Masseria dei Vini

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Puglia Meets Hell's Kitchen

Masseria dei Vini on 9th Avenue is a collaboration built on shared roots. Co-owners Peppe Iuele and Enzo Ruggiero grew up together on the isle of Capri, and Executive Chef Pino Coladonato was raised on a farm in Puglia. That origin shapes everything on the plate: legumes — fava beans, chickpeas, lentils — remain a core element of Chef Pino's cooking, a direct line back to the farmhouse kitchen where he first learned to cook with what the land offered.

The Kitchen

Chef Pino spent 14 years at Sette Mezzo before joining Peppe and Enzo to build the menu at La Masseria, and he brings that same sensibility to Masseria dei Vini. Pasta is made in-house daily — the Instagram feed catches the morning ritual of flour and eggs, dough rolled and cut with care. Signatures include squid ink spaghetti with fresh baby clams, homemade caciotta cheese ravioli in a light Capri-style tomato sauce, and orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage — a quietly perfect expression of southern Italian cooking. Pizzas follow the traditional Neapolitan method, with DOP-certified ingredients sourced directly from Italy.

The Wine

Enzo's passion for wine goes back to childhood, stomping grapes at his grandfather's vineyard in Capri. At Masseria dei Vini he has assembled what the restaurant describes as a rare and creative wine list — a step beyond the standard Italian-American offering. The restaurant holds a Wine Spectator award, recognition that the list is taken seriously. Wine pairing is a natural part of the experience here, not an afterthought.

The Room

Interior designer Libby Langdon, who also shaped the La Masseria restaurants, brought a more contemporary sensibility to this space. When evening falls, the dining room shifts — the Instagram caption says it plainly: "when the daylight completely fades, the dining room…" The suggestion is warmth and transformation, a room that earns its atmosphere rather than decorating for it.

Recognition

Gambero Rosso's 2026 guide includes Masseria dei Vini among its recognized addresses in New York City — a meaningful nod from Italy's most authoritative food and wine publication to a restaurant that has stayed true to its southern Italian identity while planting itself firmly in Hell's Kitchen.