CHARLESTON — “What are we eating tonight?” a dining companion asks as I snap a photo of the menu at Volpe for safekeeping.
We read simple descriptions listed in black script beneath the restaurant’s spartan blue and yellow logo.
Burrata di Puglia with wild Sicilian oregano. Caesar salad. Paccheri bolognese and flounder served Sicilian-style.
I try to picture these words on the plate, for I’ve been just as curious about the type of Italian cuisine diners should expect from the nightly-changing roster at Ken Vedrinski’s new Italian spot on Rutledge Avenue.
Restaurants in 2025 aren’t typically good at keeping secrets, but Volpe has largely remained under the radar. Discovering dish details before booking a reservation is only possible by talking to other guests, since its website and Instagram page do little to dispel the mystery.
You won’t be able to pick what you’ll order ahead of time, or request major modifications to what’s being prepared in the kitchen.
But if you’re open to rolling the dice, Volpe excels in its fresh forays into Italian cuisine, from chicken Parmesan to clam pasta, burrata and fish imbued with bright flavors.
Family-style format
Volpe’s lack of marketing and location far from Charleston’s tourist-centric centers seems to invite a mostly local crowd — at least right now. Those familiar with Vedrinski and his previous projects have flocked to this former corner store to see what he’s up to with his latest venture.
As the clock neared 6 p.m. on a recent Tuesday, a large group ambled inside with bottles of wine they brought from home. Hugs and hellos to the chef ensued as they settled into a large table beneath a wall of press clippings Vedrinski has amassed over the years at the Woodlands, Siena, Coda Del Pesce and Trattoria Lucca, whose Monday night service was a key inspiration for Volpe.
Burrata is served at Volpe, Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Charleston.
Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Guests once crowded into Trattoria Lucca’s tiny property — now home to Vern’s — on Mondays for a $36 four-course family-style meal. Trattoria Lucca closed in 2020, but the format is back at Volpe.
For $68, diners receive multiple small appetizers, one pasta, a fish and meat course, and dessert. As we cleaned bowls of brown butter polenta cake soaking in blood orange liqueur-marinated strawberries toward the conclusion of a recent meal, it became clear that what sounds like an imposing amount of food is actually just right — and that this might just become one of the preeminent Italian restaurants in a city that’s suddenly filled with them.
The new restaurant’s format isn’t for everyone.
Volpe offers an a la carte option, but the prices of two individual dishes can exceed that of the family meal in its entirety. The chefs accommodate diners with dietary restrictions, a pescatarian friend confirms. But those with allergies and aversions should not expect plates made just for them — they’ll likely be served an extra piece of fish or an additional helping of vegetables, for instance. If you’re in this boat, I suggest calling ahead to let the staff know what you can and cannot eat.
For diners who opt-in to the family-style meal, the beginning bites hit the table not long after the menus are taken.
Yellowfin tuna crudo with artichokes, watermelon and pickled garlic is served at Volpe, Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Charleston.
Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Small bowls and ornate platters are placed on the square table with large spoons for serving. We cut into golden cauliflower, which rests in brown butter, first. The nutty glaze collects inside the florets, bringing a burst of warmth to the chilled vegetables. Stiff-crusted ciabatta, an $8 add-on, is an exceptional vessel for sopping up the extra sauce.
If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to top a slice with some type of creamy condiment, like the burrata di Puglia, another of the rotating antipasti selections. The bulb is livened up by wild Sicilian oregano, the spice steeping the cheese in peppery goodness.
The farro salad is less comforting. Hunks of mortadella fatten the thick grains, scattered with cheese, basil and red peppers. The meat is a lot to handle early in the meal, and the composition has a vinegary bite, more noticeable alongside the other well-balanced plates.
Setting the scene
Picture a group of Italians getting together for a family meal. Now, turn the volume up a notch or two.
That’s how loud it can get at Volpe, which opened in March about a year after Spanish restaurant Laurel vacated the 161 Rutledge Ave. space near the Medical University of South Carolina.
“What’s that?” is a phrase you might get accustomed to in this dining room. Noise ricochets off the cream walls, with blaring diners doing their best to talk over others.
Tables small and large fill the open enclave, the kitchen and pass visible in the back. Volpe’s bar — a popular place to be in the early evening — is tucked behind exposed brick columns, the long enclave providing enough runway for patrons to enjoy a full meal; or raise their voice as the wine, beer and espresso martinis flow.
Sound softeners have been installed on the ceiling, the black foam the only design disrupting a place filled with charm and style. The dampeners help, but the setting is still a far cry from the more reserved Coda Del Pesce.
A farro salad is served at Volpe, Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Charleston.
Gavin McIntyre/Staff
While the atmosphere diverges from the chef’s Isle of Palms seafood stunner, Volpe’s Caesar salad, the last of our quartet of appetizers, takes a page directly out of that restaurant’s book. Its romaine ribbons are brightened by the right amount of anchovy and acid in the dressing, and a dusting of Parmesan and breadcrumbs adds a welcomed crunch.
That isn’t the only dish that feels familiar for those who have tried the beachfront eatery.
The main event(s)Volpe
CUISINE: Italian
REPRESENTATIVE DISH: Paccheri bolognese
ADDRESS: 161 Rutledge Ave., downtown Charleston
PHONE: 843-718-1390
BAR: Full bar
WEB: volpecharleston.com
DINING ROOM HOURS: 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday
PRICE: $$$
COSTS: $68 per person, plus drinks
PARKING: Street parking
When I reviewed Coda Del Pesce in January, one of the most balanced plates I tried was the duck sausage paccheri enveloped in a chunky dark red tomato sugo.
At Volpe, those same tubular noodles are layered in a hearty bolognese, Vedrinski’s red sauce nod to traditional Italian-American cuisine. A rich ragu curls inside the pasta, whose tender chew reminds me of ones I tried in Italy. It’s simple but oh so satisfying, just like I’ve heard Volpe’s chicken Parmesan to be, though I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing it in photographs.
If your dinner is like mine, there will be a break between the pasta and more food. It’s a welcome interlude to a meal that moves fast, for there is almost always something to eat nearby. Conversation and a glass of Pecorino Contesa 2023 ($44, bottle) helps to pass the time, the white wine’s tangy crispness livening up each plate that touches the table.
The cool liquid is an especially fine match for the Sicilian-style flounder, the filet breaded, pan-fried and topped with a sauce sweetened by warmed grapes. It was served side-by-side with pork scallopini, topped in a bright green salsa verde with lots of parsley and vinegar. The meat was expertly fried, with a crispy crust giving way to a tender, juicy center.
I remind myself to not get too attached to the tasty entrée. My next meal at Volpe will bring a completely different ensemble to the table.