The once-classic Upper East Side Italian restaurant Coco Pazzo will make a splashy return after a ten-year hiatus, six miles south of its original location. Storied owner Pino Luongo — who famously fired Anthony Bourdain after two months on the job — has taken over the old Milady’s space in Soho and will use that location to bring his flagship restaurant back.
When Coco Pazzo was open — from 1990 to 2008 — it was credited as spawning the many homey trattorias that now dot NYC. With this revival, it will keep up with the times by having both a full-service and a fast-casual portion, Grub Street reports.
At the restaurant, expect lots of old-school hospitality and trendy-again tableside service with signature dishes like bistecca alla Fiorentina, seafood stew, salt-crusted whole fish, and souffle. New will be a piatto unico, or a one-plate meal of an entree, with pasta, salads, and beans, for example. Meanwhile, Coco Pazzo Kitchen — the fast-casual part — will have quick salads, sandwiches, and soups for lunch.
This new direction is a change of plans after Luongo said in April he was going to use that space for a new concept from a younger chef. Eater has reached out to Luongo to find out what prompted the switch.
Luongo has a reputation in the industry as a hot-headed restaurateur, butting heads in the past with Mario Batali, Michael White, and Andrew Carmellini. At one time, Luongo ran a mini-empire of restaurants like l Cantinori, Sapore di Mare in the Hamptons, Le Madri in Chelsea, and Tuscan Square, but after bankruptcy issues, his only remaining open restaurant at the moment is Morso in Midtown East.
Coco Pazzo is set to revive itself this October. Stay tuned for more.