Vito's Ristorante in East Syracuse: Not just the 'old Rico's' (Dining out review)
Vito's Ristorante is not Rico's Ristorante. The Utica greens pizza ($14.95) was our first proof. The pan pizza, sliced in strips, was browned nicely to support the heft of the escarole, cherry pepper and breadcrumb mixture. The greens were distributed evenly over the dough, preventing any collapsing or cold spots. A scant amount of mozzarella chees...
Nonno's: An Italian Tradition
I may have mentioned at some point in our relationship that I’m from The Bronx. Which, if you’re unaware, is one of the outer boroughs of New York City, famed for Yankee Stadium, open spaces (we’ve got parks, yo), the birthplace of hip-hop and the famed Ogden Nash couplet “The Bronx; No Thonx.” It’s one of the few places that begins with “The,” and...
A Restaurant Where The Cooks Are Grandmothers
There’s a restaurant on Staten Island with a team of cooks unlike any other. They aren’t trained chefs. Instead, they are grandmothers. A restaurant kitchen staffed by grandmas was the vision of Jody Scaravella, who opened Enoteca Maria in 2007. At first, he hired exclusively Italian nonnas, filling a personal void left by his own late grandmother....
We Love Italy to open in Commack
The first American restaurant and shop of We Love Italy, the Venice-based food company, is expected to open in early March in Commack. Construction is underway at the 6333 Jericho Tpke. site, in a mall on the north side of the turnpike, west of the Sunken Meadow Parkway, opposite Pep Boys. Beatrice Galati, co-owner overseeing the Commack location,...
New Rochelle Chef Relies On The Sea For Inspiration
Francesco Coli grew up inspired by the sea. And now, he's bringing that love for fresh plucked-from-the-ocean cuisine to New Rochelle with the opening (as of October 2017) Vento Bistro. The new eatery is, as Coli describes, "a chef forward coastal Italian concept with an ever-changing seasonal menu." Fish and seafood are handpicked daily at the Ful...
Previti Pizza and Papazzio Dining named official pizzeria of Iceland
Iceland, a major landmark and destination for skaters and hockey players, in New Hyde Park, owned and operated by Rich Roulston, has named Previti Pizza Papazzio Dining as their “Official Pizzeria.” “They supply us with great pizza, and are located across the street with a great selection of artisan pizza, and delicious Italian dishes” said Rouls...
Buon appetito: Italian chef debuts vegan eatery in Park Slope
Call it verdure Italiano! An Italian chef opened a vegan and vegetarian eatery in Park Slope that puts a healthy twist on some of her favorite red-sauce staples. The menu items at La Vellutata do not all come straight from Italy, but that doesn’t stop the cook from drawing inspiration from some of her home country’s signature foods, she said. “Peop...
Ex-‘Sopranos’ star now an in-demand Italian chef
Joseph R. Gannascoli — who played beefy mobster Vito Spatafore on “The Sopranos” — has been surprising New York-area Italian-food lovers with his cooking skills. The actor and foodie was spotted cooking up “spaghetti carbonara in a Parmesan wheel tableside” at Matteo’s of Roslyn on Wednesday night, we hear, to the delight of diners. One fan of his...
Via Margherita: Coming soon with authentic Calabrese cooking
Hours at the onset will be daily starting at 7 a.m. The business will close at 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 10 p.m. Thursday; 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5 p.m. Sunday. The hope is to see patrons from across the street after mass lets out at St. Joseph's R.C. Church. The restaurant, which aims to open Friday, Feb. 9, is a family affair. Na...
L’atmosfera della Dolce Vita, i sapori della tradizione: a New York torna Tartina
L’atmosfera che vuole ispirarsi alla Dolce Vita di Fellini, i sapori autentici della cucina italiana, la qualità degli ingredienti della tradizione. Dopo l’avventura che l’ha visto protagonista a Midtown, il ristorante italiano Tartina ha deciso di cambiare location. Sempre a Manhattan, ma un po’ più in alto: lungo l’Upper Westside, a cavallo tra l...
Upscale Northern Italian Dishes at La Fontanella
I recently decided to revisit an old favorite, La Fontanella in Pelham. It has been in business for over 20 years and seems to improve with every visit. The management has changed through the years, but the Executive Chef Joe Palaguachi still heads the kitchen. For the last few years, Alfredo Salazar has led the management team. He worked in restau...
Baci Perugina Brightens Up New York with ‘Kissing Away the Blues’ Initiative
Baci Perugina, the iconic Italian chocolate brand recognized worldwide as a symbol of love and affection, has launched today in New York Kissing Away the Blues, an initiative seeking to spark positive emotion on the fourth Monday of January, otherwise known as “Blue Monday”. According to millennials, Blue Monday (falling on January 22, 2018) marks...