There’s an energy and electricity that just fires off of Alex Vito whenever you are talking to him. I’ve only spoken with him a couple of times but it doesn’t take too long to see why he’s been so successful in his first 3 or so years as a restaurant owner on Hilton Head Island.
Al’s Aloha Kitchen is one of the island’s most popular casual eats spots. No one will argue that. Now Alex has opened a new spot in Coligny Plaza. Nood Good Mood Food is fast-casual Asian eats. Ramen, skewers, rice bowls and more are part of the plan here. They are good eats and a welcomed addition to the line up at Coligny Plaza. So how did Alex get to this point?
A portion of my chat with him:
JB: So you are from Hilton Head Island?
Al: Yup. Born and raised on Hilton Head Island. Started in the food and beverage industry when I was 14. My parents opened an Italian restaurant Paisano’s on Main Street which was next to Burke’s Pharmacy.
That kinda got me hooked. Food running, bussing tables at Hudson’s. I had phenomenal food and beverage jobs growing up and just got keen on saving my money and preparing for the future.
JB: When did you move to Hawaii?
In 2008, Tori and my son and myself all moved. We just wanted a change of scenery. We had the chance to work for Tori’s family. They own the biggest local surf school on the North Shore of Oahu.
JB: So is that when the bug of these flavors bit you?
Al: Yeah. There’s such a large Japanese influence and Polynesian in Hawaii. that just became a staple of our day to day meals. We were so busy at the school that sitting down to eat was never really a thing. You find yourself eating on the beach real quick before a next lesson.
We were eating more frequently throughout the day. Just smaller portions.
JB: How many times did you eat something out there maybe for the first time and say “This is amazing.”
Al: A lot. Yeah. The first few months, that was a recuring thing.
JB: When did you start thinking about coming back?
Al: We kinda felt like our time was coming up out there because our son was getting older, we weren’t crazy about the school situation and the area where we lived-for him anyway. We came back and I started working at Robert Irvine’s EAT in Wexford Village.
JB: Did you know your first restaurant would be this type of food that you experienced in Hawaii?
AL: Not really, but we were talking, Tori and I one day(in 2009) and I jokingly said “wouldn’t it be funny if we opened a Poke Bowl restaurant on Hilton Head some day? She said “yeah, ha ha.”
JB: Why do you think this works so well?
AL: I feel like everyone, in general, enjoys Asian food. Everybody enjoys good ol’ Chinese take out. Everyone enjoys a good sushi bar. I wanted to take those flavors that everyone knows and enjoys already and put it into more of a fast casual setting.
JB: How much thought went into this menu to make it different than Aloha Kitchen?
Al: A lot. Robbie has been instrumental in opening Nood. He was at Michael Anthony’s doing fresh pasta so we hit it off on what the direction of this place was. We have a lot more tricks up our sleeve that we will put out.
We just right now want to introduce some staples that everyone says “I know what that is.”
We’ve only been open since November. Word has spread like wildfire. We want to appeal to the locals. Provide something that we would want.
The restaurant community here is a great. Everyone is so supportive of each other. We just want to keep the good vibe going and do good food. Seven days a week. 11a-9pm
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