A short walk from East Campus, straight down West Main Street, lies Cucciolo Osteria, an upscale, yet friendly restaurant, offering “modern Italian Cuisine with a twist.” Brought to Durham by cousins Jimmy (a Duke alum!) and Julian Kim, Cucciolo Osteria is the sister restaurant to their inaugural location in Seoul, South Korea. Best known for their rotating selection of pasta dishes and their curated wine and cocktail offerings, they’ve made a solid impact on the Durham restaurant scene since opening in 2018. 

I arrived at Cucciolo Osteria with a few friends for our 8:00 p.m. reservation. We were quickly seated by the hostess at a table tucked into a corner with soft overhead lighting and a cozy ambiance. There’s a mix of low and high-top seating in addition to a bar, with room for a variety of group sizes. They have a white marble bar running through the restaurant with industrial decorations to compliment the red brick walls..