April McCall describes Serafina Ristorante, the new eatery on Salem Street in downtown Apex, as “upscale casual Italian.”
But there’s nothing casual about the restaurant’s approach to crafting a top-notch dining experience.
“Our goal is to bring anybody and everybody in to enjoy the experience of sitting down with each other and eating. … We wanted to be more about the connection that people are making when they’re eating with us,” April says. Together with her husband, April owns Tramonto Food Group, which includes Cary’s Chef’s Palette, MacGregor Draft House, and their newest venture, Serafina, open since the end of July.
Executive Chef Matt Greiner
“I think it has everything that you want to have in a restaurant. It’s got beautiful decor. It’s got really warm service staff, and my fantastic kitchen staff,” says Executive Chef Matt Greiner. “One thing that we feel so lucky to have found in all of our staff is that they care.
“Everyone in the building — as soon as they walk through the door — all attention is on the detail of the food and everything going out to the guests. Same thing with service: Everything is focused on our guests.”
Matt is the mastermind behind Serafina’s curated menu, based in the cuisine of northern and central regions of Italy.
“My inspiration is really just thinking about the Italian mindset, how they treat food and apply that to local North Carolina ingredients. We keep it really simple and showcase the great produce that we can get in our local area, but doing it in that mindset of how they would do it in Italy — just simple, delicious, and truthful,” he says.
“We wanted to be able to bring dishes that are traditional in nature that you find in Italy, but maybe wouldn’t be able to be accessed in this area,” adds April.
The bright and fresh goat cheese gnocchi really illustrates the chef’s vision, starting with grilled peaches and asparagus (hello, NC produce) paired with handmade gnocchi and Italian prosciutto atop a creamy goat cheese sauce.
“Not every gnocchi is perfectly uniform, because it’s made by hand,” says Matt. “The ridges help soak up the sauce, which absorbs all that flavor. Same thing with that little dimple, the iconic gnocchi shape, that soaks up the sauce and you get a nice beautiful bite.”
“We are trying to fabricate everything here in house,” Matt continues, including handmade burrata, fresh focaccia, and, of course, the pastas.
“I think that’s really important and transpires into the flavor, into the guest experience, when they know that.”
Beloved Italian classic rigatoni Bolognese has surfaced as an early customer favorite. Matt’s version is inspired by his own grandmother’s Sunday supper.
“We have people come back over and over for the rigatoni Bolognese,” says April. The hearty pork and beef ragu with Pecorino cheese served atop al dente rigatoni is comforting and crave-worthy.
More adventurous selections include roasted branzino served with brown butter piccata sauce and the short rib agrodolce.
Handmade gnocchi have a signature shape and texture thanks to practiced hands and a rigagnocchi, the wooden board used to add ridges.
“In Italian, agrodolce means sweet and sour. So you have this combination of these sweet and sour flavors that bring balance. The jus from the braising liquid gets reduced down and concentrated into a glaze on the short rib, then you get the nuttiness of the Parmesan cheese. You get all these combinations of sweet and sour.”
“I love our filet mignon,” continues Matt. It’s easy to see why, with a base of crispy smashed potatoes and balsamic onions, tied together with a knockout red wine reduction. (I ordered this one, and yes, it’s as phenomenal as it sounds.)
Serafina is also open for lunch as well as Sunday brunch.
“For lunch, it’s a little lighter fare. We recognize people want to be able to get in, grab a bite, and go. It’s more sandwiches, side salads, or smaller portions of pasta,” says general manager Dillion Williams.
With a restaurant and hospitality résumé that includes stints in Seattle, Chicago, and south Florida, Dillion brings metropolitan flair and a sharp eye for detail to Serafina.
“I felt what was missing (in the local dining scene) was that elevation without pretentiousness,” he says, “where you’re able to get a great meal, you’re going to get great service, but you never feel as if you’re being judged. We really want to ensure that people can come in blue jeans and a baseball hat and grab a quick bite to eat before soccer practice, or they can come in a Tom Ford suit, get a $500 bottle of champagne, and celebrate selling a business.”
Taking inspiration from northern and central Italy, Chef Matt Greiner crafted the menu to feature NC produce. The goat cheese gnocchi with peaches and asparagus is one delicious example.
“It’s a down-home feel with elevated service and food standards.”
Everything from the temperature of the glassware and the shape of the steak knives to the tableside presentation of the plates has been implemented with intention.
“It’s all those things that you don’t really notice, but they add up in the background,” Dillion says. “So when you leave, you don’t know why you had such a great experience, you just know that you did.”
Dillion also directs the beverage program, where Italian wines and liqueurs take center stage.
“We tried to lean super heavily into the classic (cocktails) with an Italian riff. We’ve got all of those small-batched, niche liqueurs and Italian aperitifs,” he says.
“Our by-the-bottle wine list is super eclectic. I have some really cool, funky bottles on there, as well as some of your typical California cabs and your old-world burgundies. What’s really awesome is it’s ever rotating.”
Downtown Apex’s historic charm and bustling foot traffic created the perfect setting for Serafina’s “comfortable chic” atmosphere.
“We tried to make (the space) our own, while keeping a great respect for the charm and the history here,” says April, referencing the exposed brick walls, refinished wood floors, and moody interior that feels luxe and welcoming.
“I want people to be able to come in here that are celebrating something great, but also coming in off the street and saying, I just want a good sandwich.”
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