Restaurateur Russell Bellanca (Alfredo of Rome) and Executive Chef Mirco Grassini present their newest culinary venture, Trattoria Cinque. The restaurant is a stylish 250-seater with retro Italian nuances, located at 363 Greenwich Street in Tribeca (212.965.0555). Trattoria Cinque follows the “5” discipline to showcase the five best of everything in Italian cuisine, masterfully prepared yet rustic and homemade. The menu features seasonal fare changing five times a year, all modestly priced under $25. Chalkboard specials and simple classics including Piadinas, Arancini di Riso, Gorgonzola and Pear Pizza, and Lasagna Bolognese emulate a quintessential neighborhood trattoria. Ceasare Salad is prepared to order by a "Cesarista" to excite diners’ visual palates. Signature dishes like a prime cut of Aged Ribeye for $25 celebrate local ingredients and Italian tradition, supported by a value oriented wine list and iconic cocktails.
Trattoria Cinque’s wine list is centered on value and comprised of twenty bottles highlighting the best five Italian whites, reds, and reserves. Sprawling wine racks made of weathered wood house all bottles. Instead of offering wines by the glass, the restaurant offers quartinos, a third of a bottle. This plentiful amount of wine is offered at the same price as regular pours in neighboring establishments. Over 300 wines were tasted by Bellanca and his staff to create a high quality, value oriented list, which includes an exclusive Super Tuscan for $16 per quartino. Five classic Italian cocktails keep company on the beverage list. Fresh squeezed juices are paired with Gin, Aperol, Campari, Averna, and Prosecco to create refreshing libations like an Aperol Spritz and a Blood Orange Campari.
Italian-born Chef Grassini’s varied pedigree traverses twenty years of kitchen expertise. Working at restaurants and hotels in Milan solidified his skill in Italian cuisine while opening restaurants in Argentina and Brazil broadened his worldly scope. He served as an educator at the Academy of Culinary Arts and as executive chef at a private club with design house Dolce & Gabbana. There he met Russell Bellanca who offered Chef Grassini a position at Alfredo of Rome, sparking a collaboration that has continued for ten years. Hailing from a family of successful restaurateurs, Bellanca has opened three restaurants. His extensive travels in Italy allow him to remain current with the country’s best restaurants, food products, and design trends. Trattoria Cinque’s authentic Italian atmosphere is Bellanca’s respectful tribute to his beloved country.
Garrett Singer (Hill Country, Klee Brasserie) designed the space with Bellanca’s vision of authenticity in mind. The dining room mimics a 1960’s trattoria with two fireplaces, oversized booths, and wooden tables that complement a grand Italian marble bar spanning the lounge area. The lighting by designer Tom Dixon consists of a series of sexy black pendant lights suspended above the bar while high-back chairs in Ferrari red and tan flank it. Other Tom Dixon fixtures lacquered in race-car-red hover above the restaurant’s communal seating area with the “Cesarista” as the room’s focal point. Images of new and vintage Vespas, Ducatis, and Maseratis along with other Italian cars, bicycles, and motorcycles will be the dramatic artwork as a tribute to Italy and Tribeca. Exposed floor joyces depict the authenticity of a traditional trattoria with a lofty dining room and high ceilings. Behind it, shelves of imported groceries lend a marketplace feel, enhanced by exposed wine racks. Its vast capacity extends most of the northern wall, anchored by a fireplace. Recessed lighting, skirted by motor oil black wainscoting, sit below bottles of Campari, Aperol, and Averna creating a warm glow from every angle. In addition to the main dining room and café area, there are two private dining rooms equipped with an Egnomatic Wine System for wine enthusiasts.
Trattoria Cinque is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, weekend brunch, with take-out and delivery.
