Sugo Italian Steakhouse Debuts at Hotel Ballast

Wilmington’s riverfront will soon boast a new upscale dining experience: Sugo Italian Steakhouse at Hotel Ballast.

Sugo is the latest endeavor from the Alfalla Hospitality Group. Ace and Jamie Alfalla moved from Long Island to Wilmington in 2021, bringing decades of experience in hospitality marketing and sales for hotels and restaurants in New York City.

“Our love for the restaurant industry goes back to when we first started our marketing company which focused on hotels and restaurants,” the Alfallas shared. “It became a lifelong passion that followed us here.”

Alfalla Hospitality’s portfolio includes the Front Street Inn and the attached Concorde Espresso Bar, The Verandas Bed and Breakfast and the Graystone Inn and Preston Restaurant, a recently renovated historic property that faced an unexpected closure due to a fire only five days after opening in June of last year. Despite the setback, they vowed to reopen the Graystone and Preston and keep their staff employed by shifting to new projects while the property is renovated once again.

When the Alfallas discovered that the space at Hotel Ballast, which formerly housed Ruth’s Chris Steak House before it moved across the street, was available, they jumped at the opportunity, seeing it as the perfect space to launch their upscale Italian Renaissance-themed concept.

“We know there is competition here when it comes to Italian food, but there are certain things we are used to that we haven’t been able to find elsewhere in town,” Jamie Alfalla said.

Chef Thomas Calhoun leads the kitchen at Sugo. He originally came to Wilmington to head up Preston Restaurant and led the culinary team in opening Concord Espresso Bar, an indoor/outdoor space serving coffee and cocktails.

 

 

Calhoun grew up cooking and attended a culinary program in high school, followed by formal pastry training upon graduation.

“From there I just tried to work at the best restaurants that I could,” Calhoun said.

He continued to hone his craft by working in fine dining establishments and staging throughout Europe and Southeast Asia.

While the closure of Preston so soon after its debut was a major setback, the Alfallas have remained committed to keeping Calhoun on board and are grateful for his adaptability.

“Everything we’ve thrown his way he has taken on wholeheartedly,” Jamie Alfalla said.

“I always love learning and developing myself as a chef,” Calhoun said. “So when we talked about doing this, I was super excited and ready to take it on.”

Calhoun and a close family friend of the Alfallas worked together to develop the restaurant’s menu and recipes.

“We put a lot of time and thought into selecting ingredients,” Calhoun noted, explaining that each component, from the bacon to the tomatoes, was meticulously taste-tested.

“Our traditional red sauce is the nucleus of what we do,” Jamie Alfalla said. “It’s incredible and the dishes it’s prepared with will not disappoint.”

Sugo, incidentally, is the Italian word for sauce.

 

 

Beyond homemade lasagna and pollo parmigiana featuring Sugo’s red sauce, some of Jamie Alfalla’s favorite dishes include the aragosta pasta with twin lobster tails, vodka sauce, red pepper and basil infused olive oil, and the al tartufo mushroom ravioli with a bacon cream sauce and truffle oil.

Sugo also serves dry-aged steaks and Italian specialties such as veal parmigiana and Milanese, carbonara and alfredo pastas and eggplant lasagna.

The Alfallas enlisted the help of their favorite local bartender, Fred Flynn of manna, to help curate Sugo’s cocktail menu. Expect to see cocktail names inspired by historical figures and events from Roman history, a playful nod to the restaurant’s overall aesthetic.

“We have such a love for cocktails,” Jamie Alfalla said. “Whenever we travel, we like to see a new city or town through their food and cocktails. And so, some of our cocktails are reminiscent of speakeasies that we’ve been to around the world, and I think people will really enjoy them. We also have an incredible wine program.”

As a hospitality group offering both dining and luxury accommodations, the Alfallas believe the guest experience is paramount.

“We feel blessed that people choose to spend their time and money at our restaurants and inns,” Jamie Alfalla said. “It’s so important to us that we exceed their expectations and create an unforgettable experience.”

Sugo Italian Steakhouse is open five days a week, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. with validation for valet parking at the hotel, 301 N. Water St.