Gemelli Reopens in Biltmore Village After Westgate Closure

Gemelli is using its new Biltmore Village address as a reset, not just a relocation. The Italian-American restaurant will reopen Friday, April 17, at 28 Hendersonville Road in the former Andaaz space, after its Westgate Shopping Center location closed March 30.

The move gives Anthony Cerrato’s restaurant a fresh stage in one of Asheville’s most closely watched recovery corridors. The building’s first floor was heavily affected by Tropical Storm Helene flooding in 2024, and the space has since been restored. That matters in Biltmore Village, where rebuilding has become part of the neighborhood’s identity and the City of Asheville has approved additional public infrastructure funding as the district continues to recover.

What changes most at the new Gemelli is the scale of the operation. Anthony Cerrato, who also owns Strada Italiano and Social Lounge, is keeping the family name and core concept intact while putting a fuller team behind it. Gabe Cerrato will run the kitchen as executive chef, with Chuck Baudendistle as chef de cuisine and Mahsa Golabi leading the baking and dessert program. Baudendistle’s resume includes time at The Admiral, adding another familiar Asheville name to the project.

The restaurant is still leaning hard into the family and regional Italian identity that has defined Gemelli since its 2022 debut. The brand says its pasta is made fresh in-house, and the menu keeps that promise front and center with gemelli alla vodka, bucatini, ravioli, lasagna and a vegan lasagna made with gluten-free pasta and house-made almond ricotta. Gemelli is also keeping options broad for diners who need gluten-sensitive or allergy-friendly dishes, a practical part of the brand’s appeal as much as a culinary one.

The reopening also stretches Gemelli beyond dinner service. Affogato, the café inside the same Biltmore Village location, will have its own street entrance and serve house-made gelato, pastries, espresso, breakfast bites and lunch. That turns the address into more than a comeback for one restaurant: it becomes a daylong destination built around pasta, coffee, desserts and market-minded Italian-American comfort. With wood-fired steak, trout, a smash burger and bistecca alla Fiorentina on the broader menu, Gemelli is signaling an upgrade in both ambition and audience while keeping the house-made pasta at the center of the story.