Jan. 13, 2016 By Michael Florio
The owners of Vite Vinosteria will branch out to open a new bar featuring Italian draft beers and wine.
Vite Bar, an Italian bar serving beer, wine and tapas, is slated to open at 25-07 Broadway in early February.
We Heart Astoria first reported on the expansion.
The owners used to go to the location for oysters and drinks, back when it was Oyster Café of New York, according to one of the four co-owners, who did not wish to give his name.
The co-owners had considered opening up their own bar and upon learning that this location would be available, they decided to jump on it, the co-owner said.
“We took it over 10 days ago,” he said on Monday. “We plan on remodeling it and opening the first week of February.”
The location attracted them because it is not far from their restaurant (31-05 34th St.) and is near the subway, which they expect will create a lot of foot traffic. All of the owners are from Astoria and did not want to open outside of the neighborhood, according to the co-owner.
Vite Bar will be an authentic Italian bar, he said. It will feature three draft beers, including Menabrea, a popular Italian beer. They are also considering Stella or Peroni, an Italian lager, on tap. Vite Vinosteria does not offer draft beers.
In addition to the draft beers there will be a variety of bottled beers, including Brooklyn East IPA from Brooklyn Brewery.
“We will have something for everyone,” the co-owner said.
It will also have a wide variety of Italian wines, starting out with at least 10 red wines and 10 white wines.
“All the wine will be imported from Italy,” he said.
Vite Bar will also offer happy hour, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
The bar will open in the morning serving a variety of Italian coffees, including espresso and cappuccino, as well as authentic Italian pastries, the co-owner said.
In the afternoon it will serve sandwiches, such as one that will have prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula. It will also offer granita ice cream.
“These are not items you can find at the restaurant,” the co-owner said. “These are more geared for people who want a quick bite on their way to work or the subway.”
The tapas menu will include popular items from Vite Vinosteria, such as polpette con Pecorino, which is meatballs served with Pecorino cheese and tomato sauce, as well as suppli alla romana, which is a fried rice ball served with peas and tartare sauce.
“These are all items that you can enjoy with a glass of wine or beer,” he said. “It will not be full meals like at the restaurant.”
The owners plan on serving brunch on Saturday and Sunday mornings, as well as having live music or DJs on the weekends.
The bar will be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. It can seat 40 people.
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