Words by Maggie Murdock Nichols / Photos by Charlie Neuenschwander

The gleaming white interior of Vignola’s Italian Kitchen says “new,” but Giovanni and Ashley Vignola move through the room with the steady warmth of people who have done this their whole lives. What began as a tentative test of a new market has become a mutual love story—between a family shaped by decades of Italian hospitality and a community with an appetite for authenticity.
The Vignolas opened the doors of their downtown Edmond restaurant in December 2023 without spectacle, but the response from the community was immediate. The warm reception was familiar to the Vignola family: Giovanni grew up in the kitchen of his family’s Italian deli. His parents, first-generation Italian immigrants, opened Vignola’s in the 1970s in Maryland.

“My dad’s family came from Northern Italy, and my mom’s side is from Southern Italy—her father was a fisherman. A lot of our food comes from those simple seafood dishes and recipes that were never written down,” he says. That dual heritage—mountain and coast—shows up in Giovanni’s cooking, balancing simple ingredients with dishes that feel generous and complete. He apprenticed with an Italian chef as a teenager and later trained in Florence, where he learned consistency and hospitality.

That foundation was tested when the family restaurant in Maryland was forced to close as a result of eminent domain. Giovanni pivoted into hospitality management, eventually overseeing operations for the Members Dining Room at the U.S. Capitol. During that time, he met Ashley, a high-end event planner with an eye for detail and flow. Their shared language of hospitality—his rooted in operations and food, hers in experience and logistics—made partnership feel natural. A wedding in Italy followed, and soon after, the idea of building something of their own.

The couple opened a second iteration of Vignola’s, this time as a catering company. Customer requests for a physical space led to a deli and grab-and-go model in Maryland, just outside D.C. The move to Edmond came during the pandemic, when tensions in the D.C. area were rising and the city felt increasingly heavy. Ashley longed for a slower, more grounded pace. Edmond was already familiar—she’d visited family here growing up and brought her daughters every summer. When the idea of relocating surfaced, Ashley and the girls moved first, while Giovanni stayed behind temporarily to leave the business in good hands. What felt different immediately in Edmond was the ease. “I spent my first 35 years in Maryland, but within a year of living here, I felt like I had deeper friendships than I ever had before,” Ashley says. “That says something about the people.”

Once the whole family was settled, Vignola’s Italian Kitchen opened its doors in a small and unassuming space inside The Railyard. Originally, the Edmond restaurant was meant to be a test. That idea didn’t last long. A soft opening quickly became overwhelming, requiring an all-hands-on-deck response. Ashley laughs recalling the scene: “My 80-year-old grandmother cheered us on, making pasta and washing dishes.” Maintaining quality during a high-demand first year brought challenges, from staffing pressures to long lines. Rather than rushing growth, the team learned to slow down, train carefully, and protect kitchen culture. Toxicity isn’t tolerated. “We believe that the energy behind the scenes matters,” Giovanni says. “If the kitchen is respectful and calm, that feeling carries out to the dining room. We’re really intentional about that.”

Scratch-made pastas anchor the menu, supported by careful sourcing (from as far as Italy, Canada, or a bakery in Tribeca) and an unmistakable authenticity. “I use my grandmother’s recipe for sauces,” Giovanni explains. “The same arancini my mom taught me to make is what we serve.”

Since opening in 2020, the Railyard has seen restaurants come and go. However, Vignola’s success is proving that The Railyard can be more than a temporary stop.

And just steps away, the scent of garlic and tomatoes gives way to the smoky depth of chipotles and bright tomatillos at La Loba, where Giovanni has joined the management team of a new concept owned by Chef Robert Black and his wife, Lori Dickinson Black. The Blacks sought out Giovanni for his years of experience and his success.

Whether in a Maryland deli, the U.S Capitol, or a food hall in Edmond, Giovanni’s approach never changes: respect the culture, honor the craft, and take care of the people at the table.

Vignola’s Italian Kitchen, 23 W. 1st St., Edmond (inside the Railyard food hall), vignolaskitchen.com @vignolaskitchen, 405-906-3575