Three is the Magic Number for Italian Bistro

Jason James’ culinary journey started with the simple dream of a kid who wanted to make great pizza.

Fast forward to 1999, when James, who is originally from Long Island, New York, opened his first Italian Bistro at the Cotton Exchange in downtown Wilmington and hired Jason Raynor as executive chef.

After several years at that location, James decided to close the restaurant and partner with Raynor to open Sauce Italian Grill in Cornelius. They operated the restaurant for about a year before returning to Wilmington to be closer to family and pursue other ventures.

It wasn’t long, however, before James felt drawn back to his roots.

In 2011, Italian Bistro was reborn in Porter’s Neck Center, where James took over the space previously occupied by Antonio’s Pizza and Pasta. He brought authentic Italian specialties like lasagna, manicotti, chicken parmesan, seafood fra diablo and traditional NY-style pizza to one of the county’s fastest-growing areas and quickly gained a loyal customer base. Raynor, who had since moved to New Jersey, was in town visiting family about six months after Italian Bistro opened. Knowing what an asset he was, James immediately offered him the executive chef position.

“I said, I’ll tell you what, I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse,” James said of his offer to Raynor. “You don’t want to go back to Jersey. You want to stay in Wilmington, where your family is. You’ll be the chef and run the kitchen. And that’s basically what happened.”

In August 2023, James and Raynor partnered with Chris Harris to open a Surf City location. No sooner was that in the works than the opportunity for a third location came up in Monkey Junction, coincidentally at a former Antionio’s location.

“It wasn’t great timing, but I agreed to take a look,” James said.

James said that while the restaurant would require almost a complete remodel, it did have the necessary hoods in the kitchen, which can run about $150,000, so he felt it would be a worthwhile investment. James and Raynor brought in two additional partners at the Monkey Junction location, Scott Bragman and Jonathan Bennett, to oversee daily operations.

James said the renovations, which included new kitchen equipment, closing off the open kitchen, flooring and décor, took longer than expected. The restaurant opened quietly in late August, and a grand opening was celebrated this past weekend. In addition to the classic Italian dishes and pizza they’ve become known for, Italian Bistro serves salads, sandwiches, wings, stromboli and calzones. Beer and wine are available, as well as homemade desserts.

“From our freshly made pizzas to our hand-rolled meatballs, every dish tells the story of our love for food and family,” James said.

Catering has become a large part of the business in Porters Neck, according to James, and he is focused on building the catering program at the Monkey Junction location to serve the southern part of the county.

“As we expand, one thing remains the same – our passion for serving food that feels like home,” James said. “Our chefs, led by our award-winning chef Raynor, pour their hearts into every meal.”