Vite Vinosteria: Serving Italian Flavor for Over a Decade in Astoria
When you think of the food scene in Astoria, 30th Avenue, Ditmars, and Broadway probably come to mind first. But 31st Avenue deserves attention due to the growing number of restaurants, bars, and cafes. And one of the long-standing top spots to go for an elevated night out on 31st Avenue is Vite Vinosteria.
Under the guidance of co-owners Carmelo Bennici and Pino Uras, Vite Vinosteria serves Italian food in a chic-casual environment. “Basically, me and my partner, we both worked at the same restaurant for ten years,” Bennici said. “And we found this spot in 2014, and we’ve been here even since. At first, it was just a bar, but people kept asking for food.”
Image @vitevinosteria via Instagram
Signature cocktails are mostly the classics. According to Bennici, “We do a fresh watermelon sangria which is excellent. We do many negronis. You can’t go wrong with an old fashioned. We have an excellent raspberry mule, and a boulevardier, and a lemon-liquor spritz.”
@vitevinosteria via Instagram
When choosing your pasta, consider the pappardelle alla bolognese that’s been on the menu from the day Vite Vinosteria opened, but there’s no wrong answer here. “All the pastas are homemade. Every day, everything is made from scratch. We make our own noodles and meatballs, the lamb ragu,” Bennici explained.
There’s another reason the selections are superb here: “So I also have a meat business myself, Bennici said. “All the cuts of meat, I choose them. We buy prime or dry-aged. We do lamb a lot. And our meatballs are made from American Wagyu.”
@vitevinosteria via Instagram
For dessert, it’s hard to pass up on a slice of flourless chocolate cake or the panna cotta with vanilla and raspberry reduction. There’s a dolce dello chef: a special dessert that changes every week.
Need a quick gift for someone in your life? “We make our own limoncello, and we sell bottles. We sell a lot during the Christmas season. We do lots of presents,” Bennici said. But that’s not all. “There’s spicy olive oil that’s also sold by the bottle; we do this in house as well.”
Image @vitevinosteria via Instagram
Vite Vinosteria features a streetside European atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating, ideal for both a romantic dinner and a large family party. “My partner’s wife is a bit of a designer,” Bennici explained. “So we made a few changes. It’s rustic chic, no? It’s very big, welcoming, and cozy.”
Vite Vinosteria is available for large private events. “We also do a lot of private parties for baby showers, every type of celebration,” Bennici said. “If we have parties of 60, we close the restaurant just for them.”
@vitevinosteria via Instagram
Bennici is excited about Vite Vinosteria’s presence on 31st Avenue and beyond over the next ten years: “We’ve been catering the Mets the last few years. I’ve been an Astorian a long time. I love to see the community change, and everybody is welcome.”
31-05 34th St. / phone: 718.728.8483 / vitevinosteria.com / Google: 4.6
