world before coming to the U.S. in 2019 and landing a job with Ashley Christensen shortly thereafter.
“As I was getting my concept together, [pasta] just felt right,” Ellis maintains. “This is what’s making me excited right now. … And I thought it would bring something different to the table. I’m still having a lot of fun making pasta.”
Ellis, who previously lived around the corner from Humble Pie and would walk there to eat with his wife on multiple occasions, realizes he has big shoes to fill. “The food was really approachable—we loved hanging out on the patio,” he muses. “We’re excited to go into the space now and do our own thing with it.”
Renovations will be very slight—think a new coat of paint and a freshening up of the existing furniture, with further upgrades over time. Additionally, Ellis will incorporate myriad pottery into the restaurant, a nod to his pottery-famed hometown and the name, which translates to “pottery work” and “to shape or form”—also relevant given the manipulation of pasta dough that will take place within the pasta production room and be visible to guests.
Figulina will also feature a small retail section with provisions like cookbooks, dry pasta and tinned fish, with plans to expand and include offerings like fresh pasta and sauces. Group classes and events are another goal for the future.
“I am so honored that [David] spent time with us growing and leading Poole’s kitchen,” says Christensen of Ellis opening his own restaurant, “and it has been a tremendous joy to witness his very thoughtful approach to Figulina. I am also beyond excited to see another independent restaurant set roots in Downtown Raleigh.” Forks up!
