FOUNTAIN HILL, Pa. – A year after a fire extensively damaged a popular Lehigh Valley restaurant, the family-run business’ owners have made a culinary comeback with a new dining establishment, spotlighting top dishes in a fresh new space.
Husband and wife Giacomo and Victoria Sgroi, who operated Nonna Sulina’s Sicilian Kitchen & Grill at 5000 Bath Pike in Hanover Township, Northampton County, will host a grand opening of their new full-service Italian restaurant – Tinto Tapas & Pasta – 4-6 p.m. July 31 at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
The event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local dignitaries, and individuals making dinner reservations that night will be able to arrive early – anytime between 4 and 6 p.m. – to enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drinks such as sangria, Giacomo said.
“The community is continuing to support us, and we are very thankful,” Giacomo added.
Tinto, which held a soft opening on March 20, has garnered rave reviews and continued to evolve over the past few months.
Originally, the restaurant was operating as a BYOB establishment, but in mid-July, it received its liquor license. A full bar now serves a wide array of beer, wine and classic and signature cocktails.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Nonna Sulina’s was a BYOB establishment, and Tinto will continue to offer that option on Sundays only, Giacomo said.
“For anyone who misses being able to bring their own bottle of wine at Nonna Sulina’s, they’ll still be able to do that on Sundays at Tinto,” Giacomo said.
Another new aspect at Tinto is its upper-level spaces.
On Thursday, July 24, the restaurant is debuting its second-floor lounge and outdoor deck, available to customers 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Giacomo said.
Guests will be able to enjoy drinks and small plates in the upper-level spaces, which also are available for private events, Giacomo said.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
The outdoor deck, situated above an outdoor dining patio, features new and refurbished furniture, umbrellas, heaters and plants.
“It’s a beautiful spot to relax with a drink and some small bites with friends,” Giacomo said.
Tinto occupies an updated building that previously housed Game Time Sports Bar & Grille, which closed last summer after three years of business.
The restaurant, featuring new light fixtures, wall paint, artwork and other cosmetic touches, offers interior seating for more than 100 guests in multiple dining rooms on the main floor.
Guests can choose from a menu of various Italian tapas, salads, handhelds, entrees and pasta selections, with many options being popular dishes from Nonna Sulina’s.
More than a dozen tapas, or small plates designed for sharing, include popular picks such as arancini, clams casino dip, coconut shrimp cocktail, goat cheese lamb pops, Uncle Phil’s brasciole, Uncle Paulie’s meatballs and Italian nachos (traditional Sicilian meat sauce served over crunchy fresh pasta “tortillas” baked with mixed Italian cheeses and topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, garlic bruschetta and basil pesto bechamel drizzle).
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Additionally, squash blossom Cinderella, a former special at Nonna Sulina’s, is now a fixture on Tinto’s menu. The dish features zucchini flowers stuffed with mixed cheeses, battered and fried, and served in Giacomo’s sauce with dried cranberries over spinach.
Customers also can enjoy handhelds (served with fries or side salad) on semolina bread such as the Corleone meatball parm, Goodfella chicken parm and Paisano (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, basil olive oil, salt, pepper and sweet balsamic drizzle); entrees such as chicken or veal Marsala, salmon or chicken piccata and Nonna’s ragu (meatballs, ribs and pork braciole in Nonna’s Sunday sauce with choice of pasta).
Around a dozen pasta dishes, including popular options such as brandy blush, shrimp scampi, traditional alfredo and wild board Bolognese, are available with your choice of pasta: angel hair, linguini, rigatoni, pappardelle, gluten-free pasta or homemade gnocchi.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Other menu highlights include various burrata selections, salads such as Tinto Caesar and caprese and sides such as sauteed spinach and mixed vegetables.
Specials are also available, with this weekend’s dinner specials including tapas such as lobster bisque and crab cake portabella and entrees such as lobster ravioli and chicken Florentine.
In 2022, the Sgrois introduced a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wheel at Nonna Sulina’s to much fanfare, and they briefly offered it at Tinto.
The experience, which will likely return to Tinto within the next few months, involves cooking homemade pasta in the kitchen before then placing it into a hollowed-out cheese wheel in the dining room, allowing guests to watch as the pasta’s heat melts the cheese, which in turn coats the pasta.
Nonna Sulina’s
“The cheese wheel is a big hit, and we’ll reintroduce it in the fall,” Giacomo said. “The dishes are pretty heavy for the summertime heat and so we backed off it for a bit, but it will definitely be back.”
The Sgrois, along with Giacomo’s father, Phillip Sgroi, opened Nonna Sulina’s – offering “traditional Sicilian cuisine with an inventive twist” – in March 2020 during the onset of the pandemic.
Phillip helped Tinto get off the ground in its first few weeks, but he moved to Italy in early spring, Giacomo said.
The love of cooking has deep roots in the Sgroi family, and the father and son opened Nonna Sulina’s with a desire to share that longtime passion with the Lehigh Valley.
Giacomo, who also serves as executive chef, grew up in Carini, Sicily, where he spent many days and evenings in the kitchen with his maternal “nonna,” which means grandmother in Italian.
He would also scuba dive for fresh seafood for his father’s coastal restaurant, Trattoria Pescatore.
Coincidentally, Giacomo’s paternal grandmother was also known as Sulina, but his “Nonna Sulina” on his mother’s side is who he credits for instilling in him a love for cooking.
She took him to the family garden to pick fresh figs for fig jam, taught him how to sun-dry tomatoes and made sure that he respected the importance of fresh, high-quality ingredients.
“She had a lot of knowledge in the kitchen, and she had a lot of influence on me,” Giacomo said.
At Nonna Sulina’s, the Sgrois built a loyal following thanks to the restaurant’s friendly service, welcoming atmosphere and fresh, made-from-scratch dishes.
To further serve the Lehigh Valley, the family in November 2023 opened Nonna’s Italian Market – offering authentic Italian bread, homemade pasta, pastries and more – a few miles south of Nonna Sulina’s.
Earlier this year, the Sgrois sold the Schoenersville Road market to the Crivellaro family – brothers Al and Michael and Michael’s children, Mikey and Tana – who changed the market’s name to Grazia’s Italian Market.
In Fountain Hill, Tinto occupies a renovated building that’s been home to a variety of dining establishments over the years.
Tinto Tapas & Pasta operates at 1028 Broadway in Fountain Hill.
Ryan Kneller
Prior to Game Time, the structure housed French fine-dining restaurant Saranda’s on Broadway, and before that, it was home to casual American eatery Benner Street Restaurant.
Tinto operates 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1-9 p.m. Sundays.
For the latest Tinto updates, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: tinto1028.com.