Chef Nico brings traditional Italian cuisine and old-world culture to Summerville, SC with Laura

By Erin Norcross and Mark A. Leon

Close your eyes for a moment; feel yourself sitting at a quiet outdoor café adjacent to the Museo dell’Opera in Firenze, Italia with the hint of classical music echoing off the historic churches as you indulge lobster gnocchi over a class of Chianti.

Can you picture that?

Let’s save 4,749 miles and over $2500 in airfare and recreate that experience in the heart of Historic Summerville, South Carolina at Laura.

Laura, a rustic Italian restaurant experience located at 101 North Main Street, Summerville, SC, is the creative vision and family tradition of Chef Nico Romo.  For those that do not know Chef Nico, the visionary behind Nico, Bistronomy by Nico, and Kersey House, you are in for a memorable dining experience that will test the limits of dining excellence in the Lowcountry. With recipes and ingredients born from the town of Arpino, between Naples and Rome, Chef Nico has curated a menu that will invite the palate to an evening of Italian bliss.

From the first indulgent smells to the laughter and love of a deeply rooted Italian family, Laura welcomes you in like family.  It feels like home when you dine here.  Safe, warm, and delicious.  

We know each of you will have a different experience, but we’d like to tell you about ours and hope it paints a picture that will help you to choose Laura for your next dinner reservation. 

Our group was born out of new friendships emerging from shared experiences and thus the night was filled with storytelling and promise.  In a way, it made the dinner a little more special.  Every course became a member of our friendship circle in a family dining atmosphere.

Our dining journey

We started with the delightful burrata dish, featuring locally sourced tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, and a tangy balsamic reduction to tie all the flavors together. This was served alongside warm, fluffy focaccia, not to be confused with our separate order of focaccia for the table. 

Laura’s daily offering of focaccia was served with an herb-forward butter that should be packaged and sold- it was so flavorful, fresh, and lightly whipped; that perfect spreadable texture. 

Next up was the Laura Salad, the final shareable course for the table. Imagine a colorful mix of greens, peppers, tomatoes, and radishes, all tossed together for that perfect crunch. But it didn’t stop there. Slices of savory salami and mortadella, along with mozzarella and tangy gorgonzola really elevated this dish, with toasty pecans adding a subtle crunch. 

At this point we all went our separate ways for our second courses, and we each enjoyed the following: 

Fungo Pizza: Featuring a Neapolitan-style crust topped with an earthy mushroom cream base, prosciutto, pecorino and provolone cheeses, and a generous handful of peppery arugula.

Pappardelle Fungo: Pappardelle pasta tossed with tender braised mushrooms, savory pancetta, spicy nduja (sausage), and rich parmesan. A sprinkling of herbed breadcrumbs adds a nice little crunch to every bite. This dish is slightly spicy, but if you want to take it a step further, ask for their house made chili oil. 

Bucatini Carbonara: Al dente bucatini pasta tossed with crispy pancetta, tangy pecorino, and rich parmesan. As if this isn’t decadent enough, a perfectly cooked egg is delicately mixed in to create a creamy coating for the pasta. 

Lasagna a la “Laura”: Served in its own personal-sized casserole dish. This classic dish features layers of rich Bolognese sauce that tastes like homemade, plus gooey mozzarella, and sausage. Parmesan cheese on top is chef’s kiss!

It you are seeking a home away from home with traditional old-style Italian dining excellence, Laura will be leaving you feeling completely satisfied.In a day an age where concepts, themes and creative recipe designs are a trend, Laura, lets traditional cooking speak volumes.

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