As far as wood-fired food goes, pizza is the tip of the iceberg at Il Falò, an upscale Italian eatery that opened last week at the Westin hotel in Raleigh’s Brier Creek neighborhood. Nearly every dish on Il Falò’s dinner menu, designed by James Beard award-winning chef Bradford Thompson, contains an element of wood-fired blister, crisp, or char. 

Secondi courses (half chickens, strip steaks, halibut) are given the full inferno treatment, as are vegetable sides like cauliflower and romanesco. The three antipasti on the menu—arancini, Tuscan white bean hummus, and shaved-to-order Italian salumi with cheese—come paired with wood-grilled vehicles (crostini) or garnishes (sweet peppers).