Hell’s Kitchen got a taste of Milanese magic on Sunday as Caffe’ Rinaldi opened its kiosk in Balsley Park with a sunny welcome, a DJ and a lunchtime line that snaked down the sidewalk. The new café, which specializes in Italian panini and soft-serve gelato (even inside a brioche bun), drew dozens of locals — including many W42ST readers — for its grand opening giveaway of 100 free sandwiches.
Behind the counter: Riccardo Furlanetto, a Milan native with a vision for bringing life back to the long-dormant park corner. His inspiration? A chance encounter — or rather, a viral one. “There’s a very famous Italian influencer based in New York, Piero Armenti,” Riccardo told W42ST. “He made a video passing by the kiosk when the previous owner had a sign up saying it was for sale.” Within minutes, Riccardo’s mom — watching from Italy — messaged him the clip. “Five minutes later, I was here negotiating for the space.”
