Standing in the open kitchen of his Edenton restaurant, Chef Gavin Holter tosses hot bucatini in velvety pomodoro sauce. With each movement, he recalls childhood days in his mother’s kitchen.

He remembers the nights he watched her stirring marinara by the stove, he can see the warm steam billowing toward her face as she drained pasta in the kitchen sink, and he still hears her voice calling him to the dinner table. “Growing up, she wasn’t cooking anything fancy, but it meant something. Through simple meals, she instilled the joy I have in cooking today,” says Holter.

Years later, when Holter’s mother, Lori Miller, moved to Edenton for a teaching job, Holter followed. With 14 years of experience in the food industry, he knew that the Chowan County town could be an ideal spot for a casual Italian restaurant to take root. Not long after his move from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, Holter opened Carrozza in collaboration with Joe and Stephanie Wach of Herringbone on the Waterfront.

Carrozza’s menu includes Italian classics like creamy alfredo and ragù made with fresh tomatoes. Photography courtesy of Carrozza

“I had this idea to start an Italian restaurant … so I called the chamber of commerce. They immediately connected me with Joe and Stephanie, who had this space on Broad Street,” Holter says. Within a month and a half of his move, the restaurant was up and running. The early days were so successful that even Joe Wach worked front-of-house when the restaurant was busy and the staff needed extra hands.

The restaurant’s name comes from the Italian word meaning “carriage” or “coach,” which nods to each dish being a vessel for local ingredients. When Holter arrived in town, one of his first stops was the Edenton Farmers Market, where he sourced produce throughout the spring and summer. “One of the reasons we have a smaller menu is so we have the flexibility to make seasonal switches. Our dining room is only 26 seats, which makes for an intimate, intentional experience. Our menu reflects that, as well,” Holter says.

Though farmers market season has slowed this winter, Holter is still inspired by Edenton’s landscape, with some ingredients coming from his own backyard. A menu item in frequent rotation during the cool months has been a pesto that Holter makes with pecans from the trees behind his house. “I’d never lived anywhere with pecan trees, but I’ve truly learned why they’re so special. Cracking them by hand is a labor of love, but they add this richness to our dishes that’s unbeatable,” he says.

The banquet seating at Carrozza encourages guests to chat amongst themselves and make new friends. Photography courtesy of Carrozza

This style of cooking also reminds Holter of his upbringing. “Growing up, my mom always used what was available to us,” Holter says, “here, we have so much at our disposal. It’s always inspiring to plan our menu and delight our guests.”

And delight them he does. One of Holter’s favorite features of Carrozza is the open kitchen, where patrons can sit nearby and watch him cook. “If it’s in sight, it’s got to be right. Our guests really observe the care and attention we put into their meal,” he says “I enjoy being a part of the experience, too. Some nights the restaurant just gets loud … I love that energy. I can feel it, even in the kitchen.”

On one of those bustling nights, locals watch as Holter carefully perches red snapper over truffle risotto and twists pasta into saucy swirls. One can’t help but wonder if they feel the same happiness that Holter felt when watching his mother in the kitchen many years ago. The joy of a meal made with intention — a meal made with love.

Carrozza
206 South Broad Street
Edenton, NC 27932
(252) 415-0022
carrozza-nc.com