Al Taglio Opens At Music City Center

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Following months of planning and construction, Nashville's Music City Center announces the grand opening of Al Taglio Nashville, a new Roman-style pizzeria occupying the 1,670 sq. ft. street-level retail space at the corner of 5^th Avenue and Korean Veteran's Boulevard in the Music City Center.

Open daily, the new fast-casual pizza restaurant offers a pizzeria and cafe menu "with a Nashville accent," artfully blending traditional offerings with contemporary conveniences. The 36-seat dining space includes a cafe bar featuring award-winning local roaster Just Love coffee and barista beverages; a full bar featuring local beers and spirits, signature cocktails by Music City Center's award-winning mixologist, and wines by the glass; and an outdoor terrace offers a propane fire pit and additional seating for al fresco dining.

"We wanted to offer something that differentiates the Music City Center's dining options and at the same time enhances the local restaurant scene and invites the public in for lunch, after work, or pre-show," said Charles Starks, President/CEO of the Music City Center.

The Music City Center engaged hospitality design firm Centerplate Stir to create a unique brand and to design the space and menu. The name, "Al Taglio," means "by the cut" in Italian and is Nashville's first Roman-style pizzeria.

Centerplate Stir surveyed the Nashville restaurant scene and considered casual dining concepts that worked for convention-goers from around the globe as well as neighbors and the local community. The results are a space and menu that is accessible and inviting, features premium local ingredients, and allows for a quiet break or a quick bite to take away.

"We worked with the Music City Center to create a fun casual place, equally great for a quick lunch or an after work drink," said John Sergi, Chief Design Officer of Centerplate Stir. "As the Al Taglio concept emerged, it both fit the client's vision, and as a pizza style was new to the Nashville restaurant scene."

Undoubtedly, Al Taglio's main attraction is its thick rectangles of Roman-style pizza. Sold "by the cut," Roman-style pizza has a thicker, lighter crust than the Neapolitan-style pies more familiar to American diners. The signature dough is baked in rectangular sheets loaded with premium toppings. Al Taglio's offerings include:

Rosso: a rustic tomato sauce topped with mozzarella and pecorino romano cheeses and fresh basil;

Prosciutto: shaved prosciutto ham, grande mozzarella, pecorino romano cheese, roasted garlic, baby arugula, and extra virgin olive oil;

Bianca: grande mozzarella, pecorino romano cheese, assorted mushrooms, oven-dried Roma tomatoes, banana peppers and extra virgin olive oil;

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe: sauteed broccoli rabe, sausage, rustic tomato sauce, grande mozzarella, pecorino romano cheese, garlic and basil;

Artisan Pepperoni: generous helping of sliced pepperoni, rustic tomato sauce, grande mozzarella, pecorino romano cheese.

Hearty soups, fresh salads, and generously-sized Panini sandwiches round out the menu. The quick-serve restaurant will be operated by the Music City Center's culinary team, and is open daily to the public.  Everything on the menu is all-natural, and made daily by Music City Center Executive Chef Max Knoepfel's culinary team.

The decor supports the unique blending of themes: chairs made from reclaimed ash and recycled aluminum compliment custom-made wooden communal dining tables featuring integrated power charging stations for guests accessing the free WiFi. Italian marble countertops and custom European-made cases present offerings prepared in state-of-the-art kitchen equipment designed to improve quality and speed. Even the ceiling marries a black-and-white aerial Roman cityscape with a wood slat design crafted from planks salvaged from the Tennessee tobacco barn owned by Al Gore's family.

About Al Taglio Nashville
Al Taglio (Italian meaning "by the cut") is Nashville's first Roman-style pizzeria and fast-casual cafe.  Located in the Music City Center on the corner of 5^th Avenue and Korean Veterans Boulevard, the restaurant will serve the local community and convention-goers in a newly designed space.

About the Music City Center
The Music City Center, Nashville's new convention center features a 353,143 square foot exhibit hall, a 57,500 square foot Grand Ballroom, and an 18,000 square foot Davidson Ballroom. The building also includes an art collection featuring local and regional artists, a covered three-level parking garage with 1,800 spaces, and is currently on track to achieve LEED Silver certification.

SOURCE Centerplate