[Kalina, 6/1/06.]
Centovini, the Soho restaurant that was born a wine bar and adjacent wine store (a partnership between design store Moss and the owners of the wine bar/restaurant combo I Trulli), makes the papers twice today. Both Flo Fab and Steve Cuozzo have news from owner Nicola Marzovilla.
Flo Fab: The concept at Centovini has been thoroughly overhauled. What started at a wine bar and shop is now a restaurant and private dining room. "Nicola Marzovilla’s SoHo wine bar and wine store is now a restaurant with 90 seats. Patti Jackson is still the chef. A private dining room has replaced the wine shop..."
Cuozzo: Marzovilla has also struck a deal to be somewhat of an official restaurant for Soho Mews, a condo under construction four blocks south on West Broadway. "Centovini will not only deliver vivid Puglia-inspired dishes to Soho Mews several blocks away - it will also offer residents VIP bookings at the restaurant, as well as the chance to have popular executive chef Patti Jackson come to one's own pad and cook."
In light of the success of nearby Pegu Club, which has to be putting a dent in Centovini's bar business, and what were very good Italian bar snacks at Centovini when it was a wine bar, it's the right move for Marzovilla to give the place a shot as a restaurant. The condo deal seems right, too (although it's a safe bet that at the right price Patti Jackson will come to your luxury condo anywhere in the five boroughs and cook). But here's one wild card to consider: The storefront one north of Soho Mews is the now-shuttered flash-in-the-pan Soho 323. If a serious restaurant entry winds up in there, Centovini is going to get a lot less out of this deal than the paper terms would suggest.
· Bagels & Luxe [NYP]
· Off the Menu: Centovini [NYT]
