Often touted as a great special occasion restaurant, Cucina 24 on Wall Street offers diners more than a fabulous place to party. Granted the restaurant is aesthetic perfection, but it deserves equal credit for the progressive menu. Fashioned after a traditional Italian menu, it offers four to five courses and portions that are smaller than typical American meals. This approach is meant to encourage quality time with family and friends, as opposed to merely providing sustenance.

“I try to be as honest as I can with ingredients,” says Chef Brian Canipelli, who co-owns the restaurant with Brian Candee. “We’re not just a special occasion restaurant. People can come in and have a glass of wine and a pizza or pasta for less than $20.”

Canipelli and Candee met while working the Asheville restaurant circuit, including stints at Savoy and Rezaz. A graduate of culinary arts school at Johnson & Wales University, Canipelli is the creative director in the kitchen while Candee makes guests feel comfortable in the front of the house.

Artist, designer, and personal friend Julia West was brought in for the interior design. The space is at the same time edgy and sophisticated. An exposed brick wall, rich dark tigerwood floors, tidy tabletops, and custom framed windows evoke a certain urban chic.

Canipelli, despite his young age, executes like a seasoned professional. He is decisive, focused, and talented. His menu changes daily, with exciting creations in each category including, Antipasti, Pizze, Primi and Secondi (first and second courses), and Contorni (side dishes and vegetable).

As much thought goes into the presentation as does the recipes. An Antipasti dish of smooth, creamy La Tur cheese, fig jello, and almond bread tempts the senses and is a good representation of how Canipelli updates classic Italian ingredients. La Tur comes from the Italian wine-making region of Piedmont. This very soft, dense cheese is made from a combination of pasteurized goat, sheep, and cow milk with an earthy, full flavor, and lingering acidic tang. A perfect paring would be a spumante from their extensive Italian wine list.

The restaurant’s Antipasti selections whet the appetite and with intriguing offerings such as goat milk panna cotta, beet sorbet, and a black pepper and walnut biscotti, or lamb arancini, yogurt and cucumber, flavor exploration becomes fun.

Its Primi dishes are a bit more substantial, with rustic offerings such as wild boar and porcini ragu in a decadent bitter chocolate sauce served with handmade pasta. Canipelli’s brother Brad is the sous chef and masters the sauce. Another example is a smoked duck breast atop a pumpkin risotto and drizzled with pumpkin seed pesto. The majority of meats are cured and smoked in house. Breads are baked daily from scratch, as is the pizza dough.

The restaurant is open for dinner and is a popular late-night stop as well. A street-front deli (28 Wall Street) serves gourmet sandwiches featuring their delicious meats. Karen Fowler runs the deli and her enthusiasm and product knowledge ensures great service to the customer. There is also a nice private room for par- ties or business lunches and the deli offers carry out and catering as well. A handcrafted sandwich, homemade pasta salad, pick- led vegetables, and a tasty, warm-from-the-oven cookie makes for a satisfying lunch.

Visit Cucina 24 at 24 Wall Street or online at cucina24restaurant.com. For reservations, catering, and more information, call 828.254.6170.