When in Chapel Hill, Scoot Over to Vespa

Another night during our trip to North Carolina, Win and I tried Vespa. Win’s parents have been to Vespa several times and they really enjoy it, so we were eager to try it too.

Vespa’s dining room is attractively painted in warm tones with interesting art and decorations on the walls. The dining room is comfortable and if you sit up front by the windows facing Franklin Street like we did you can do some good people watching.



We really loved the food at Vespa. To start, I ordered Crostini di Polenta, which was cornmeal topped with warm gorgonzola cheese. Now, I enjoy polenta. It’s not something on my “must have” list when I go to an Italian restaurant, but I do like it. This polenta made me a believer though. It was hands down the best I have ever tasted, thanks to the warm, rich gorgonzola covering it. This appetizer was a perfect way to start the night.



Win opted to start with Scottata, which is warm homemade mozzarella wrapped around prosciutto with roasted peppers. Win loved his and the flavor combination was really excellent.



For my entrée, I chose one of Vespa’s daily specials. It was Ravioli with Spinach and Ricotta in a Light Pink Sauce. The ravioli’s stuffing had just the right balance of ricotta and spinach and the sauce was creamy and flavorful without being too heavy.



Orecchiette Porcelle, or orecchiette with sweet sausage in a spicy tomato sauce, was Win’s entrée. He loved it and although he’s usually too full to finish a large plate of pasta in one sitting, he easily downed this delicious dish.

Our waiter was very friendly, he knew just when to refill our glasses of Chianti, and he kept our meal moving at a pleasant pace.

Vespa was really, really good and reasonably priced. It’s located on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, which makes for a nice walk before or after dinner. There are several cute shops to peruse nearby as well as the beautiful UNC campus. Win and I agreed that we’ll definitely go back to Vespa on future trips to see his family.

Next time At Our Table: Amazing, amazing sandwich. Seriously, you must try this one.

Vespa Cibobuono
306D West Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC
USA
Telephone: 919-969-6600