A First Look at Spaghett | Listen

By: Amber Chase

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Spaghett opens its antique wooden doors to the public this week, breathing new life into the Young-Morrison historic home in uptown Charlotte’s Fourth Ward. That’s “Spaghett,” referencing the viral-sensation cocktail—not a misspelling of the commonly-known pasta. With hand-crafted dishes by executive chef Kendall Moore and spirit-driven cocktails by bar director Amanda Britton, the new restaurant is poised as a neighborhood eatery dedicated to fresh takes on Italian tradition and the shifting seasons of the North Carolina Piedmont.

Spaghett is the third concept from the minds behind Irreverently Refined Hospitality with other Charlotte-based concepts, Maneki and counter-. Similar in ethos, Spaghett aims to unapologetically redefine food standards, restaurant practices, and culinary culture, while prioritizing community involvement and sustainability. The name “spaghett” references the first time Irreverently Refined Hospitality’s founder, Sam Hart, was served the cocktail of the same name by none other than Amanda Britton. The cocktail is Miller High Life, Aperol, and lemon for a dive-bar-esque, late-summer spritz that hits every time. The name not only references Britton’s connection to Hart, but hints at the concept’s commitment to keeping Italian cuisine playful and approachable. “Italian food [in the US] can be such a monolith, and we’re aiming to broaden that vision and tailor it to North Carolina,” says chef Moore.

Executive Chef Kendall Moore of Spaghett

The heart of Spaghett is their keen focus on microseasonality. “Being in a small, old home, our storage space is extremely limited and this pushes us to focus on using what’s on-hand,” says Moore. Mimicking the regionality that drives Italian culture, the menu will focus on what’s available on a weekly (or sooner) basis. Moore plans to partner with regional farmers for whole-crop buying then seek out ways to serve what’s fresh and preserve whatever remains. “If we have tomatoes in, they’re going to show up all over the menu, but we also need to be tactically preserving those tomatoes so we have them in January,” he says. Moore’s studies of philosophy and religion have shaped much of his views on foodways, sustainability, and culture. “I have deep-seated beliefs about food,” says the chef. “We need to reconnect with ingredients to honor them and their intrinsic properties.”

Spaghett has adopted the playful nickname of “gingerbread house,” referencing the nook-like rooms with unique characteristics. Walking up to the large front porch feels akin to visiting a relative’s home for an evening meal: a familiar air, cozy lighting, the sound of utensils on pans from the kitchen, and neighborly hospitality. “We’re decidedly a neighborhood restaurant with a capital “N,” says Britton. “We’re not looking for a sterile, sleek aesthetic, but trying to rekindle a storied space with new life.” The second floor will host a speakeasy style bar where Britton will serve drinks as an involved host. “If I’m figuring out a drink for someone, I don’t want to know what they like, I want to understand why,” says Britton. The cocktails will harness Italian inspiration but lean heavily on local and regional spirits like Sutler’s Spirit gin from Winston-Salem, Eda Rhyne amaro from Asheville, and Emulsion gin from Greensboro. The backbar will hold a wide range of bottles, some close-to-home and others with global influences. Just like personal pictures hung against hallways at home, the bottles represent stories of travel, adventure, and homecoming.

Moore’s culinary direction will reference his own childhood and travels throughout North Carolina. Just like Italy has a landscape woven together of waterways, mountains, and valleys, the geography of North Carolina lends itself to bountiful ingredients. Carolinian staples like sweet potatoes, collards, and peanuts will be integrated into the menu for nods to regional Southern classics. “I want to serve a crudo reminiscent of the roadside-stand boiled peanuts I had as a child, and find other ways to plate unexpected flavors in classic Italian styles,” says Moore. The real menu staple, however, will be the handcrafted pastas. “I’ve spent a long time learning the hundreds of pasta shapes in Italian cuisine and will be a lifelong learner of the global practice. Pasta is a perfect match of science, environment, and practice—and I’ve done it wrong enough times to improve,” says Moore. All in-house pastas will be shaped by hand, adding a little imperfection and improvisation to each dish.

Much like the other Irreverently Refined Hospitality concepts, Spaghett will also pour resources and time back into the Charlotte community. Their staff volunteers with The Bulb to provide access to fresh and healthy foods throughout food deserts in Mecklenburg county. Donations are also made to neighboring shelters in Charlotte’s Fourth Ward. “If sustainable growth and intentionality really matters to us, we will invest in more than just ingredients and invest in the people of Charlotte,” says Moore.

As Spaghett opens, there’s an eagerness amongst the team and broader community for a culinary and community haven that feels like a handcrafted homecoming. “I love the Korean concept of ‘son-mat’ meaning ‘hand-taste,’ that delicate infusion of one person’s energy and physical touch into something created for someone else. ‘Handmade’ as a word just doesn’t encompass what we really mean,” says Moore. And this indelible infusion of personal touch is placed on every aspect of Spaghett from its storied floorboards to its pasta dough coaxed into perfectly imperfect shapes.