A First Look at Indaco Greenville

June 9 marks opening day for the newest iteration of Indaco, bringing renowned Italian dining to downtown Greenville, South Carolina. TLP sat down with executive chef, Josh Begley, to discuss his inspiration for the new space, passion behind the seasonal menu, and how this location will distinguish itself from the other Indaco locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston.

Begley started his culinary career at 15 as a dishwasher. After a brief hiatus studying criminal justice, he found his way back into the kitchen in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Noticing his talent, his mentors encouraged him to attend culinary school, and he later graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. One of his favorite seasons in his culinary journey was working in upstate New York under a classically-trained Napoletana pizza master.

While this may have fueled his passion Italian cuisine, that love began much earlier in his childhood. Begley reminisces on his mother standing in the kitchen making meatballs, the air filled with savory herbs, and his eagerness to climb up and work alongside her. These childhood memories propelled him forward as a chef, and he’s already begun integrating his two young children into the kitchen. Begley spent two and a half years at the flagship Indaco location in Charleston, beginning as sous chef then graduating to executive chef, but he has particularly high hopes for this new chapter in Greenville.

On Wood-Fired Pizza

While there are multiple locations, Indaco is committed to keeping each restaurant individually chef-driven. When asked what excited him most about the new location, Begley shared, “It’s got to be the wood-fired pizza. There’s nothing quite like it in Greenville yet, and once you taste our not-so-traditional napoletana-style pizza, there’s no going back.”

Indaco’s wood-fired pizzas have a bit of a cult following, and for good reason. The pies feature pillowy dough, rustic sauce, and smoky mozzarella all made in-house. The Greenville location will bring on a pastry chef specifically dedicated to crafting these perfectly balanced doughs to fuel the bases of their pizza, focaccia, and other dishes. Begley notes that the Indaco menu may feel whittled down to the basics of pasta and pizza, but those raw ingredients and flavor-forward combinations are what give their food so much integrity.

On Cooking Without Waste:

Besides family ties to the area, Begley is notably excited for the specific opportunities the Greenville location will offer. Equidistant from both Charlotte and Asheville, Greenville offers access to both North and South Carolina farmers and vendors. This allows the menu to change seasonally, if not hyper-seasonally, and fluctuate with the produce and livestock available at that particular moment. He aims to create a fluid menu that mirrors the regional landscape. Indaco regular partnership with Providence Farm in Anderson, South Carolina, will provide the restaurant with produce and meat from right down the road. “We’re committed to paying homage to the farmers, nothing goes to waste so we can respect all the work that it took to bring it to us,” says Begley.

Another implementation of leaning into the seasonal menu is through whole animal butchery. While this practice may seem tedious, for Begley it hinges on the art form of butchery, creative menu application, and paying respect to the livestock itself. “The animal will have died for a reason, and it’s up to us to use every bit of it,” he explains. Integrating every piece of the animal throughout the menu encourages keeping to the freshest cuts and making the most of what they have. For Begley, it’s not about tight margins but about respecting the labor and intentionality it took to raise that livestock.

On the Indaco Greenville Space

“The Greenville space will feel like a mix between the Charlotte and Charleston locations. Tons of rustic exposed wood, the incorporation of modern light fixtures, bright wallpaper, and huge windows line the restaurant,” Begley says.

Wanting to build upon the solid foundation of the Greenville community, Begley hopes to keep Indaco a space that leaves a lasting impression for its food, but, even more, for its intentionality. The spacious dining room will expand outdoors with a large bar, family-friendly green space, wood-burning fireplace, and a communal space for ice skating in the winters. Over the past few years, Greenville has hosted Ice on Main in the outdoor ice rink on Broad Street, and Begley hopes to lean into that sense of open community. He hopes Indaco will become an asset to the ice rink and plans to offer items like cookie bags, hot cocktails, and hot cocoa for skaters.

Indaco Greenville Opening Menu Highlights

Warm Marinated Olives

With castelvetrano, cerignola, coquillo,citrus, thyme, and olive oil

Wood-Fired Sausage Pizza

With san marzano DOP tomato, fontina, banana peppers, arugula, red onion, and provolone

Ravioli

With roasted eggplant, smoked mozzarella, sungold tomato, shallot, basil, lemon, and ricotta salata

Spaghetti

with charred eggplant, tomato, basil pesto, spicy ‘nduja sausage, and burrata

Keep Reading

First Look

A First Look at Bar La Fête in Birmingham

Birmingham welcomes Bar La Fête, a Parisian-inspired wine bar with a 130-bottle wine list and French-driven small plates.

First Look

A First Look at St. Vito Focacceria

TLP offers a first look at Michael Hanna’s St. Vito Focacceria in Nashville: a simple menu with powerful flavors and his signature sfincione.

At the Table

Italy Rising: Hosting an Indaco-Inspired Brunch

Our friends at Indaco in Charleston share brunch recipes and Italian-inspired tips to create an Italian-style brunch that lets the host vivre alla giornata.