Davis Premieres Modern Italian Fare

As layered as eggplant parmesan, Tre Vele opened last summer and now has three different, yet connected concepts. Start with an aperitivi on the 90-seat open air wraparound rooftop with firepits and walk downstairs for dinner with well-endowed menu choices.

Then there’s the attached market- café for all sorts of salads, desserts, and sandwiches. Tre Vele pronounced ‘tray vehlay” meaning ‘three sails,” mirrors this three-part concept with modern Italian choices.

As Sandy Springs continues to bloom with restaurant concepts, Tre Vele’s location in City Springs is not exactly as a newcomer. The original “Three Sheets” opened in 2010 and was known for its ultra chic interior. The then Akly family owners navigated the COVID winds to team up with Chef Ian Winslade (Buckhead’s Mission and Market) and an experienced Florentine chef to birth this new concept.

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GM Mike Davis began working in the restaurant business at age 19. At Tre Vele he keeps a fast pace.

The restaurants present overseer and general manager, Dunwoody native, Mike Davis, who began his hospitality career at 19 as a pizza cook at Mellow Mushroom.

With his youthful energetic style, Davis explained his love of food by saying, “My parents always inspired me in many directions – food being a major aspect. Growing up, we grew many herbs and vegetables which require great love and responsibility. Today, I still carry on this tradition, as I grow all my peppers for my hot sauce company, Samson’s Bite Sauce. We had home cooking most nights, some of which was passed down from grandparents on both sides. My parent’s home was wafting with the unmistakable smell of matzah ball soup around any big holiday.”

Tre Vele is Davis’ first restaurant experience starting as a manager. He said, “I’m learning just exactly what it takes to open a successful restaurant from cocktail and food creation, to staffing, and to financial aspects.”

Our experience dining here on a Saturday night, was quick seating and a moderate level of buzzing conversation. The white marble and bright green accents stand out as both clean and classy. Our server was efficient and knowledgeable. The menu in sections was easy to navigate. Some ingredients danced around in different segments appearing here and there – like luxardo (a type of maraschino without artificial coloring) cherries, pumpkin seeds, kale alongside. Some nouvelle splashes alongside traditional Italian dishes like pizza, pasta.

The vegan cashew pizza was a conversation piece. The spinach salad with white balsamic dressing was a table favorite.

Davis’s overview of the operation,” We just launched lunch into a full-service operation a few weeks ago. Take out business has been great, especially on the weekends/holidays. Our bar has a great cocktail and wine program featuring Italian and other world classics, with a great happy hour coming soon. A huge part of our restaurant is the Café, market, and coffee shop. There we sell Illy brand coffee and feature freshly made pastas, pastries, sauces, and ready-made ‘take and bake’ pasta dishes.”

What we enjoyed:
Spinach Salad ($9) – Spinach, arugula, luxardo cherries, walnuts, goat cheese, white balsamic dressing worth fighting over if you split!
Vegano Pizza ($21) – wild mushrooms, hazelnut, vegan cheese, black truffle, cashew cream.
The healthy options ingredients don’t feel like a sacrifice. Note that there is no red sauce here. (vegan)
Secondi – Entrée – Branzino ($33) Fillet – layered potatoes, tomatoes and squash rolade with basil parley and a splash of kale with tangy salsa verde
Desserts $8
Always a favorite Tiramisu well soaked in liqueur
Apple Crostado- wafting with cinnamon

For next time:
Anti Pasta-
Carciofo Alla Griglia ($11) Grilled artichokes, salsa Verde
Mushroom Bruschetta ($11) Robiola Fresca, will mushrooms, black truffle
Pesce Spada Affumicato ($14) Orange cured and smoked swordfish, Calabrian Chilirro
Salad Farro ($12) celery, dates, tomatoes, mozzarella, saba, basil oil
Must try- Homemade Pasta Primi Piatti
Strozzapreti ($17) vegan- Kale pesto, pumpkin seeds

The star entrée was Branzino with layered squash and potatoes.

Davis concludes, “As a former bartender, I’m a huge fan of our Italian Old Fashioned or the classic Aperol Spritz. I see tons of friends, new and old, from the community. We’ve already had several inquiries into private Jewish events as we hope to do many in the future. The secret to Italian cooking is very simple: Quality over quantity. Delicious and fresh high-quality ingredients make great food.”

Parking is easy. Sometimes valet. Or self park by Kroger.
Tre Vele
6017 Sandy Springs Circle
Closed Sunday
Open for Lunch and dinner
Café opens at 8 am
Phone: 404-303-8423