About

From Naples to Inman Park – A Culinary Flame Still Burning

Fritti was born from a moment of inspiration. During a trip to Naples, Italy — the birthplace of pizza — Chef Riccardo Ullio walked into Di Matteo on Via Tribunali. There, he encountered something rare: a restaurant still honoring the old tradition of combining a pizzeria and a friggitoria. Wood-fired pizzas and crispy, golden fritti — all made with two tools: a wood-burning oven and a pot of bubbling oil.

He brought that passion home to Atlanta and opened Fritti in 2000. Since then, Fritti has become known for its pizza artigianale — handmade dough crafted from imported 00 flour and sea salt, San Marzano tomatoes hand-milled in-house, and the finest toppings sourced locally and abroad. From the crispy calamari to the earthy salads and grilled entrees, every dish is steeped in care and tradition.

Set inside a repurposed garage in the heart of Inman Park, Fritti blends laid-back comfort with Italian soul. Whether you're dining al fresco on the patio, toasting upstairs in the loft, or just grabbing your go-to margherita, Fritti delivers a taste of Naples with every bite.

Engineer by Degree. Chef by Passion.

A native of Milan, Riccardo Ullio moved to Georgia as a teenager and pursued his academic career at Georgia Tech, earning graduate degrees in environmental engineering on a Presidential Scholarship. But while his future may have been built in labs and lectures, his heart remained in the kitchen.

Throughout college, Riccardo worked in restaurants, where his passion for food quietly grew. After graduation, he traded circuit boards for chef's knives, returning to Italy to explore the regions and recipes of his heritage.

That journey became his calling. In 1994, he opened his first restaurant, Pasta da Pulcinella. Then came the iconic Sotto Sotto in 1999. A year later, Fritti opened its doors, followed by Escorpion in 2010 and Novo Cucina in 2015. Today, Riccardo continues to push the boundaries of Italian cuisine in Atlanta — always rooted in tradition, always led by flavor.