On the outside, That’s Italian Cucina y Pizzeria Napoletano may have a utilitarian shopping center storefront look, but when you step inside the doors, you’ll be transported to another world. A warm ambiance of wood and stone with brick archways and wine bottle chandeliers welcomes you to sit back and enjoy a intimate refined Italian dining experience, brick-oven pizza with the family, or time with friends at their unparalleled wine bar. This unassuming restaurant tucked away in Retreat Plaza offers a flavorful new culinary adventure from the Old World.
Owner Gennaro Esposito is a welcoming and knowledgeable host. His family came from the Campania region of Italy, and it is cuisine from Naples and the region that he brings to St. Simons Island. He’s been in and out of restaurant kitchens since he was 13 years old and has also been a winemaker, so Gennaro is not only comfortable with what he’s putting on plates and pouring in your glasses, he’s absolutely passionate about it. And while the restaurant may be new to us here, our neighbors up the road have been enjoying Gennaro’s delicious dishes for years, as he opened the first That’s Italian in Hinesville in 2011, and a second location in Richmond Hill in 2013. Not a national chain or franchise, That’s Italian is one of a small family of restaurants that Gennaro owns and oversees himself. You’ll find him in at least one of the restaurants every day—and sometimes all three! He credits having good managers in place (including his son, in Hinesville) with his ability to operate in three locations.
One of the features inside is the beautiful big brick oven stocked with wood that gives their delicious pizza and other dishes their unique and authentic Old World flavor. Fresh mozzarella, summer tomatoes and basil top a Neapolitan-style round, thin crust pizza baked with dough made fresh daily for a marvelous Margherita. But this is anything but a typical “pizza joint.” Regional cuisine takes the spotlight here, with some additions and modifications for local tastes and customer preference. So now, yes, you CAN get a pepperoni pizza, as well as the amazing lasagna that is made just as it was in Gennaro’s own family. From salumi and bruschetta, to salads, soups, pasta, seafood, and more, there’s something for every palate and every size appetite.
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Gennaro sticks to what’s tried and true for ingredients. He uses the best pastas, olive oil brands he knows that originate in Italy. For meats, fresh fish, cheeses, produce, Gennaro knows exactly the quality and standard he wants, and he uses trusted sources to ensure that he gets them. Near the brick oven, a shiny slicer for salami and other cured meats (collectively called salumi) sits as a testament to Gennaro’s love for doing things “old style.” It’s a manual slicer, not electric, because, he says, “some of the old ways of doing things are the best.”
On the other hand, the wine bar embraces modernity. That’s Italian offers fine Italian wines fresh by the glass from a tap, as well as bottles upon bottles of exquisite choices. While most of the wines offered are from the Southern region of Italy, the selection should more than satisfy most wine lovers. If you’re in the mood for a cocktail, specialty drinks include bellinis and an Italian mule, as well as seasonal treats such as a basil strawberry martini, a watermelon rum lemonade, and a delightful summer spritzer. Of course, you can always grab a cold glass of Peroni, if it’s beer you’d prefer.
A discussion of the menu and Italian cooking establishes that Gennaro is indeed passionate about his desire to create great, authentic Campania-style dishes and a dining experience that customers will love. Neapolitan cuisine has ancient historical roots and is flavored by sea, and ingredients enriched by the dark soil and the sun. He explains the varieties of pasta shapes and types of sauces offered and the differences between them, and the difficulty in Georgia of finding some of the items that were always readily available in New Jersey, where he lived and worked in the restaurant business before moving here. His eyes light up when he talks about the flavors and the preparation of the dishes.
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Gennaro says that his best compliments have been from diners who have been to Italy before or who have just returned from a trip and said that the food they’ve had at That’s Italian took them back to that experience. While he is happy to accommodate customer demand and offer some standard dishes they “expect” from an Italian restaurant, Gennaro hopes that diners will embrace Neapolitan cuisine and be open to trying dishes that go beyond standard fare like ravioli and shrimp fra diavlo, despite the fact that they may find the menu hard to read. You’ll find that the restaurant staff is very friendly and will do their best to explain the dishes if you have questions.
Since opening last year, Gennaro has made some changes to the menu and hours based on island clientele. Unfortunately, they’ll no longer be open for lunch; however, their Happy Hour menu and drink specials are out of this world! Spacious and comfortable without a loud atmosphere, it’s a perfect place to bring a group for a casual meeting or gather friends after work for a drink or three. If you’re thinking dinner date, currently That’s Italian is offering a special on Sundays and Mondays: when you order two dinner entrees, you’ll receive 50% off a bottle of your choice of select fine Italian wines. That’s a nice way to start or end a week!
Stop in That’s Italian Cucina y Pizzeria Napoletana and take a culinary tour of Italy’s Campania region. Experience wine and food flavored by Naples and Old World traditions. Treat yourself to a salumi platter with an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, and vegetables. Try dishes you can’t pronounce. Your taste buds will thank you!
