New Italian restaurant in Charlotte already has a Lake Norman location coming
Fontana di Vino’s Spaghetti Pomodoro. Fontana di Vino
It’s been a week since Fontana di Vino opened in the former The Fox & Falcon space in Charlotte, and a second location — in Lake Norman — is already in the works.
A Fontana di Vino sign for that second location has gone up in Davidson, spotted by eagle-eyed onlookers on the Lake Norman Eats Facebook group. It’s outside the former Davidson Ice House building, which held Hot Mess for just a few weeks after the popular neighborhood restaurant closed to rebrand.
The building is tucked in a high-traffic cluster of locally owned dining establishments: charcuterie spot Table & Board, Mediterranean restaurant Habibi Lebanon and The Crazy Pig, which recently merged with The Egg Cafe to serve breakfast in the morning and barbecue for lunch and dinner.
The Hot Mess venture that was most recently in the building was a partnership between former Davidson Ice House chef/owner Jennifer Brulé and Robert Maynard, CEO of Won Life Holdings and co-founder and CEO of Famous Toastery.
Fontana di Vino offers a variety of pasta choices, including Spaghetti Pomodoro (left); Spaghetti alla Nerano (right), with roasted zucchini, basil and pecorino Parmesan; and Rigatoni Sugo, with slow-cooked pork in red wine and marinara. Fontana di Vino
The Italian restaurant, a partnership between Maynard and former “Hell’s Kitchen” chef Scott Leibfried, opened in Charlotte for dinner service Friday, May 16. Daily lunch service and Sunday Supper, from noon-8 p.m., will follow June 2.
Lorna Martinez, vice president of marketing for Won Life Brands, confirmed to CharlotteFive that the Davidson location will open in late 2025.
The chef’s point of view
Leibfried told CharlotteFive that the restaurant’s foundations stemmed from his friendship with Maynard and a long trip to Italy.
“We took everything that we really love about hospitality, about service, about experience, and about escape and about journey — you know, all the things that are really important to me as a hospitality professional — and just really decided it’s time we bring (this) to life in order to have some fun here and really just give people a good time,” Leibfried said.
For Leibfried, making sure that good time extends to everyone involved in the restaurant is crucial.
“What I do want to talk about ... is making people feel noticed and making people feel like they’ve had an experience. And on top of that, making the team that’s doing that and performing that service ... feel as equally as important in the process, and make them feel the same thing that the guests are feeling.
“That’s really important, to me, that we keep on that path.”
Fontana di Vino’s food
As for the food, “I would want people to know is we’re not a traditional red sauce environment — that’s just not who we are,” Leibfried said. “We would want people to embrace who we are for what we do, and not look at us for what we don’t do.”
At Fontana di Vino’s Charlotte location, the menu offers a mozzarella bar and a variety of Italian appetizers including meatballs, mussels and Roman flatbread.
Fontana di Vino’s Marsala Cove Mussels are steamed with garlic, wine, soppressata, red sauce and crema, and come served with ciabatta. Fontana di Vino
The entrees — of course — include fresh pasta made in house. Other options are prime steaks and house specials such as a porchetta chop for two, cioppino and a veal parmesan chop.
The beverage program leans heavily on Italian cocktails such as Negronis and spritzes, and wines with varieties available by the glass and by the bottle.
Fontana di Vino offers several options for prime steak: filet mignon, ribeye, bone-in KC or NY strip, and domestic Wagyu flat iron. Fontana di Vino
Fontana di Vino
Location: 4905 Ashley Park Lane, Charlotte, North Carolina 28210 (now open)
Location: 416 S Main St., Davidson, NC 28036 (opening soon)
Cuisine: Italian
Instagram: @fontanadivino
This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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