Michael Hanna
If there's one thing East Siders and West Siders agree on, it’s Michael Hanna and his St. Vito Focacceria. Hanna served his sfincione pizza and Sicilian street food in a pop-up at Vandyke Bed and Beverage in East Nashville and then out of Hathorne on Charlotte Avenue, both with loyal followings. Now Hanna has an announcement that will lead everyone to meet in the middle. After five years of working on his recipes and contemplating a brick-and-mortar spot, early this year St. Vito Focacceria will open its doors in the Gulch.
“The pop-up really came full circle for us once we found this building in the Gulch," Hanna says. "We wanted a smaller space for a number of reasons, but mainly to relive that intimacy with our loyal customers from the very beginning picking up pizzas in my driveway. We’ve had residencies in both East and West Nashville and are looking forward to being centrally located for everyone we’ve connected with over the years.”
The cozy new spot at 605 Mansion St. reminded Hanna of the spaces where St. Vito was successful as a nomad. And the small space has other connective threads for the concept. Hanna uses simple ingredients and his sourdough base while tapping into his Sicilian heritage to make food inspired by what the nuns of the monastery of San Vito served on the streets of Sicily more than 700 years ago. Just like those nuns served their goods on the run, Hanna began St. Vito as a traveling pop-up, letting people know where he was via social media.
The new space will show off the team’s love of Sicilian cuisine, culture and community. Hanna plans a menu of rotating dishes using, of course, his sfincione dough, which is 100 percent hydrated, naturally leavened and fermented through a long cold bulk method. The Classic Vito features fontina cheese incorporated into the dough before it’s baked and then topped with tomato, pecorino, seasoned bread crumbs and oregano. Other dishes include carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes), wine syrup-cured beets and pecorino and pistachio salad (a staple from the pop-ups), plus hand-rolled pasta specials and larger-format proteins. Beverages will include wine, beer and cocktails, such as a Garibaldi with fresh squeezed orange juice and Campari soda.
The space, which was once home to Colt’s Chocolates, is being overhauled with a walnut bar that frames the open kitchen, hunter green sconces, custom brass lion wallpaper and large antique mirrors. The space was designed by architecture firm Powell. Plans are to open in spring.
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