Capishe Real Italian Kitchen Upgrades Charlotte's Fast Casual Game
Background:
Capishe opened off of Morehead near Uptown Charlotte in late 2018, and, to be frank, we didn’t think twice about it until we were recently invited in. We had fair to middling hopes, as we can be food snobs (shock of all shocks), especially when it comes to fast casual. However, we ended up looking pretty stupid to ourselves (name that quote) when it turned out that Capishe is beyond legit.
Nearly everything is made from scratch, including the pizza dough and pasta noodles, and we were blown away by everything we tried. Kindred alum Chef David Cavalier is at the helm, and it’s safe to say he knows his stuff.
Eat This:
Caprese
Vine ripe tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar reduction
Angelina Pizza
Buffalo Mozzarella, caramelized cipollini onion, roasted mushrooms, truffle oil
San Lorenzo Pasta
Rigatoni #80, Capishe red sauce, dolce piquante pepper (Peppadew), Buffalo Mozzarella, Italian sausage, caramelized cipollini onion, fresh garlic.
Claim to fame: now Yvonne’s #1 pasta in Charlotte.
LINGUINE CARBONARA
Linguine #21, pancetta, white wine, parmigiano-reggiano, fresh-chopped parsley
CHICKEN PARMIGIANA
Puccia bread, chicken, ricotta, basil - parmigiano reggiano, Nona sauce on the side
Dessert:
Capishe serves delicious housemade canoli in addition to several flavors of gelato.
Cannoli
I loved how this cannoli was business in the front (traditional chocolate chips) and party in the back (white chocolate chips). So, so good.
Gelato
Wayne went with a classic chocolate and vanilla combo.
Drink:
Capishe serves beer, wine, and soft drinks. Wayne enjoyed his first Peroni, and he thought the woman who offered it was saying “Corona” in a strange accent. Now that’s strange, Wayne.
Atmosphere:
We loved the high ceilings and huge glass windows. Even better – the entrance is essentially a giant window that they keep open during good weather. It was open when we were there, and we caught a lovely breeze and got to enjoy some prime people watching as folks were walking home from a college football game.
Wayne loved it
Dowd Y-Adjacent Hospitality:
We can’t speak much to the service since this was a media visit, however from what we observed everyone seemed to get their food quickly after ordering at the counter, and all of the employees seemed happy to be there.
Frankie’s Notes:
We love taking Wayne places because he’s a tough critic who doesn’t mince words, and the news is in: he loved Capishe; This is a great place to go to meet bros in boat shoes, if you’re in the market for one; All of Charlotte’s other pastas are just imitating; Jason ate the traditional half of the cannoli while I enjoyed the white chocolate party in da back; Every time we eat Italian Jason brags about his time studying abroad in Florence; ALLORA.