Giovanni Novella of Bar Corallini opening his own restaurant

Giovanni Novella, the executive chef and owner of Bar Corallini — which is one of 16 restaurants within the Food Fight Restaurant Group — is stepping away slightly to open an independent venture: Osteria Novella.

“Madison has embraced my food and heritage in ways I could have never imagined,” says Novella. “With Osteria Novella, I want to bring people even closer to the flavors, stories and atmosphere of the Amalfi Coast.”

The restaurant is set to open in November at 2903 University Ave., the former location of the pizzeria Novanta. Novella will continue overseeing operations as a consultant/owner at Bar Corallini to maintain its original vision.

Novella, who launched his own limoncello business in 2023, has been with Food Fight for nearly a decade. Novella moved to Madison in 2016 and became executive chef at Cento. He then led the kitchen at the now-closed Fresco, the rooftop restaurant (also operated by Food Fight) at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Bar Corallini opened in 2019, its concept inspired by Novella’s hometown of Terre del Greco in Naples, Italy.

Osteria Novella will showcase fresh, house-made pasta, sourdough pizza and handcrafted mozzarella. Novella Limoncello will be a centerpiece of both the beverage program and the interior design.

Giovanni Novella hosted a launch party on Oct. 30 at Bar Corallini.

Photo by Andrea Behling

The restaurant will “celebrate coastal Italian hospitality,” creating flavors inspired by the fare you’d find on the Sorento and Amalfi coasts.

Novella is opening Osteria Novella along with business partner Evan Ackers, the former general manager at Bar Corallini.