IF YOU CATCH a glimpse of Emilio Cento leaning against the bar at Apicio, his rollicking new spot in Zionsville, you’ll likely notice a distinct aura of calm. That’s because the longtime Italian chef and onetime partner at three northside Convivio locations and Caffè Buondí, famous for its frittatas, panini, and pistachio cappuccinos, now has just one venture in his portfolio, one kitchen to keep in smooth running order. “When you have several restaurants, you lose some intimacy with the customers,” he says a bit wistfully, “and you’re doing less of the cooking.”
In mid-2024, Cento sold his share of the Mediterranean empire he built with
partner Andrea Melani, with plans for opening Apicio later that year. But delays in the buildout, overseen by design firm Phanomen—also responsible for Bottleworks District knockouts Modita and The Fountain Room—kept Cento’s crew from rolling its first batch of scratch-made pasta with imported semolina until last December…