Two New Haven restaurateurs are partnering for a new concept on Wooster Street, featuring an Italian restaurant, market, gelataria and rooftop bar.
Gioia, by Tim Cabral of Ordinary and Avi Szapiro of the former ROÌA, is a multi-use space featuring fine Italian food and beverages. The new venue formerly housed Tony and Lucille's, which closed in 2019, and is opening in phases later this year at 150 Wooster Street.
Gioia, the Italian word for "joy," will feature a restaurant with "delicious and fun interpretations" on Italian classics, Szapiro said in a press release, with homemade pastas and pizzas, vegetarian and vegan offerings and housemade gelato, which will be served from a window at the corner of Brown Street. A wood-fired grill and rotisserie will "heavily influence" the menu with live fire cooking, he said.
Gioia's market concept, with its own dedicated entrance, will sell Italian provisions, housemade pasta and sauces to cook at home, prepared grab-and-go items and everyday items as a convenience for those living in the neighborhood. It will also have a private dining area with a communal table.
Gioia will open in phases, according to the release, with a three-season rooftop featuring its own seasonal food and beverage menus coming later this year. The gelataria with a streetside window will also open in Gioia's second phase.
Gioia will be open six days a week, including happy hour, weekend brunch and takeout options. It will also have its own dedicated parking lot.
"We are thrilled to be opening our new venture in such an historic part of New Haven and are appreciative of the warm welcome the neighborhood has given us,” said Cabral. “Our goal is to create a welcoming space that the community can enjoy, whether it’s couples out for dinner, a group of friends celebrating a birthday in the restaurant or families grabbing a gelato."
Follow updates on Gioia at @gioianhv.
Original source: https://www.nhregister.com/food/article/gioia-new-haven-ct-17838157.php
