Opening Fontana Di Vino was a sort of “rebirth” for Scott Leibfried, the chef and culinary consultant perhaps best-known as a sous chef on the first 10 seasons of the reality-TV series “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Fontana Di Vino is a new Italian restaurant in SouthPark offering freshly made pastas and interactive family-style dining experiences. Why it matters: Chef Scott Leibfried brings a fun atmosphere and an engaging menu to Fontana Di Vino, following his time with Gordon Ramsay on "Hell's Kitchen" and his Hawaiian restaurant with Fleetwood Mac's Mick Fleetwood, which was destroyed in the 2023 fires, CBJ reported . Context: Much of Leibfried's extensive background in the restaurant industry influenced his vision for his south Charlotte restaurant. In May, he partnered with Charlotte-based Famous Toastery co-founder Robert Maynard to bring his latest concept to life. In addition to spending 10 seasons as a sous chef on Hell's Kitchen, Leibfried has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in London, and owned restaurants in Santa Barbara and Manhattan. What they're saying: Leibfried tells Axios that while working on his Maui restaurant with Fleetwood, they often hosted unexpected live performances— an experience that taught him the value of creating a space that's bold and full of surprises, something he plans to incorporate at Fontana Di Vino. "We have table-side services, which I've always loved my entire life, but you only see them in environments where, you know, there's white gloves and people are wearing tuxedos. Those are the types of things that I think everybody should have the opportunity to experience," Leibfried said.
It’s been a week since Fontana di Vino opened in the former The Fox & Falcon space in Charlotte, and a second location — in Lake Norman — is already in the works. A Fontana di Vino sign for that second location has gone up in Davidson, spotted by eagle-eyed onlookers on the Lake Norman Eats Facebook group. It’s outside the former Davidson Ice House building, which held Hot Mess for just a few weeks after the popular neighborhood restaurant closed to rebrand. The building is tucked in a high-traffic cluster of locally owned dining establishments: charcuterie spot Table & Board, Mediterranean restaurant Habibi Lebanon and The Crazy Pig, which recently merged with The Egg Cafe to serve breakfast in the morning and barbecue for lunch and dinner. The Hot Mess venture that was most recently in the building was a partnership between former Davidson Ice House chef/owner Jennifer Brulé and Robert Maynard, CEO of Won Life Holdings and co-founder and CEO of Famous Toastery.