Fresco by Scotto Moves South

The Gulch’s newest place to Luo-Go

After nearly three decades at the helm of Fresco by Scotto, the acclaimed midtown Manhattan eatery, Anthony Scotto is bringing his “coastal Italian” cuisine to Nashville with the newly opened Luogo in The Gulch.

The space, previously occupied by Pemrose and by Fin & Pearl, has been reimagined by Manuel Zeitlin Architects in collaboration with the Scotto family. Anthony’s wife, Theresa, says their daughter Gabriella, a 23-year-old songwriter and recent Belmont University graduate, was particularly involved with the design. “We didn’t know where she got this talent from,” says Theresa, “but it came out, and she was instrumental in all of the lighting fixtures, fabrics and more.”

The airy eatery — with its white walls, vines, archways and mural of a lemon grove by artist Maggie Sanger — along with its Mediterranean-influenced menu, is a nod to its inspiration: the Amalfi Coast. There is seating for 240 guests, including the patio, and the 6,800-square-foot restaurant also has a private dining room that accommodates anywhere from 14 to 80 guests. Luogo, meaning “place” in Italian, has signature offerings from Fresco by Scotto including salmon tartare; potato and zucchini chips with gorgonzola cheese; and grilled margherita pizza, as well as some items designed to appeal to Nashvillians.

“I would tell you, it’s 80% from New York,” says Anthony. “I did some items here that I thought were more likable in Nashville. People wanted to add cream sauce to certain things, and I did that; we played around with certain dishes.”

The restaurateur has had a storied career, starting as a dishwasher and soufflé-maker at the famed New York City restaurant Le Périgord. After seven years at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, with the later years spent in management, Anthony bought Joe DiMaggio’s restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. He renamed it Bobby Rubino’s, specializing in ribs and chicken — making it the only non-seafood restaurant on the wharf. Two years later, he opened Bar One nightclub and restaurant in Los Angeles, later returning to New York and Fresco by Scotto. A frequent guest on the TODAY show and Live with Kelly and Ryan, Anthony has also penned three cookbooks.

After visiting Nashville multiple times while their daughter attended Belmont, he and Theresa fell in love with Music City and thought it was the perfect place to open an Italian restaurant. Their son, also named Anthony, 26, works for BlackRock and relocated to Middle Tennessee as well.

BY WHITNEY CLAY PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC ENGLAND

Lots Of Options

For those of us who follow a gluten-free diet, Italian isn’t always an obvious choice. But at Luogo, there are numerous gluten-free and vegetarian options. Both Theresa and Gabriella have celiac disease, so Anthony has separate fryers in the kitchen to reduce the chances of cross-contamination. Any of the pastas can be made deliciously gluten-free, and for dessert, there’s to-die-for gluten-free bomboloni: sugar-coated Italian donuts with chocolate and vanilla cream dipping sauces.

At Your Service

The restaurateur prides himself on giving customers not only a great meal, but great service. “Anthony has a famous line,” says Theresa. “He says, ‘At the end of the day, I’m serving a dish of pasta, and that experience has to start at the valet, continue with the hostess, through to when you stand up to leave. If it’s not a good experience from beginning to end, it’s a dish of pasta. You can go anywhere for a dish of pasta.’”

Family First

The restaurant is a family affair. Theresa, who sold insurance for 30 years, now takes care of the business end of things. When her brother — a retired NYC detective — visits, he can frequently be found prepping pasta in Luogo’s kitchen, doing repair work or even filling in as a server. Theresa’s mother moved to Nashville as well: The milder weather, slower pace and both Scotto children living here made Nashville the ideal place to open Luogo — and to call home.