If you’ve ever craved some of Eataly’s Neapolitan pizza with a dollop of creamy mozzarella and had your hopes dashed by a mob of wannabe gourmands and tourists, now comes good news.
Zero Otto Nove Trattoria, owned by Bronx patriarch of pizza Robert Paciullo, is opening a 5,500-square-foot restaurant just around the corner at 15 West 21st Street in the former home of the Cadillac Bar. This will be the first Manhattan location for the Bronx pizza place, said to have some of the best pies in the city. “I just came back [from the new space], and he made it look like a trattoria,” said Newmark (NMRK) Knight Frank‘s Barbara Yagoda, who represented the landlord. “With bricks and stucco and little archways. It feels like you’re in Italy.”
Mario Batali, the Croc-wearing force behind Eataly, has been credited with spawning a restaurant revival in the area. “It brings the neighborhood alive,” said Ms. Yagoda. “I think restaurants like to be where other restaurants are. If you don’t get into one …”
To wit, a Japanese-French fusion restaurant, 21 Grams, is also opening downstairs. In addition, it will have a little retail shop, selling teapots and other accessories, in a spot designed by Gene Kaufman.
The asking rent for both spaces was $275,000 per year, and the deals were for 10 years, according to Ms. Yagoda. Warren Newcorn of Newcorn Realty represented Zero Otto. Mike Yamamoto of Sun Pop Realty repped 21 Grams.
lkusisto@observer.com
