(From left) Co-owner Dan Weiss, executive chef Kyle Gaddas, and co-owner Sean Keyser discuss potential menu items at upcoming restaurant Figo36. TM Petaccia/UP

When you ask The Menagerie Hospitality Group’s management team about opening a casual Italian restaurant, they wince a little.

Bacon and crawfish arancini at Figo36. Photo courtesy

“We aren’t a casual Italian concept,” says Ben Torres, Menagerie’s Director of Operations. “We’re a project driven by Italian culinary ideals, such as local and regional flavors.”

Executive Chef Kyle Gaddas adds, “Many of our dishes will be Italian in style and technique, but not necessarily traditional Italian dishes.”

Figo36 is currently slated to open this summer. The NoDa restaurant will occupy the space formerly held by the short-lived Orto. “We wanted to be in NoDa for a long time,” Torres says. “When this space became available, we moved quickly to get it.”

The name, Figo36, reflects Menagerie’s thoughts about becoming part of NoDa’s growing bar and restaurant scene. “The word ‘Figo’ is Italian for ‘cool,’ and what’s more cool than NoDa?” says Sean Keyser, Menagerie co-owner and vice president of brand experience. 36 stems from the restaurant’s address on 36th Street. Part of the logo includes a railroad flower, reflecting the space’s proximity to both CATS light rail and the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway freight lines.

Radicchio gnocchi at Figo36. Photo courtesy

Dishes at Figo36 will be influenced by local ingredients and a few locally crafted foods. For example, while most pastas will be made in-house, a few items will be provided by Mano Bella Artisan Foods. They will also be getting items from Amélie’s French Bakery, The Ice Trade, local breweries and coffee roasters, “and as many local farmers as we can showcase,” says Gaddas.

Some of the planned dishes include charred radicchio gnocchi with golden tomato ragu; bacon and crawfish arancini; flash-fried chicken thighs with Gran Podano polenta, and shrimp bruschetta with chili pickles.

On the beverage side, Beverage Director Rob Florio is compiling a regionally diverse, Italian-forward wine list.  “At least 51 percent Italian wines, and the rest Old and New World small production wines with a story,” Florio says. The bar will also feature a wide selection of amaros and a cocktail program that expands on Italian classics. One item will be an in-house limoncello.

“I am Italian, so I’m trying to use fun, fresh ingredients in the craft cocktails that represent Italy, but also stay true to the classic Italian side of things,” Florio says. “I’ll give you a great negroni or Aperol spritz, maybe with the option of a little modern twist. The thing I’m most excited about is collaborating with Chef Kyle and pairing menu items he has created with some of the cocktails.”

Keyser quickly quells concerns about the recent flood of new Italian restaurants in Charlotte. “There is a reason why Italian is popular,” he says. “People love it. We don’t see ourselves as competing with our neighbors or other brands as much as we do creating our own feel and niche. We love the energy of NoDa and we’re excited to finally be part of it.”