Aperitivo’s New Sister Restaurant Is as Good as It Looks

When Biltmore/Coral Casino vets Andrea Girardello and Brian Dodero partnered up to open Aperitivo in 2020, their ambitions were modest—a wine bar with a limited menu in a fairly minimalist setting. With warm, polished service and delicious food, it evolved into more of a restaurant as patrons settled in for a full dinner, despite the constraints of an off-site prep kitchen and limited seating (which shrunk even further after the city revoked the outdoor tables on Haley Street).

Aperitivo’s popularity led Girardello and Dodero to the idea of a second establishment. The search took a year, but they eventually found a spot around the corner—the former Taza Mediterranean Street Kitchen at 413 State Street (Gutierrez/Haley). And Manifattura, the fruit of considerable labor, has just debuted, five years to the date after they opened Aperitivo.

Manifattura feels similar to Aperitivo, but also different. While the room is bigger, with around 40 seats, it’s not what anyone would call huge. A diamond in an otherwise rough block of State Street, it’s also much more handsome, evoking midcentury Italy with terrazzo tables, walnut paneling, vintage lighting, attractive tile, and window signage made with vintage gold leaf. “Brian was basically the designer,” says Girardello, adding that a frequent patron, Rebecca Fox of Fox & Fields Interior Design, offered assistance. (“Andrea is very good at saying yes or no,” says Dodero. “And whether we can afford it!”) Once again, Nick Wright of Miramar Building Co. did the buildout.

Having an actual kitchen on the premises means Manifattura can handle a larger menu—but again, it’s confidently concise and will expand with time. All of the pastas at Manifattura are created by hand in the open station near the window. (The word “manifattura” is commonly used in Italy to describe the quality of craftsmanship.) Dodero describes the food as “more timeless” than at Aperitivo, where he has leaned into creativity, but he’s not coasting on tired ideas of what Italian food is. There are still no entrées, per se, and dishes are meant to be shared.

At a friends-and-family dinner last week, my husband and I had the homemade focaccia, luscious eggplant in agrodolce, the chicory salad, the meatballs (made with boiled beef shank and brisket), and the gnudi with pesto. (We ordered one dish too many, if you’re looking for guidance.) Everything was outstanding. The cooking is recognizably Dodero’s, but elevated, not just compared to Aperitivo but to Italian food here in general. Naturally, the wine and spritzes help. Girardello takes pride in sourcing Italian labels you won’t find anywhere else, and while the emphasis on affordability remains, he has some special bottles, too.

The most welcome upgrade is that Manifattura accepts reservations. (And unlike at Aperitivo, the liquor license allows for children, but the restaurant isn’t really set up to handle them—no kids’ menu, high chairs, room for strollers, etc.) Girardello also plans to keep plenty of space for walk-ins. If you’re faced with a wait, there’s a great little wine bar around the corner…. With Manifattura finally up and running, Aperitivo will return to the wine bar it was always intended to be—i.e., similar to the place we know and love, minus the pastas.

Interior photos by Aleah Elisara and portrait courtesy Manifattura.

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