The former Toscana has morphed into a modern Italian restaurant and wine bar featuring (later in the evenings) a high-energy lounge with rotating live DJs, craft cocktails, and 60 wines-by-the-glass. In tony, sedate Greenwich, Connecticut? That’s right. “The space lends itself to more of a social and interactive destination,” says Paul Ardaji Jr., president of Palm Beach, Florida-based Groove Dining Group. “The goal of Vinoteca is filling a void in the Greenwich dining and nightlife scene.”
Adjacent to the dining room is the lounge featuring high-top communal tables, Old Hollywood half-moon banquette and booth seating, and cocktail ottomans and comfy sofas covered in deep red fabrics and gray leather.
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A wood-fired oven and display kitchen (overseen by Chef Jesus Alvarez, previously of Toscana) are in the center of the space. Chitarra pasta with house-made meatballs and fresh tomato; sea scallops over cauliflower purée with crispy prosciutto and mustard; and chicken scarpariello with hot cherry peppers, sautéed spinach, and spicy sausage are dishes to sample. Pastas cost $16 to $19, pizzas cost $15 to $18, and most entrées are $23 to $31. Pastry Chef Keith Baylen makes desserts in-house.
You’d be remiss if you didn’t order the signature drink: a fig Martini made with house-made fig vodka, a splash of PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, pear nectar, and vanilla syrup.
Vinoteca Restaurant & Wine Bar
33 Lewis St, Greenwich, CT
(203) 661-2354
www.vinotecagreenwich.com
