Photo: QueensPost
Aug. 13, 2013 Staff Report
An up-scale Italian restaurant opened this past weekend in the space that was occupied by Tapenade Bistro (44-07 on Queens Blvd).
The restaurant, called Venturo Osteria & Wine Bar, offers Italian-inspired cuisine, using products from local greenmarkets. (see menu below)
The restaurant is currently undergoing a soft opening, where it is providing dinner service from 6 until 9 p.m through Thursday. From that point on, it will serve dinner seven days a week from 5 until 11 p.m.
The restaurant is owned and operated by three people who run restaurants together in Astoria.
The owners—Giusepe Falco, Leonard Sacco and Michelle Vido—will model the Queens Blvd. restaurant after “Vesta trattoria and wine bar”, a restaurant they own located at 21-02 30th Avenue.
Venturo, however, is already viewed as Vesta’s big brother. “Venturo is slightly bigger and has a full cocktail license,” said Theron Day, the manager of Venturo. Vesta only has a wine and beer license.
Furthermore, some of the noodles will be made from scratch at Venturo, before being transported to Vesta.
The owners also have a restaurant called “Pachanga Patterson”, which offers Mexican-styled cuisine. It is located at 33-17 31st Avenue.
Venturo, with its hardwood floors and exposed brick walls, seats about 50 people. A backyard patio, which could cater 20 people, is still being renovated. Day said that they hope to have it open in a few weeks—before summer comes to an end.
The owners plan to introduce a weekend brunch within the next two weeks—opening the restaurant between 11:00 am and 3:30 pm.
Theron Day, the manager
