SALISBURY, N.C. -- From the moment customers walk in the door at La Cava, you’re taken to a different world. One full of ambiance, rich, hearty dishes and wine to take you to Tuscany.

  • La Cava is an Italian restaurant in Salisbury.
  • It opened in a refurbished church nearly 25 years ago.
  • The menu changes daily with whatever they have that is fresh. 

“There was nothing really else right here,” said owner and head chef Gianni Moscardini. “We were missing the spot of course.”

Moscardini opened the restaurant in a refurbished church nearly 25 years ago.

“My wife looked at this place and said this is the place,” said Moscardini. “I said 'wonderful.'”

His high standards and strong family traditions make every meal an experience.

“We didn’t care how long it takes to cook, you know we just wanted the best of the best," said Moscardini.

The staff imports ingredients from all over the world, and Moscardini goes to local markets himself to find just the right thing for every dish.

“We don’t even have a menu anymore,” said Moscardini. “We have a daily menu is a combination of whatever we find fresh.”

While some may see his ways extreme, Moscardini says it just keeps him inspired. An inspiration you can taste down to the sauce.

“It is Italian basically, but I will say with a European or continental flair,” he said.

While the menu may be constantly changing, there are still a few favorites like the veal Parmesan that tend to stick around. The fresh veal is covered in flour, dipped in homemade batter, then covered in scratch made bread crumbs.

From there it's seared on the stove layered with a special tomato sauce, covered in fresh cheese and broiled.

And if that wasn't enough, La Cava has a wine list of dozens of bottles from around the world, making this restaurant a true hidden gem in Rowan County.

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