The French closing, rebranding as Tulia Italian Steak in Naples

There’s a new Tulia in town. In a surprise move on Fifth Avenue South, Chef Vincenzo Betulia is flipping one of his popular restaurant concepts from a brasserie to a steakhouse. The French will close this weekend in downtown Naples and reopen next month as Tulia Italian Steak. 

The French’s last day is Sept. 7, when it will shutter for interior renovations, which are expected to take only a few weeks. Betulia is shooting to launch his new concept in early October. 

“We’ve already been working on all this for a few months,” he said. “I want to limit the down time of the restaurant, especially to our staff members. A lot of them are going on holiday because September is the slowest month.” 

The change at 365 Fifth Ave. S. follows a slow summer when The French closed three days each week to focus attention on its stronger weekends. “While The French has been greatly successful — it has the top ratings in all the company, people absolutely love it — the summer gets a little tough,” said Betulia, who also operates Osteria Tulia and Bar Tulia on Fifth Avenue, Bar Tulia at Mercato and Tulia Catering.  

Tulia Italian Steak is clearly a passion project for Betulia, a hands-on owner who is branding the steakhouse with part of his name, as he has with his other hospitality concepts. He believes a steakhouse will be more relatable to more people. 

“There are people who might be a little apprehensive about going to eat in a French restaurant because they don’t know, they don’t have anything to relate it to,” the Sicilian native said. “An Italian steakhouse is the best of both worlds. People love Italian food. It’s America’s comfort food. It’s highly recognizable. They know what they’re getting themselves into — and who doesn’t love a great steak? So, here we are.” 

Betulia kindled the idea during the pandemic but had to convince his partners at Campagna Hospitality Group and prove the possibility of its success. Two years ago, he launched Rouge, a clandestine steakhouse concealed at the rear of The French, to test local interest in a steakhouse. 

“I wanted to see it. I wanted to see what would work,” he said. “And, that was wildly successful in that back corner — 16 seats with no online presence, no menu presence, nothing, zero. So, that was kind of my test run.” 

Following the triumph at Rouge, Betulia added more steaks to The French’s menu last season. 

“Fifty percent of our entree menu had steaks on there,” he said. “I just kept watching and looking at the analytics of what people were ordering, and it was always meat.” 

So, he believes the timing is right to launch his steakhouse in downtown Naples.  

“We have that beautiful wood grill back there. I just really want to step it up. I think it’s time for the avenue to have something like this,” he said. 

Expect some elevated meats such as USDA Prime, Australian Wagyu and Japanese Kobe beef. Of course, the new restaurant’s menu will feature Italy’s famous "bistec," a classic porterhouse steak from Florence called bistecca alla fiorentina. The thick-cut, Tuscan-style steak is simply seasoned with just olive oil, lemon and salt and grilled over a wood fire to achieve a traditional charred crust and an interior that is rare to medium rare. 

Betulia is hoping to be able to import beef from Tuscany, too. 

“The bistec has its prized possession in that region of Italy, so I’d really love to do that, and have that meat, which you really don’t find a lot of that ever in the United States,” he said. 

Alternative protein choices will also include wood-grilled Sicilian swordfish, 1-pound Dutch veal chops and Heritage pork and chicken. More than meat will be on the menu, of course. 

“We’re going to have the pastas that are all handmade. We’re doing some really cool risotto. We’re going to do more Italian salads,” Betulia said. “Just real simple things. Keep it easy. Keep it honest. Nothing fancy. There’s just no reason for it.” 

Options will include some of Italy’s most recognized pastas, such as bucatini cacio e pepe, pennoni alla vodka, spaghetti carbonara and hand-twisted tortellini. A couple of The French’s dishes that are popular steakhouse fare will be on the menu of Tulia Italian Steak.  

“Steak frites was the top-selling dish at The French, next to the French onion soup. Those dishes are obviously not coming off,” Betulia said. 

For the new restaurant’s interior, the idea is to create a Tuscan “rustic chic” space that has elements of an American steakhouse, such as leather dining chairs. But also, anticipate flocked velvet wallpaper, antiqued brick and Oriental rugs. While changing The French to Tulia Italian Steak won’t be as abrupt as the transformation from a former furniture store to The French more than eight years ago, changes will be apparent.  

“It’s going to be mostly cosmetic. We’re changing all the chairs, the barstools, we’re erecting a wall to make it a closed kitchen rather than an open kitchen,” Betulia said.  

A new row of banquettes similar to what are already in The French will be built in the middle of the main dining room to break up the brasserie’s open-dining concept. 

“If you’re on the host side, you can see the other guests dining. If you’re on the kitchen side, you’ll be looking at the accents of the brick walls we’re doing to kind of emulate a little bit of Osteria Tulia,” Betulia said. 

Rouge will become a lounge for the steakhouse with a lush, warm look where guests can enjoy classic cocktails or wine. 

“We’re going to turn Rouge into an actual lounge with big, beautiful barrel chairs and little chairside tables and candles,” Betulia said. “People can just enjoy a bottle of wine back there or an after-dinner drink.” 

The color red — prominent at both Rouge and The French — isn’t going anywhere. Red fits a steakhouse, Betulia said, so expect to see red still from the exterior awnings to the interior drapes and banquettes. 

Dining al fresco in the courtyard area around a live oak has been popular when weather permits, so Betulia wants to slightly tweak that outside area to create more of a Tuscan ambiance. 

“That terrace there is magic when the place is full with the lit tree,” he said. “Now, I’m going to replant the bougainvillea up at the front with the archway to give it more of an Italian feel. Back in the breezeway where all the French umbrellas are, I already envision putting up like a Tuscan-style trellis back there.” 

Executive Chef Benoit Valota remains in the kitchen and other familiar faces from The French will greet and serve guests. Marcello Palazzi, a managing director and partner, will continue to oversee the award-winning beverage program and host his signature wine dinners. General manager Alain Rabault will oversee the team’s guest service. 

Despite the sudden change, don’t count The French out. Betulia hopes to relaunch the concept someday in a smaller venue somewhere else. 

“Personally, I think the French was always a little too large for my liking and I wanted it to be more of an intimate setting, so I’m just saying au revoir to the restaurant for now, but I want to resurrect it in a smaller space,” he said. “So, while it’s kind of sleeping, I am going to miss it. I really love what we’re doing there, but I look forward to change. Change to me is exciting.”