Free Reign Restaurants (Community Table, Honeysuckle Rose, and Southbound) will open its Italian restaurant, Allora, on Wednesday, October 1. The group has reimagined the building at 114 Spring Street as a multi-level establishment with a rooftop hangout, a dining room, a separate bar, and a streetside gelato/espresso/spritz window.
“When we started the project, there definitely weren’t as many Italian restaurants in Charleston,” says co-owner and chef Ryan Jones, “That was one of the needs initially. And really, the space spoke to us, and it really had a southern Italian coast feeling.”
So, what will make Allora different than the other newcomers like Volpe, Pelato, and Legami? The pasta section of Allora offers more than most, with 12 selections, from clam linguine to cavatelli con polpo (octopus) to mafaldine with pork ragu. Customers can build their own cheese-and-meat boards, choose from a variety of tinned fishes, or pick from traditional crudi and antipasti. Allora also offers a “Girls Weekend” special for $600 that involves a magnum of rosé, dinner for six to eight customers, and commemorative t-shirts (there are a ton of bachelorette parties going on in the Cannonborough/Elliotborough neighborhood where the restaurant is located).
As with the other Free Reign Restaurants, the interiors are whimsical and stylish with intricate details. Co-owner Kelleanne Jones said she was inspired by photos of southern Italy while designing the space. “When you are walking the streets of Positano, it’s all greens and pinks,” she says. This color palette is featured throughout the space. The team fabricated stucco walls to create a more Old World feeling. There’s also light wood furnishings, feminine fabrics, and a lemon tree in the dining room. On the roof, Campari-branded umbrellas create shade and a projection screen will show old black-and-white Italian films.
Once open, Allora will serve lunch and dinner daily — one of the few chances for Italian fare during the day. Take a look around the space and the menu here, before the opening on October 1.
Dining and Cooking