With its authentic Sicilian cuisine, delicious homemade desserts, and memorable wall murals, Cafe Gia has been a longtime restaurant favorite. But the intimate Little Italy haunt has always been missing one thing—a sit-down bar.
Cafe Gia’s owners have recently taken over the space next door, transforming it into Pane e Vino, a new bar that will specialize in authentic wines and small plates.
“We’ve observed that there’s really a need for us to have a bar—people who come in on a Saturday night, and are willing to wait an hour for a table, have no place to sit,” says Gia D. Blattermann, owner of Cafe Gia. “When the space became available, we just had to go for it.”
Slated to open in early April, Pane e Vino will feature handcrafted cocktails with a focus on aperitivi (think Prosecco, Campari, etc.), a rotating menu of small plates, and—of course—an extensive wine list including authentic Italian vino.
Although offerings like focaccia pizzas, meat and cheese plates, and grilled octopus over mashed garbanzo beans will mirror the eats served at Cafe Gia, Blattermann assures that the new spot will have its own identity. Pane e Vino will also feature happy hour deals, something that Cafe Gia has never been able to fit into its schedule between lunch and dinner service.
To give the community a taste of what’s to come, Pane e Vino is teaming up with Wit & Wisdom’s Aaron Joseph and master Italian liqueur distiller Mateo Meletti to host a pop-up event on Thursday March 12 from 6-8 p.m. Samples of Italian liqueurs and other signature cocktails mixed by Joseph will all be featured for guests to enjoy.
Blattermann says that the event will serve as a soft opening for the bar, and the official opening is scheduled for April.
“Our customers and returning clients have been very supportive, she says. “But this is going to open us up to a new world of folks who are more bar-centric.”