The former Futo Buta space in Charlotte’s South End won’t sit empty for much longer. A new restaurant bringing fresh, handmade pasta and Italian cocktails is opening this spring.
When it’s ready, Lady Funari will envelop a cozy, 1,600-square-foot space with dining for 40 people inside and 40 more outside that’s inspired by B-Side Group culinary director Vince Giancarlo’s Italian grandmother, Claire Theresa Funari. She was known for “long Sundays at the stove, feeding a full house and commanding the room with quiet authority.”
“Lady Funari was my father’s mother, my Mommom,” Giancarlo said in a news release. “She was the matriarch of a very strong Italian family, a true madrina. She’s the reason I fell in love with food, cooking and pasta.”
B-Side Group culinary director Vince Giancarlo. Heidi Finley CharlotteFive What to expect at Lady Funari
B-Side Group — which also owns Vinyl and The Story of Mi Cariño — plans for Lady Funari to offer an intimate experience, complete with fresh pasta, Italian beverages and daytime coffee service.
Inside, wood and marble will decorate the space, while the patio outside will offer a European cafe feel with Rail Trail views. Light, shareable plates will include locally sourced vegetables and other seasonal ingredients, along with traditional techniques.
A rendering of Lady Funari’s dining area. Southwick Architecture + Interiors, courtesy of NiceDay
“I’ve opened more than 10 restaurants throughout my career, but I always come back to pasta,” he said. “It’s my happy place. And it always brings me back to Mommom.”
Giancarlo described the restaurant’s pasta bar feature as a space to watch chefs in their element, rather than a space for the guests to feed themselves. “It’s about watching chefs cook and plate in real time. It’s an up-close look at the craft,” he said.
A rendering of banquette seating at Lady Funari. Southwick Architecture + Interiors, courtesy of NiceDay Lady Funari’s food, drinks
Among the menu items grew straight from Funari’s kitchen are the Spaghetti & Blue Crab, a two-course experience inspired by a longstanding family tradition.
“She started gravy at 6 in the morning for a 5 o’clock dinner,” Giancarlo said. “Often driving to Jersey and back herself to pick up fresh blue crabs, then spending the rest of the afternoon simmering them in the sauce.
“We’d start with a plate of blue crabs coated in that gravy, then finish with spaghetti smothered in it, flecks of crab throughout. It was messy, it was perfect and it’s a memory we’re bringing to life here.”
A rendering of Lady Funari’s bar. Southwick Architecture + Interiors, courtesy of NiceDay
B-Side Group beverage director Henry Schmulling’s plan for drinks includes a lineup centered on Italian vermouth, along with liqueurs like amaro, wine, spirits and espresso.
“We want to stay as true as possible to Italian tradition in honor of Claire,” Schmulling said in the release. “We also have a few things up our sleeve that Grandma Claire may not have thought of, but would absolutely approve of.”
A rendering of Lady Funar’s entry. Southwick Architecture + Interiors, courtesy of NiceDay
Location: 222 E Bland St., Charlotte, NC 28203
Cuisine: Italian, pasta
Instagram: @ladyfunari
Heidi Finley
The Charlotte Observer
Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits.
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Dining and Cooking