Local restaurateurs Don and Joanne Migliori know a thing or two about the local restaurant community. They opened the popular North Mount Pleasant pizza joint Migliori’s Pizzeria in 2020. They are also investors in Charleston’s newest downtown Italian restaurant, Legami.
Inspired by the pizzeria’s success, the couple decided to buy another property in North Mount Pleasant. After going back and forth on what the concept of the new place should be — would the pizzeria work in this new location? — they decided the space at 1146 Muhlenbergia Dr. was worthy of a new kind of spot.
“We wanted to have a downtown [quality] restaurant in North Mount Pleasant,” Joanne Migliori said.
Anecdotally, North Mount Pleasant refers to the area of Mount Pleasant north of the Isle of Palms Connector. In 2019, Mount Pleasant was named the second-fastest growing city in the country, and growth continues to move north up U.S. Highway 17.
“If you want to have a nice date night or a small private dinner, you don’t have to go downtown to have a really beautiful, inviting space,” she said.
Abbracci Italian Cuisine & Cocktails will feature Executive Chef Devin Sansone’s take on Italian dishes like arancini, ricotta gnocchi, pollo al mattone and fresh, housemade pasta.
“He’s someone that has a passion for food,” Migliori said. Sansone and Don Migliori spent many weekends cooking together and developing Abbracci’s menu.
Hugs and love
Abbracci, in Italian, means “hugs.” When trying to decide on the restaurant’s name, the Miglioris kept running into the word, which is often used as an email sign-off by native Italian speakers.
“Hugs” has a deeper meaning for the couple, too. Migliori’s Pizzeria employs a number of special needs employees, including Don’s sister, Jill, who has Down syndrome. Migliori said that many of the Migliori’s employees love to express themselves through hugs.
The name seemed fitting for the next business from a couple who first opened a restaurant so that Jill could have a job. “It was a labor of love,” Migliori said of the pizzeria’s origins. “We embrace the special needs community.”
At Abbracci, the Miglioris want to continue to embrace family, friends and good food.
“There’s warmth [when you’re] sitting at a table and eating Italian food,” she said.
Migliori is realistic, though, about the realities of owning a restaurant.
“Restaurants are risky, but I think North Mount Pleasant really needs something that has that downtown vibe.”
She also noted that the Abbracci team is ready to pivot when necessary and that it is taking notes from the first few weeks. For example, she loves a cioppino, a fish stew, but she recognizes that, at $57, the dish may not stay on the menu forever.
“We are going to see how they sell,” Migliori said. “We’re trying to see what works up here and make sure that we have something that is good for the community.”
The Miglioris expanded the building they bought at 1146 Muhlenbergia Drive, adding a covered porch patio. They eventually hope to add drop-down screens to capitalize on year-round temperate weather.
Abbracci’s interior features cool blue and green hues against warm wood tables and floors. And so far, it’s been so good as far as customer feedback.
“Every single person when I walk up to the table, they’re like ‘This is so great,” Migliori said. “‘We’re so happy something like this is in Mount Pleasant.’”
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