New Italian restaurant opens at Eastview Mall. Take a peek inside
Update, April 19, 2023: Nocino is now open seven days a week. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 7 p.m. Sunday.
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Original story, Nov. 29, 2021: A new local Italian restaurant has opened at Eastview Mall.
Nocino is in the massive space previously occupied by Prime Steak House and before that, Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano.
Rochester restaurateur Josh Miles — who owns and operates The Revelry on University Avenue, Parcel 5-adjacent Branca Midtown, and Bitter Honey and Velvet Belly, both at the Rochester Public Market — co-owns and operates Nocino (pronounced no-CHEE-no) with chef Jeremy Nucelli and Chelsea Felton. Both are longtime colleagues of his who also partnered with him on Velvet Belly, a seafood-focused restaurant that opened in June.
Nocino is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It is open for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday.
The menu offers a selection of steaks and chops and classic Italian-American dishes using family recipes and featuring house-made pasta.
The name Nocino refers to a traditional Italian liqueur made in the Emilia-Romagna region from unripe walnuts, and it’s included in Nocino’s signature cocktails, including the espresso martini ($13), Miles said.
He and his partners have transformed their 9,000 square feet of space at Eastview, “And those physical alterations are structural as well as cosmetic,” he said.
An enormous wine “cellar” added to the middle of the dining room by Prime Steak House owners has been removed to add seating.
Large booths and banquettes upholstered in ox-blood red leather have been installed. Checkerboard black-and-white flooring has been put down. Vintage photos, some picturing chef Nucelli’s ancestors, cover the walls.
“We were trying to make you feel comfortable and warm and make it a generous and inviting space,” Miles said.
Lunch menu items include a meatball hoagie with provolone ($14), a chicken Parmesan sandwich ($16) and the Nocino burger ($16), an 8-ounce brisket blend topped with caramelized onions, wild mushrooms, fontina cheese and smoked bacon, and served on a brioche bun. Eggplant and chicken Parmesan ($18 and $21) are among the entrees, and a range of pasta dishes (starting at $16) and pizzas (starting at $12), both regular and gluten-free, are served.
For dinner, antipasti includes Clams Casino ($12) and sauteed calamari ($17), and among the pasta dishes are cacio e pepe ($19) and linguine vongole with little neck clams, white wine, lemon and parsley ($24). As at lunch, pizzas start at $12
Meat eaters’ choices include two 3-ounce tenderloin medallions in bacon gorgonzola butter and a dried cherry and red wine reduction ($38); a roasted 12-ounce pork loin chop with fennel pollen, sweet peppers and provolone; and chicken or veal Marsala ($21 and $26).
Tiramisu ($10) and cannoli ($8) are on the dessert menu.
Paul Fedele is the restaurant’s director of operations.
Biaggi’s closed at Eastview in April 2018 after 15 years. It was the only location in the Northeast for the Italian-themed restaurant chain, which has restaurants throughout the Midwest and in Colorado.
In December 2018, Syracuse-based Prime Steak House opened its second restaurant in the space after its own extensive remodel. It closed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened. The original Prime Steak House continues to operate in downtown Syracuse.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Nocino Italian restaurant opens at Eastview Mall in Victor NY
