by Greg Cox

Gocciolina – Italian for "droplet," the word is undeniably a quirky name for a restaurant. Ask owner/chef Aaron Benjamin if it refers to the restaurant's small but excellent selection of Italian wines, and he responds, "You could say that, but mainly I just like the sound of the word."

It does have a catchy musical sound, once you know how to pronounce it (GOH-choh-LEE-nah), And if you're wondering where Benjamin became charmed by such an obscure Italian word, the answer lies in northern Italy, where he spent a year honing his skills at the University of Gastronomic Sciences. Prior to opening Gocciolina in June, Benjamin worked for more than a decade in Durham restaurants, notably Pop's (which inspired his Italian sojourn) and Rue Cler.

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Source: http://www.newsobserver.com