Pastavino

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Pasta, Wine, and the Trattoria Spirit on Staten Island

Pastavino takes its cue from the casual yet deeply satisfying trattorias and enotecas scattered across Italy — places where good pasta and honest wine are reason enough to linger. Located at Navy Pier Court on Staten Island, the restaurant translates that spirit into a New York setting without losing the warmth of the original.

The Team Behind It

Owner and Beverage Director Victor Rallo leads the operation alongside partner Bob Rallo, Operating Partner John Gorga, and General Manager Conner Forsberg. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Alfredo Medel works under the guidance of Consulting Chef Josh Laurano to execute a menu that is rooted in Italian tradition and shaped by local, seasonal ingredients.

What's on the Plate

The Italian menu is anchored by a fully house-made pasta program — every shape rolled and cut daily in-house. Roman-style focaccia, available in several composed variations, opens the meal and is designed for sharing. Antipasti range from Sicilian-style arancini filled with Wagyu beef and mozzarella to Spanish octopus with crispy potatoes and smoked paprika. The pasta selection covers the full spectrum: a clean Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe, a rich Mafaldine Bolognese built on an eight-hour veal ragù, and an Agnolotti made with a 30-yolk dough filled with corn and mascarpone. Secondi include a hot honey roasted Berkshire pork chop and a 12-ounce Prime New York strip. Desserts lean into Italian classics — a Sicilian cannoli cake for two, a Sorrento lemon cheesecake — alongside gelati and sorbetti handcrafted by Il Laboratorio del Gelato on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

The Wine Program

The bar program is a serious differentiator. The wine list features more than 120 labels drawn exclusively from Italian producers across every region of the country, and it changes regularly as the collection expands. A large amaro and digestivi selection and a seasonal craft cocktail program round out the offering. Wine Spectator has recognized Pastavino with its Award of Excellence every year since the restaurant opened — a consistent acknowledgment of the depth and curation behind the list.

Events and Private Dining

Beyond the main dining room, Pastavino hosts groups of up to 140 guests for private parties and special events, and runs a calendar of regional wine dinners that give regulars a reason to return throughout the year.