Reviewing St. Vito Focacceria: small space, big flavors in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood.
After years of mobile pop-ups around town, it is very exciting that St. Vito’s found a permanent home in a tiny but mighty space, tucked away in a large brick building in the ever-growing Gulch. Chef Michael Hanna came up with the concept during the pandemic, and its popularity quickly spread around town amongst those able to sample the delicious fluffy goodness. They opened their doors this summer, and have been busy ever since due to their limited space and their inspired spin on a classic food. It is tricky to try and visit without booking a reservation, so make sure you plan ahead to get a prime spot. Because of their compact space, it is more difficult to book a large table and they do not accept reservations for parties over 6. With the holiday weekend, I booked a table in advance and I even had a tough time getting a table for four people, so I decided to bump it down to two and accepted a booking at six pm on a Saturday.
Approaching the front door, there was a steady flow of people entering at the same time. This seemed to be a good omen for the meal ahead, and I was happy for being forward-thinking with my planning. The space is welcoming and well-laid out with every part of the small space being utilized. The bar area doubles as the take-out counter with the larger bar, which overlooks the compact kitchen, being open for in-house diners only. While a little tight, the place doesn’t feel cramped but be prepared to be quite close to other diners and to salivate over their orders because the food looks as incredible as it tastes!
Eating Sicilian-style at St. Vito Focacceria
The menu rotates frequently to account for available produce and the freshest ingredients. Our server was very friendly, explaining the menu and recommending order quantities for two people (which limited us due to stomach space). The smaller plates were a selection of greens and classic Italian appetizers like meatballs and porchetta. The Vito chopped salad stood out with capicola, provolone, Calabrian chili, and seasoned breadcrumbs. After receiving our Aperol Spritz cocktails, the chopped salad came out quickly for us to snack on. It was perfectly salty with a tangy vinaigrette and vibrant Italian seasoning, and the crunch of the breadcrumbs put it over the top. I tried to save room for our large meal ahead but couldn’t help finishing off the rest. It would have been a travesty to let it go to waste. The next section of the menu showcased their sfincione options which are Sicilian-style pizzas, served by the slice or the entire tray. These pizzas also use their exceptional focaccia as the crust. We had to try as much as possible, so we ordered four of the five slices available. The top two sfincione offerings will always be on the menu; the classic Vito and the potato. The others change, so make sure to order them if they stand out. On my visit, everything sounded good, so we ordered the pepperoni, spinach & artichoke, spicy tomato, burrata, and potato.
The potato and spinach artichoke pizzas were very good and had an entirely different flavor profile from your classic pizza. They were rich and served with a cream-based sauce, flavorful and interesting on the palate. The tomato-based slices were my favorite, with the spicy tomato and burrata bringing the perfect acidity with the creamy, melting burrata and chili crisp adding a perfect kick. The pepperoni was classic but with a nice chili crisp addition to make it a touch more special. All of the sfincione slices came with house-made bread crumbs that brought great texture to finish off the bite. Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t make a noticeable dent in the slices because they were very filling. Thankfully, they boxed up our leftovers (which reheated nicely) so we could enjoy them the next day. It was enough for two adults to have a second meal so we weren’t upset for ordering more than we could possibly eat at dinner.
St. Vito Focacceria final review
St. Vito Focacceria is a delight, and with their creative menu that changes so often, it will entice continued re-visits to sample favorites and exciting, new offerings.