Foodies—are you ready? One of the year's most anticipated restaurant openings has arrived in Raleigh, N.C.!

Il Falò, an upscale restaurant offering wood-fired Italian cuisine in a gorgeous, modern dining room, is now open at the new Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport (just a few minutes from other visitor favorites that include Lonerider Brewing Company, Angus Barn and William B. Umstead State Park).

The 236-room hotel—opened in late April—is just the second location of the Westin luxury brand from Marriott to open in the Tar Heel State, and the first in the Raleigh area (24-hour room service and a rooftop pool? Yes and yes!).

James Beard Award-winning chef Bradford Thompson was brought on by CMC Hotels—the Cary, N.C.-based, family-run hotelier—to develop the menu for Il Falò. Thompson was awarded the title of Best Chef: Southwest in 2006 by the Beard Foundation for his work at The Phoenician, a luxury hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At the 5,000-square-foot Il Falò—which means "bonfire" in Italian—Thompson’s menu takes full advantage of the restaurant’s stone hearth, wood-fired pizza oven with a menu highlighted by sourdough pizza, wood-roasted chicken, dry-aged meats, hand-made pastas, an array of charred vegetables, desserts and more. Gluten-free pastas as well as cauliflower and gluten-free pizza crusts are available. 

(A few specific dishes picked as favorites by the chef team: Tuscan white bean hummus served with wood-grilled crostini; wood-roasted pear salad with greens, smoked goat cheese and fig syrup; dry-aged pork chop with fennel pollen, sweet and sour cherry peppers and crisped potatoes; and Bolognese with beef, pappardelle and whipped sheep’s milk ricotta.)

Guests can enjoy Italian-inspired craft cocktails, a Mediterranean-centric wine list, craft beers or non-alcoholic beverages while seated at the marble-top bar or in the lounge with leather couches and cocktail tables. Diners can enjoy their meals at communal tables in the dining room, on the outdoor patio or at a six-seat chef’s table next to the open kitchen. 

The restaurant is serving breakfast and dinner seven days a week, with lunch and weekend brunch to come later.

Il Falò​ is located on the first floor of the Westin Raleigh-Durham Airport at 3931 Macaw St., Raleigh, N.C., 27617. Reservations are recommended and can be made through OpenTable or by calling 919.864.9090. For more info, see ilfalo.com.

^{All photos by Anna Routh Barzin}