Speziato pizza (right), burrata (top left), fra diavolo (bottom left)Photo by Morgan Evans After nine years operating Stockyard Burgers Bones in Vinings Jubilee, chef Scott Kinsey and his wife Alexis Kinsey have started a new chapter in the same space. They opened Cotto Modern Italian in late Septe mber, serving dinner nightly as well as weekend brunch. The Kinseys own multiple restaurants around metro Atlanta, including Taqueria Tsunami, Stockyard Burgers Bones, Silla del Toro tapas, and Forno Vero pizza. They launched Cotto in Gainesville, Georgia, three years ago. “We have a very similar demographic in Vinings and thought Cotto would be great here,” Alexis Kinsey says. Tuscan Ember cocktail (Bulleit bourbon, amaretto, apple liqueur, amaro, apple juice, and lemon)Photo by Morgan Evans A former corporate chef for Macaroni Grill, Scott oversees the culinary direction for all the Kinseys’ restaurants, while leading Cotto Vinings’s kitchen each night. His menu features traditional Italian dishes, spanning antipasti, pasta, mains, and 10-inch wood-fired pizzas. Most items are designed for sharing. Early favorites include gnocchi, pollo saltimbocca, and cacio e pepe. Behind the bar, Italian darlings like limoncello and spritzes sit alongside classics like old fashioneds and espresso martinis. One of the seasonal drinks, Fly Me to the Moon, mixes vodka, lemon, apricot, Italicus, and amaro for a smooth, refreshing option. Wine is also a focus, with 85 Italian offerings. The Kinseys completely renovated the Stockyards space, relocating the bar and removing half walls to open up the dining room. They added arches and niches to bring an Italian touch, plus stucco wall coverings, neutral tones, and olive-green accents as a nod to the country’s olives. The restaurant seats 75 inside, plus 40 people on the open-air patio. Both reservations and walk-ins are accepted. The barPhoto by Morgan Evans The post A familiar Vinings space gets an Italian makeover as Cotto appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less