Inside Biltmore Park's new restaurant, opening with Italian dishes, drink deals
ASHEVILLE - Renovations are wrapped, and tables are set in time for a new South Asheville restaurant to welcome its first guests.
Leo’s Italian Social, an Italian restaurant and bar, is expected to open as early Nov. 17 at Biltmore Park Town Square, 264 Thetford St.
“We want to try to be part of the community, but we also want to have a place where people can come and be a little more upscale,” said Greg Roach, regional director of operations. “It can be date night; it can be family and then it can be just having some drinks after work. We’re trying to create an environment where there’s a good amount of energy and kind of liven it up with some polished service and great food.”
Leo’s Italian Social has two established locations in Ohio that are owned and operated by Cleveland-based Monven Group, whose properties include Burntwood Tavern, M Italian, M Bevy and Sushi Junki.
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Leo’s Italian Social made its North Carolina debut earlier this year at Piedmont Town Center in Charlotte. The Asheville site will be the second in the state, and a third is planned to open at Park West Village in Morrisville this year.
“We’re really excited. There’s been a ton of buzz,” he said. “There’s a lot of people almost daily walking in checking to see when we’re opening. We’re happy to be open and be a service to the people in Asheville.”
Leo’s Italian Social offers a menu of northern Italian-influenced flavors translated through fresh, made-from-scratch pasta, pizzas, baked bread and desserts. Combo options are exclusive to lunch crowds and include salads, pizzas, sandwiches and pasta.
“We recently added a chicken scallopini and a veal marsala which are amazing dishes that are selling great at our other Leo’s locations, and I’m pretty excited about them coming to Asheville,” he said.
Chicken scallopini is made with roasted portabella, feta, provolone, lemon caper butter sauce in herb linguini.
Veal marsala is served with crimini mushrooms and herb linguini.
Pizza options include Margherita, pepperoni, mushroom and sausage mushroom. Farmhouse is topped with spinach, prosciutto, pinot noir onions, artichoke hearts and an egg. And Quattro Formaggi is layered with mozzarella, fontina, smoked provolone, ricotta and oregano
The full-service bar menu features a wide-ranging selection with signature cocktails in the mix.
“We have several signature cocktails. Our Aperol spritz is pretty popular right now, our classic Old Fashioned and the Negroni, which is a traditional Italian drink, definitely are great drinks,” he said. “Then, we’re doing the martini day on Thursdays where they’re $8 martinis.”
Leo’s Italian Social’s hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Reservations are recommended and available online, but not required to dine or drink. Delivery is available through DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub.
Guests may catch a discount on food and beverages and a live entertainment act on any given day.
Social Hours, featuring $3 off discounts on appetizers and pizzas, will be hosted from 3-6 p.m. seven days a week.
On Mondays, kids eat free and family-style pans will be available for purchase to-go ― pans may be ordered for off-site special events and business occasions, too.
On Wednesdays, wine bottles will be offered at half price.
On Thursdays, $8 martinis will pour, and live music will play.
On Saturday and Sunday, a brunch menu will be offered until 3 p.m.
After months of construction, the 5,000-square-foot commercial space has been designed with an open concept to promote an easy flow through the dining room and allow guests to get a prime view into the kitchen.
The large bank of windows invites natural light to flow through, and lighter colors used for the décor further support the airy feel in the dining room.
Leo’s Italian Social’s dining room features a full-service bar and offers indoor seating for up to 200 guests, and the open-air patio has the capacity to seat nearly 70 additional guests
A semi-private dining room may be booked for large events, too.
The more the merrier at the restaurant whose ethos centers around creating social experiences for any occasion.
“The story of this restaurant is tied to the story of its community — refreshed, revitalized and bursting with energy,” founder Bret Adams said in a news release. “From the view of pizzas cooking in the open kitchen to the large bar that opens into the patio, guests will experience food and community in a new way when they share in all that Leo’s offers.”
Where: 264 Thetford St., Biltmore Park Town Square
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday
View Menu
Info: View the menu and make a reservation at leositaliansocial.com. Follow on Instagram at @leositaliansocial and at facebook.com/leositaliansocial.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Twitter/Instagram @PrincessOfPage.