Update 6/5/15
It has been almost a month since I announced the news about Novo Cucina opening. I’ve been back an embarrassing number of times because the food is good and I just love sitting on their outdoor patio dining with friends and family! I wanted to quickly point out that a few things have changed since the original opening. They are open for dinner and lunch Wednesdays through Sundays but closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Also, they listened to feedback from the community and switched up their service methods a little bit. They are now seating people and then taking orders rather than asking you to find a person with an iPad to take your order. -Audra
Se below for my original review from 5/9/15
YAY….Novo Cucina is finally open! The restaurant is beautiful and the food is delicious! For the rest of this week and part of next, Novo Cucina will be open daily for LUNCH ONLY from 11:30-3 and with a LIMITED MENU. Sometime next week (likely Wednesday) they’ll begin opening for dinner.
I was so excited to get an invitation to attend yesterday’s “soft” opening at Novo Cucina! I called my friend Sally and we met for lunch. We “oohed and ahhhed” over the funky floors and fabulous high ceilings then decided quickly that we were destined to dine on the GORGEOUS porch. All the porch doors were open and the weather was warm and breezy. Wowza…such a phenomenal setting.
We met several of the staff and they explained the “process” for placing our order. Get ready friends…it’s a little confusing but the goal is sort of a modified “fast casual” dining experience. Basically when you check in at the hostess stand they give you a Novo Cucina “credit card” and a menu. When you are ready to order, you find a server with an iPad and they’ll swipe your Novo Cucina card and place your order then take you to a table. Before or after ordering you can take your Novo Cucina card and get a drink from the bar or self serve wine from the wine dispensers. After ordering we sat on the splendid porch admiring the setting and then voila! our lunch arrived. We shared Arancini for an appetizer (Sicilian risotto and sausage croquettes). Sally described it as sort of a meatball made of rice. They were yummy. I ordered a Mista Salad (assorted greens, onions, tomato, cucumber, radish, aceto balsamico, & olive oil). It was fresh and flavorful. Sally loves goat cheese so she ordered the Robiola Fritta salad (almond crusted goat cheese, arugula, peppers, garlic, black olives, aceto balsamico, & olive oil). We met the talented Chef, Ricardo Ullio, and he explained that all of his cheeses are from a local vendor. We could certainly tell that they were fresh and savory…especially the smoked mozzarella on our Sorrentina pizza!
Sally and I agreed that we’ll be back often. I couldn’t wait to show my pictures to my family. Burger boy wanted to eat the slice of pizza out of my iPhone! Keep in mind Novo Cucina is only open for lunch until sometime next week and they are still training the staff and working out the kinks… but welcome your patronage now! Go check it out and join me in welcoming them to Dunwoody!
Novo Cucina
5592 Chamblee Dunwoody Road (Publix Shopping Center)
Dunwoody, GA 30338
