40 Rivington Street might be the go-to spot for New Yorkers wishing they were in Italy this summer. Soon-to-open Verace NYC will offer Neapolitan-inspired cuisine accompanied by a curated selection of Italian wines. Verace NYC is owned by business partners Joseph Esposito and Andrea Ingenito, both experienced restaurant owners.

Esposito connected with What Now NY in a phone interview to share more on this new restaurant and his professional background. Esposito was 17 when his family moved to the United States, leaving behind the neighborhood restaurants they had run in their hometown in Italy. While an ocean away from where he grew up, Esposito is leaning into his roots as a serial restaurateur focusing on Italian cuisine.