Some time around 1990 Chapel Hill restaurateur Mickey Ewell decided to expand his restaurant group with a Northern Italian restaurant at 411 West Franklin Street. "411" became the most popular restaurant in Chapel Hill, backed up with 30-90 minute wait times even on Monday nights. 411’s appeal was fairly simple: a clean, classy, busy atmosphere, excellent food, and a very reasonable price point.

411 was the first restaurant around to offer an in-house, wood-fired pizza oven. The flatbread pizzas were a big hit, as were the dill rolls, and the Caeser salad, populated with good cheese and ample olives. Our only complaint with the restaurant was that it was loud; the loudest in Chapel Hill.

Noise didn’t cancel the buzz about 411, so they expanded by bumping out in the dining areas. Ewell’s Chapel Hill Restaurant Group saw a big opportunity to the East, however, as downtown Raleigh was beginning a renaissance. Around 1997 the group opened another 411 at 518 West Jones Street; "518 West".

518 was almost exactly like 411, but was spread across a 2-story building, and unfortunately offered focaccia instead of the delicious herby rolls found at 411. Still, almost everything else was the same, including the wood-fired pizza oven, the furniture, the decor, the noise, the Caesar salad, and more!

My favorite dish of all -time at these restaurants is the Whole Wheat Fettuccini. The pasta comes swimming in rosemary butter cream with mushrooms and delicious wood-grilled chicken. It’s an artery-clogger to the max, and if you don’t believe me, take some leftovers home and revisit them the next morning.

Another favorite is the Shrimp Polenta, featuring wood-grilled shrimp atop cheesy polenta. This is the closest remake of Crooks Corner’s correct version of the dish outside of Chapel Hill. The mushrooms and Prosciutto really make the dish.

Another fantastic item I’ve had was beef tenderloin medallions with potatoes and grilled tomatoes. This doesn’t appear on the current menu, and should not be confused with the very disappointing Wood-Grilled Beef Tenderloin that sits at the bottom of the current menu. The current item is a cheese crusted steak with a good chianti sauce, however the entire presentation is tan on a white plate. Cheese on steak is not a combination I have ever enjoyed.

For those seeking something more southern, try the Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce. It is an excellent tomato meat sauce populated with many carrots.

My favorite appetizers are the wood-grilled shrimp, artichoke dip, and the calamari. I never miss getting the Creamy Caesar salad, however. 518 offers a "Classic Caesar", but the naming convention is confusing. They named their original Caesar offering from 411 the "Creamy", while offering a "Classic" that is a dog. I avoid this one.

518 has pizzettes from the wood-fired oven, and my favorite of these is the meat-lover’s Italian. I love the crust of all of these pizzas, however I think this portion of the menu is the restaurant’s biggest failure. There should be 20 pizza options rather than 6, and there should be a significant offering of build-your-own options. This is one of the best pizza products the Triangle, and the restaurant has failed to position itself as a player in the pizza game.

I also feel that the overall menu is a bit restrictive. Perhaps a build-your-own pasta menu (as seen at Est Est Est and Macaroni Grill) would offer diners some fun alternatives. While the menu contains several interesting alternatives, after 20 years I think the public has grown tired of the restaurant. Some flex options could do the trick in repositioning this aging restaurant in an ever-changing market during a terrible economy.

518 offers one of the best brunch options in the area (Sunday only). The menu is full of basic items like omelets and frittatas, but also has Shrimp and Grits among other specialties. The big hit in our family, however, is the mouse-ear shaped waffles. With other great options for children, 518 is probably the top option for a family brunch in Raleigh.

For around 20 years now the Chapel Hill Restaurant Group has offered one of the top Northern Italian products in the Triangle. Chapel Hill’s 411 is still a success, but I feel that Raleigh’s 518 doesn’t have quite the buzz it once did. Perhaps with a few menu changes, some sound dampening, and a bit of marketing, this restaurant in the heart of the Glenwood South area can be back on top of its game.