Review: St. Vito Focacceria

What were your first impressions when you arrived?

St. Vito Focacceria transformed the former home of Colt’s Chocolates (now on the city’s east side). Now painted a burgundy color on the outside, it sets itself apart from the miles of high rises with mirrored glass that surround the small restaurant in the popular Gulch neighborhood before you even step a foot inside. Once in, you’ll find yourself in a cozy space, small but not cramped, where you can grab an order to go, or settle in for Sicilian-style dishes. Check out the custom wallpaper featuring brass lion heads behind the banquettes or grab a bar stool (the seats with backs on them, a rare blessing for bar seating) for a view of the kitchen.

What’s the crowd like?

The Gulch is known as an area particularly popular with tourists, so, of course there are some visitors from out of town who find their way to St. Vito. Chef-owner Michael Hanna chose this location to get some walk-by traffic. But Hanna had pop-ups all over town before he opened a brick-and-mortar place and because of that St. Vito attracts other local chefs and people from across the city. This is a pizza joint, a very good, specialty pizza joint, but a pizza joint nonetheless. So, people are dressed casually, in Nashville jeans and boots.

What should we be drinking?

St. Vito is never the same place twice. And that goes for the beverage list, too. Peruse the rotating list of beer, wine and spirits, with favorites amaros and even malort.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.

Chef Michel Hanna’s thing is sfincione. It’s a pizza on a more bread-like focaccia, rather than what we normally think of as a pizza crust. Hanna makes his naturally leavened dough, and then adds fontina cheese before he bakes it, so each bite is light and fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside. St. Vito’s sfincione is available whole and by the slice. You, never know what is going to be on the menu, but there are usually some St. Vito regulars including roasted potato (with potato cream), Mortadella and the classic with tomato and oregano. In addition to the sfincione, you’ll find focaccia sandwiches, (check out the one with local tomatoes, lima beans and zucchini, if available), risotto and perfectly al dente pasta. The wine syrup-cured beets and pecorino and pistachio salad was a favorite from when St. Vito was pop-up only, so that dish makes a regular appearance (for good reason).

And how did the front-of-house folks treat you?

Maybe because St. Vito took years to find a brick-and-mortar location, the staff vibe is a bunch of people who seem very happy to be in their own kitchen (even if they aren’t the same folks who worked the pop-ups). An automated 20 percent is added to dining-in tabs; 15 percent to take-out.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?

St. Vito is a good pre-honky-tonk, pre-Ryman dinner option. Lunch hours make it an easy workday lunch. Better-than-average casual food and vibe makes it a solid first date spot, too.