Well-known Italian pizza chef Stefano Callegari will open his first New York pizzeria in Soho next month.
La Rossa, at 267 Lafayette, at Prince Street, will have 32 seats and serve Roman-style pizza al taglio — what New Yorkers call pizza by the slice — as well as the more traditional round pizza with Callegari creations, like cacio e pepe and testa Rossa, with his signature Campari-marinated mozzarella.
Callegari has eight restaurants in Rome and additional locations in Florence and Milan — and an unusual introduction to the pizzeria business. Before becoming a restaurateur, Callegari worked as a flight attendant for more than 10 years. After more than 100 trips to Naples, where he indulged in the “art and science” of pizza making, he came up with his own recipes. La Rossa will also serve antipasti, salads and suppli, fried rice snacks that are typical in Rome.
The upscale space will still feature al taglio options and offer a “well-curated” selection of artisinal wines and beers offered by the bottle and glass.
It will also serve Italian-style breakfast and have outdoor seating.
Otto’s Tacos, the popular taco chain founded by owner Otto Cedano in the East Village in 2013, is opening its first spot in Brooklyn, at the base of a four- story residential building on the corner of Henry and Montague Streets in Downtown Brooklyn, by the Court Street subway.
It will be the chain’s sixth location and will have around 25 seats and open early next year.
The space was previously occupied by Vegetarian Ginger. Otto’s Tacos is expected to open in early 2019. The other five locations are in Manhattan.
Winick Realty Group executive vice president Joshua Siegelman and director Michael Shkreli represented Otto’s Tacos. The landlord, Adkha Realty Corp, was represented in-house.
A new Seven Grams Caffé is launching Nov. 27 in the Flatiron district, on the corner of 28th and Madison. The independent Manhattan roaster and baker at 76 Madison Ave. currently has locations in Chelsea and Hudson Square. Its claim to fame is that owner Sharon Kazes roasts his own coffee and bakes his own goods.
The sleekly designed space is 1000 square feet and has 30 seats. There are also traditional French canelé, made in a copper mold coated in bee’s wax, with a carmelized outer crust and a vanilla custard.
Kazes is Israeli-born, of Turkish and Swiss-French heritage. He founded the brand after working as an artisinal coffee roaster and brewer in Israel and Europe before coming to New York in 2012 to work for Chef Uri Scheft, who was running Breads Bakery. At the time, Kazes said he noticed the “disconnect” between the city’s patisserie and coffee scenes.
We hear… that the Rainbow Room’s holiday brunch is returning for three dates in December – 9, 16 and 23. The brunch, prepared by executive chef Mathew Woolf, includes a “grand buffet,” chef stations, and… Santa Claus.
Chef stations will include roast goose with cranberry and apple stuffing, beef Wellington, honey-roasted ham and black truffle chicken pot pies.
