(I was invited as a guest to this establishment. All opinions expresses in this review are my own.)

I was recently invited to review Mozzarella & Vino, a brand new spot opened by veteran restaurateurs Gianfranco & Paula Sorrentino of Il Gattopardo and Leopard at des Artistes fame.

Located in the old Il Gattopardo space, right opposite the MOMA, Mozzarella & Vino is housed in a chic, inviting space that is filled with warmth and authenticity.

 

 

Mozzarella & Vino distinguishes itself from it sibling restaurants by offering a seasonally inspired small plate menu with an emphasis on  Mozzarella di Bufala Campania DOP, Italian cheeses and affettati.

This affordable enoteca style restaurant also offers a full bar and an extensive wines list. This is one of the first spots in New York City to use an Enomatic wine serving system, which allows them to store unique high-end wines.

The kitchen is supervised by Chef Vito Gnazzo of Il Gattopardo and The Leopard and helmed by Antonio Savino. The menu at Mozzarella & Vino is quite simple but the flavors are truly authentic and the quality of food really shines. The best of ingredients are flown in twice a week from small artisanal farms in Italy. One can tell that in this kitchen there are no short cuts – everything is made fresh from scratch and is all really delicious.

Mozzarella & Vino is open everyday from 11:00 AM to 10 PM. The genuine affection and care taken of anyone who walks through the doors of Mozzarella & Vino is palpable. Its almost like you are welcomed home when you set foot in here and are pampered the whole way through with great food and wine.

Here is some of what we ate:

 

Bread Basket

 

 

Zucchini and Calamari fritti with spicy tomato sauce

 

 

Affettati & Fromagi

 

 

Smoked Mozzarella with Cherry Tomato Suace

  

 

Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Riccotta

 

 

Meatballs

 

 

Apple crostata with smoked mozzarella gelato

 

 

Mascarpone chocolate mousse cake