Alla Vita, an Italian Restaurant by Chef Lee Wolen and Boka Restaurant Group, Opens on Saturday, June 13
Alla Vita Brings Pizza And Pasta to Nashville’s Wedgewood Houston Neighborhood
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 8, 2026 – Boka Restaurant Group is thrilled to share that Alla Vita, a neighborhood Italian eatery by award-winning Chef Lee Wolen of Michelin-starred Boka, will officially open its doors on Saturday, June 13. Like its Chicago counterpart, the restaurant serves delicious pastas, pizzas, and Italian classics, alongside a thoughtful wine list and refreshing cocktail program. Alla Vita, which means “to life” in Italian, is located at 523 Houston Street in the heart of Wedgewood Houston.
“Wedgewood Houston is one of the most exciting neighborhoods in Nashville and a natural fit for Alla Vita,” said Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, co-founders of Boka Restaurant Group. “Alla Vita was created to be the kind of restaurant that becomes part of the fabric of a neighborhood. It’s warm and welcoming with a menu that guests can enjoy any night of the week.”
Chef Lee Wolen’s menu at Alla Vita features dishes built for sharing, including antipasti, salads, handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and hearty entrées. Known for his beloved takes on chicken, from roasted at Boka to crispy, fried and succulent rotisserie at GG’s Chicken Shop, Chef Lee Wolen delivers again with Alla Vita’s fan-favorite Chicken Parmigiana, served with fire-roasted tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. Committed to showcasing the best of Tennessee’s bounty, the team at Alla Vita works with several local purveyors, including Valley Gold in Franklin, Farmer Dave Hughes in Bethpage, and beloved nonprofit Nashville Grown, to source the freshest ingredients. Standout dishes include:
- Toothsome, handmade pastas:
- Cacio e Pepe Ricotta Dumplings Rigatoni alla Vodka with calabrian chili
- Spring Pea Cappelletti with pickled ramps, guanciale, pecorino di parco
- Tagliatelle in a Beef Shank Ragu, with pecorino romano, oregano
- Wood-fired pizzas, made to order in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven:
- Asparagus & Burrata with sweet onion, pecorino, lemon agrumato
- San Daniele Prosciutto with black pepper, smoked pecorino, arugula
- Fennel Sausage with picked chiles, roasted garlic, fontina
- Mushroom, with black truffle, caramelized onion, taleggio
- Hearty mains:
- Lasagna Verdi with swiss chard, roasted garlic, fontina bechamel
- Grilled Branzino with fennel and artichoke salad, salmoriglio, grilled lemon
- Roasted Bone-In Ribeye with balsamic glazed onions, rosemary
- Bright, refreshing salads:
- Alla Vita Chopped with toscano salami, pepperoncini, red onion, tomato, red wine vinaigrette, vecchio ricotta
- Kale Caesar with sourdough croutons, black pepper, red onion, parmesan dressing
- Cravable antipasti:
- Wood Fired Meatballs with roasted tomato sauce, parmesan
- Bluefin Tuna Crudo with rhubarb, snap pea, tarragon
- Wood Fired Table Bread with taleggio, orange blossom honey, black pepper
- Arancini with scamorza cheese, ‘nduja aioli, fennel pollen
To end the meal on a sweet note, guests can choose from Pastry Director Meghan McGarvey’s delightful lineup of desserts like Olive Oil Cake, Tiramisu, Cannoli, and Dark Chocolate Blueberry Budino.
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Alla Vita’s wine program features a predominantly Italian and West Coast American varietal list, thoughtfully curated to complement the menu and offer something for every palate, and the cocktail program features balanced, easy to drink cocktails that showcase unique spirits, with a focus on vermouths and amaros, as well as a rotating variety of seasonal spritzes.
“Nashville has exceeded every expectation we’ve had, and the closer we’ve gotten to opening, the more excited I’ve become about what we’re creating at Alla Vita,” said Chef Lee Wolen. “Over the past several months, we’ve built an amazing team that shares our commitment to great food and genuine hospitality. We look forward to welcoming guests soon.”
Designed by Kehoe Designs, Alla Vita is a lush, garden-inspired retreat that balances natural beauty with a warm, inviting atmosphere. Inside, Italian floral prints and a cheerful color palette set the tone, with custom woodwork, flowing fabrics, and greenery that bring the outdoors inside. Alla Vita is perfectly equipped for gatherings, with private spaces within the beautiful wooden pergolas for parties up to 60, as well as large party tables that accommodate 9-16 people.
Alla Vita is located in Wedgewood Village, the 18-acre mixed-use development by Nashville-based real estate and hospitality firm AJ Capital Partners in Wedgewood Houston. Alla Vita will be open at 4:30pm, seven days a week. Reservations can be made at Opentable, linked here. For more information, visit www.allavitanashville.com or follow along on Instagram @AllaVitaRestaurant.
About Lee Wolen
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Lee Wolen is the Chef of Boka, Alla Vita, GG’s Chicken Shop, Zarella, and Elliott Aster. Wolen honed his skills at iconic restaurants Moto and Butter in Chicago, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and El Bulli in Europe, and spent three years as Sous Chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York. In 2012, Wolen returned to his midwestern roots, joining The Lobby at The Peninsula Chicago as Chef de Cuisine. In 2014, Wolen joined Boka Restaurant as Executive Chef/Partner, where he was named “2014 Chef of the Year” by Chicago Tribune and Eater Chicago, and was nominated as a finalist for a James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Great Lakes.” Boka has maintained a Michelin star from 2011 to 2025. Alla Vita, Wolen’s Italian eatery opened in 2021, and followed closely by neighborhood gem, GG’s Chicken Shop, in 2023. In 2025, Wolen opened Elliott Aster, an elegant Italian steakhouse, in St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as Zarella, a pizzeria and taverna, in partnership with Chef Chris Pandel.
About Boka Restaurant Group
Founded by James Beard Award-winning Restaurateurs, Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm, in 2002, Boka Restaurant Group is one of the premier chef-driven restaurant groups in the country. Anchored by partnerships with some of America’s great chefs including Stephanie Izard, Chris Pandel, Lee Wolen, Gene Kato, Michael Solomonov, Christina Tosi, and Brian Lockwood, BRG has distinct culinary experiences, each of them individually crafted and conceptually unique. www.bokagrp.com
