Veteran restaurateur opens fine dining Italian restaurant in Sparkill
Vittorio Lanni has been in the restaurant business for more than 35 years, with a bulk of that time cooking (and owning places) in Florida, especially Palm Beach. Now, the Naples-born Upper Grandview resident has his first venture in Rockland with the May 9th opening of Lanni's Cucina Verace Italiana, a fine dining, dinner-only (for now) Sparkill spot he's running with his son (and fellow chef), Vittorio Junior, and his wife, Kimberly Auth Lanni.
Sparkill inspired him because it's a small town with big restaurant reputation. "There's farm-to-table, there's French and we're the Italian part of what was missing here," he said.
But, he warns, his new 40-seat spot is not your typical Italian restaurant. The elegant space, which formerly had been a preschool, is decorated in floral wallpaper with white tableclothed settings and a multitude of glasses meant for specific wines. The mantra is to celebrate the 20 regions of Italy, which means diners will find dishes inspired by Puglia, Naples, Tuscany, and more.
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Every region, he explained, has its own style of food. Which means a big part of the restaurant's mission is to educate diners, something Lanni is eager to do.
Honoring Italy
Ninety percent of the restaurant's products are imported from Italy. His mozzarella, for example, is flown in to Newark Airport every Friday. He's also using San Marzano tomatoes with the DOP stamp, aka "Denominazioned' Origine Protetta," meaning it's authentically Italian. (The "Protected Designation of Origin" certification means tomato farmers in Italy must follow multiple, specific guidelines.)
The food is inspired by dishes he grew up cooking in the kitchen with his mother in Naples — he started when he was five — and is "real Italian cuisine the way it should be done," he said.
The name Verace (Veh-Ra-Tse), which Lanni phoentically spells on the menu, means, in fact, "real, accurate, genuine and traditional." He refers to his menu as "old school peasant dishes fused with modern day preparations."
That means appetizers like "Mozzarella Di Bufale Per Due," with three styles of imported mozzarella such as Truffled Burrata with wild mushrooms from Puglia, and Buffalo mozzarella, with eight-hour roasted sweet cherry tomatoes, with basil from Naples and Natural Hay Smoked Buffalo with speck from Naples (the dish is meant for two or more).
There's also Pepata Di Cozze, P.E.I. mussels with garlic, pepperoncini, parsley and lemon broth; Linguini Nerri, black squid ink linquini, huge hunks of crab meat and San Marzano cherry tomatoes; and a thick grilled veal chop with Panzanella bread salad, tomato, celery, onion and cured black olives. (You can also get it thinly pounded.)
To pair with everything, there are more than 400 bottles of wine — all Italian and all from 20 regions. "It's not just about Pinot Grigio and Chianti," said Lanni. "Italy has 780 varietals of wine, the most in the world. Our mission is to educate people on the heritage of Italian wines."
Auth Lanni worked in the liquor industry for many years — she was behind the launch of Grey Goose — and helps oversee the beverage program. The couple pride themselves on not just offering Italian wine but also Italian beers, 15 different Italian amaros and 15 different grappas.
Fine dining
As for why Lanni decided to go the fine dining route — a segment of the industry that's suffered since the pandemic and from rising food costs (read lohud's story HERE) — he said the reason was simple: That's the way he likes to eat. Sourcing and serving "the best of the best" has been his motto from his many years in business. "If you're going to be in business here, you have to go for the top and that's what we do. Everything in this dining room, from the glassware to the silverware to the spirits, to, of course, the food, has been well thought out and is as Italian as possible.
"We look forward to having everyone here to enjoy a great dining experience."
If you go
Address: 645 Main St., Sparkill, 845-470-2505, lanniscucina.com
Hours: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Saturday; 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
FYI: The restaurant is not on any reservation apps meaning you must call (like in the old days) to make a reservation.
In the works: An outdoor patio should open mid to late June. Soon after that opens, the restaurant will offer lunch along with Happy Hour.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Sparkill restaurants: Lanni's Cucina Verace Italiana fine dining opens
