Cipollini brings upscale Italian dining experience to the heart of the Highlands
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
An acclaimed Louisville chef has opened a new Italian restaurant in the Highlands.
Cipollini sits in the former LouVino location over on Bardstown Road.
When you walk through the doors at Cipollini, you’ll see an area set up almost like a scene out of an Italian movie.
“What we do is a little different than everyone else, because it’s a little more focused on the experience as opposed to just the food,” said chef Dallas McGarity.
It’s that experience that has this new restaurant booked with customers since it opened five months ago.
Tarek Hamada and McGarity are the co-owners. Both men bring a wealth of experience to the table.
“I’ve been in the fine Italian restaurant scene since I’ve been in the U.S., since 1999. I’ve worked in New York City in several fine-dining Italian restaurants,” Hamada said.
And McGarity, a James Beard Award finalist, also owns The Fat Lamb up the street. He says this space specifically in the Highlands was perfect for what they envisioned.
“There’s not a whole lot of Italian food in the Highlands. I think it’s an underserved kind of area for the style of food and cuisine we do, and when people come in, it’s a little bit of a surprise. They don’t expect what we did in the space to be what we did in the space,” McGarity said.
Whether it’s the chicken parmesan, the scallops, tiramisu or lobster pasta, you don’t have to go far to get Italian cuisine with a Kentucky twist.
“We don’t have the same menu as everyone else. We’ve played around a little bit. I don’t want to be like whoever down the street; I want to make something different, because that’s how you grow in the restaurant scene,” McGarity said.
Cipollini is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
