Boka Restaurant Group announces Alla Vita's expansion to Nashville
- Kaitlyn Nicholas
- Aug 7
- 1 min read
Michelin-starred Chef Lee Wolen is planting his Italian flag in Nashville's Wedgewood Houston with Alla Vita, a neighborhood trattoria set to open spring 2026 at 523 Houston Street. The Chicago import joins Boka Restaurant Group's Nashville expansion within AJ Capital's Wedgewood Village, a creative district already drawing brands like Hermès and Pastis to this formerly industrial pocket south of downtown.
Wolen's menu transplants Chicago favorites while adding Nashville-exclusive dishes to the wood-fired lineup. Expect arancini with 'nduja aioli, cacio e pepe ricotta dumplings, and the chef's signature chicken parmigiana—a nod to his reputation for reinventing poultry across his portfolio, from Boka's roasted version to GG's fried variations.
The pizza oven will anchor the kitchen, turning out pies alongside handmade pastas and a chopped salad that's become a Chicago staple. Desserts run from olive oil cake to rotating gelatos, while the bar program leans into Italian varietals, West Coast wines, and amaro-forward cocktails with seasonal spritzes.
Kehoe Designs is creating a garden-inspired interior with Italian floral prints, custom woodwork, and flowing fabrics that blur indoor-outdoor boundaries.
The space follows Boka Restaurant Group's spring arrival of Momotaro, Chef Gene Kato's contemporary Japanese concept, with a third unannounced restaurant completing their Nashville trio.
All three will cluster within Wedgewood Village, where AJ Capital has been assembling a walkable arts-and-entertainment destination that's rapidly shifting the neighborhood's industrial DNA. The development has already secured fashion house Hermès and Parisian bistro Pastis, positioning this corner of Nashville as the city's emerging culinary frontier.
