(Photo: TF Cornerstone)
May 15, 2014 By Christian Murray
An upscale Italian restaurant is opening on the ground floor at 46-10 Center Boulevard that will include an outdoor patio area with sweeping views of Manhattan.
The restaurant will be owned, in part, by Rocco Sacramone, the owner and head chef at the acclaimed Astoria eatery Trattoria L’incontro, who spoke at a Community Board 2 committee meeting Wednesday.
The restaurant, which has yet to be named, will be 8,000 square feet and will seat 178 in the dining area, 26 at the bar and about 60 in the patio area. That patio area faces the back of the Pepsi sign and out onto the East River.
Trattoria L’incontro, which opened at 21-76 31st Ave. in Astoria in 1999, is among the highest ranked Italian restaurants in New York City, according Zagat. The restaurant is known for its high-end pasta dishes and wine selection.
Sacramone said that the menu at the Center Boulevard location will be very similar to his Astoria restaurant.
Sacramone said he selected Hunters Point as a place to open a second restaurant since it is a vibrant area and is close to his existing restaurant.
Sacramone, an Astoria resident, has two business partners, Robert Briskin and Tommy Demaras, both of whom live on Center Boulevard.
The new restaurant is expected to open by the end of the year.
16 Comments
Any update on this restaurant?
Clearly you guys have not eaten at L’Incontro. This is one of the top italian restaurants in NYC. This is not just a neighborhood place. This is handmade pasta, incredible branzino, racks of lamb, mascarpone stuffed grouper; I mean wake up people! I was at his place last week and had a heirloom tomato, strawberry, and basil sorbet salad! The space is gorgeous and it would be a perfect fit for Rocco! With this level of food and service, the rest of the neighborhood will have to step up their game. The best part is he is fairly priced on top of everything else.
Another Italian place, geez!
A decent grocery store that’s not as high
Priced as food cellar please! Even whole
Foods has better prices!
L’incontro is more hype than substance unfortunately, I foresee another mediocre Italian restaurant (Testaccio, Bella Via, Manetta’s) that you could find in any suburb of Long Island.
Testaccio is far from mediocre.
A Hardware store is coming if my sources are correct 🙂 Somewhere near 5th and 47th …
I first experiences Chef Rocco’s cuisine when he owned a Pizzeria and very very small restaurant (with incredible food at cheap prices) on 31st Ave 15 years ago and love his large Astoria place.
As others have stated- LIC is in for a treat!
@Great
All the places on the water are destination spots filled with riff raff. None of the restaurants on Center Blvd are truly good restaurants with that magic combo of décor & food & service. And that’s fine for Center Blvd, keep it that way.
You want quality, you go to Vernon or Jackson.
BTW – L’incontro in Astoria was an excellent spot long ago, before it started to go downhill. Lets hope Rocco brings back some of the old touches.
I don’t get it? How many upscale restaurants must there be in this neighborhood? I’m sure there will be an exodus of folks soon if a grocery store or corner store doesn’t open soon.
Wonderful, another destination spot to be filled with riff raff
@Anonymous – it’s going to be upscale.
If you’ve had the pleasure at eating at Rocco’s restaurant in Astoria you know that something special is coming to LIC.
A grocery store is opening in the Gantry Park Landing building by the end of the year. It is called Urban Market.
to all the folks that keep asking for grocery options or hardware stores, do the math, and you’ll see why that won’t fly. you’re not in kansas anymore, this is a luxury area now.
welcome!
Another Italian restaurant? Sigh. Maybe it’ll force the others to improve…
Was really hoping for another grocery option or hardware store or something new in that space.