The Indigo Road Hospitality Group welcomed Executive Chef Oscar Gnapi to Colletta – opening later this summer in Cary’s new Fenton development.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Oscar Gnapi as Executive Chef of our Italian restaurant, Colletta, opening soon in Fenton,” says Indigo Road Founder Steve Palmer. “We are excited to expand our involvement to this thriving dining scene – and to do so with a chef who brings over twenty years of experience, has such strong culinary ties to the Triangle’s dining community, and one who boasts such fantastic formative chef experience in Europe.” Colletta will be the third Indigo Road restaurant to open in the Triangle area, joining O-Ku and Oak Steakhouse, which are located in downtown Raleigh, and opened in 2018 and 2019.
Oscar Gnapi – originally from Paris, France – honed his craft over decades at restaurants and hotels from Paris, Italy and London to California, Chapel Hill and Cary. For as long as he can remember, Gnapi has pursued the culinary arts. “I was raised in Paris with a very large family, and am from a culture where cooking was as valued as breathing air.” After Gnapi’s formal training – including an internship in Italy and four-year degree in the culinary arts from the CEFAA in Villepinte, France – he worked across Europe at five-star hotels including George V in Paris and Le Meridien and SoHo House in London.
Gnapi’s more than twenty years of experience in the culinary industry includes a range of cuisines and a wealth of experience from leadership positions. After moving to North Carolina in 2007, Gnapi served as Executive Sous Chef on the opening team at An: New World Cuisine for three years, followed by Executive Chef of La Residence in Chapel Hill in 2017 and at the Unscripted Hotel in 2018.
Among his most noteworthy experiences, Gnapi credits work at Le Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower, and with renowned chefs Michel Rostang, Daniel Boulud, Bruno Loubet, Pascal Even, Jean-Pierre Gagnaire, Christopher Mihy, Francesco Mazzei and locally with An’s Michael Chuong.
Gnapi, who met his wife in North Carolina, now resides in Fuquay-Varina with his two young boys. When not at the restaurant, he loves to draw, read, cook and create dishes for his family.
“I have such a love and appreciation for the culinary arts and have been lucky enough to learn from some of the most talented chefs of our time. I’m excited to draw on my knowledge of traditional European and Italian cuisine and deliver a memorable experience at Colletta – a meal any Nonna would enjoy!” says Executive Chef Oscar Gnapi.
