Celebrate Valentine's Day at Vivace Charlotte

There is no better way to say ‘I Love You,’ than over a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner with your spouse/significant other. As the holiday draws nearer, the search is on for the perfect spot to celebrate the occasion. Apart from a romantic ambiance, one is looking for a restaurant that serves up an exquisite meal along with attentive service.

In Charlotte, savvy diners now have a new address to go to this Valentine’s Day – Vivace. After years of perfecting the art of fine dining with a host of other popular restaurants, The Urban Food Group has opened the second Vivace in Charlotte (the first still remains one of Raleigh’s most popular Italian restaurants). Kevin and Stacy Jennings have created a contemporary dining space in the heart of the midtown area in Charlotte. Designed by The James Beard award-winning restaurant design firm, The Johnson Studio, Vivace has a wide variety of dining options. For Valentine’s Day this year, you could go formal and opt to take your meal in the dining room, or keep it more casual and intimate and choose the mezzanine lounge area instead. One can start their feast with a sampling of traditional Italian wines and liqueurs at one of the two creatively designed bars. Urban Food Group’s Sommelier, Scott Luetgenau, has worked closely with the restaurant to create a prized 500bottle, all Italian wine collection that is proudly displayed in a specially built temperature-controlled wine cellar. As the views of Uptown Charlotte vie for your attention, you can enjoy some of the delicious Tuscan specialties on the menu.

Meaning “lively” in Italian, Vivace lives up to its promise of a stylish Italian trattoria offering authentic Italian cuisine. The menu designed by Executive Chef Jeremy Sabo, and Chef de Cuisine Andrew Schaumann boasts a variety of traditional Tuscan dishes. Choose from seasonal specialties, classic thin crust pizzas, homemade pastas and an extensive house-cured meat and cheese selection. Like all good Italian cooking, the menu at Vivace is a study in balance. Each ingredient is used to complement another and none will overpower the rest. The magic of Italian food is superbly mastered at Vivace. What stand out most is the simplicity of the food and the stellar pairings of tastes and textures. Inspiration and skill work in tandem to create a meal to remember.

The dining experience at Vivace is the celebration of both chefs who are truly passionate about what they do. Just like in a traditional Italian household, every dish is infused with love and diners leave with the feeling something special has transpired over the course of a meal. What better place then to spend Valentine’s Day with your loved one than at Vivace? Just remember this is a popular night for dining out, so reservations are strongly advised; Call ahead and make this Valentine’s Day one to remember.

Tips for Maximizing You’re Dining Experiences in an Italian Restaurant

When Kevin and Stacey Jennings founded The Urban Food Group in 1998, their aim was to create specialty urban restaurants offering excellent quality food and superior value. With Frazier’s, Porter’s City Tavern, Vivace, and Coquette, the Urban Food Group already stellar list of stylish dining options in Raleigh, which they have now expanded to Charlotte with the recently opened Vivace. Apart from the breathtaking modern venue, the newly opened Vivace offers the best of traditional Italian cuisine. Using the freshest ingredients and seasonal produce, Executive Chef Jeremy Sabo and Chef de Cuisine Andrew Schaumann, who has been Sous Chef at Vivace in Raleigh since 2007, have developed the creative Italian menu. On offer is a seasonal trattoria menu with dishes that are sophisticated yet simple. The restaurant offers prefix menus specially created for every occasion. Choose from a wide selection of antipasti, house-cured meats and cheeses, homemade pastas, wood-fired entrees and divine desserts to make your event unforgettable. Vivace understands that Italians take their food very seriously and makes every effort to bring the best of Italian cuisine to savvy diners in Charlotte.

But for many, a traditional Italian meal can be slightly confusing. After all, there are usually numerous courses each with a specific order of appearance and a wide selection of wines and aperitifs to enjoy. Understanding how Italians eat will definitely help you make the most of the feast that lies ahead of you.

A traditional Italian menu normally has five courses lasting a minimum of two hours. At the outset, you can choose from a selection of aperitifs or drinks that will tease your palate for the meal to come. At Vivace, you are spoilt for choice with a 500-bottle selection of Italian wines and other cocktails. Up next is the antipasti or appetizer course. These are bite-sized portions of sliced cured meats, local cheeses and even olives or pickled vegetables. Primi, or the first course, follows with a range of options from pasta, soup or risotto. The second, or main course, normally consists of fish, meat or poultry. You could enjoy these along with a seasonal salad as well. Vivace prides itself on its extensive vegetarian menu with meat-free main courses and a selection of artisanal cheeses and wood- oven pizzas. To end the meal, you will round things off with a selection of dolce. These desserts range from fruit, cheese, and the more indulgent cream-based or chocolate desserts. No meal in Italy is complete without a digestif or after-dinner drink, so make sure you save room. During the meal, most Italians drink wine or mineral water, beer is rarely served, and coffee does not arrive until after the meal. These simple guidelines on what to expect from a traditional Italian restaurant should help you make the most of your dining experience. At the end of the day in Italy, food is a labor of love, and in Vivace, as in Italy, each meal is a celebration… so dig right in.