STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A new Italian restaurant will be coming to 31 Page Ave. Underway in that space is a South Shore rendition of Panini Grill, a concept known as “Tutto Apposto.”
That Page Avenue address in Richmond Valley might sound familiar as it was formerly home to Cafe Luna for about three decades. That outpost quietly closed in July, but the business still operates in its Grasmere and New Jersey locations.
A name from viral posts
Tutto Apposto takes its name from co-owner Peter Macri’s serendipitously famous social media posts. He started the colorful sketches from the Panini Grill kitchen last year, ending each with ”non ti preoccupare tutto apposto.” The catch phrase — translating to “Whenever you dine here, don’t worry” — caught on, earning the self-made food star new fans in the tens of thousands.
Macri and his partner, Anthony Mentesana, shortened the expression to just “tutto apposto” or simply “don’t worry.”
Macri said, “We’re going to collab with Panini Grill, going to continue to grow the brand. At Tutto Apposto, we have a beautiful bar, a party room. We’ve already booked dozens of parties.”
He explained, “As soon as you walk in you’re going to see the pizza oven right in front of you. The rooms will have Venetian plaster, lots of greenery and feel like something like in Tuscany or Positano.
Macri promised, “When you walk into the restaurant you’re not going to know you’re on Page Avenue.”
A handful of Panini Grill menu items will carry over to the South Shore. But the new place will take shape with a more rustic, Southern Italian focus, house-made pasta plus artisan pizza, said Macri.
Coming from the 800-degree oven will be fish and steak, along with a unique dough item.
“Instead of panini we’re making panuozzo,” said Macri. Panuozzo is a Neapolitan creation that turns pizza dough and its toppings into a stuffed, pressed sandwich.
Macri said, “We’re in the construction phase on Page Avenue that’s a re-branding for Tutto Apposto.”
Panini Grill in West Brighton offers Italian fare but Tutto Apposto will be more rustic with Neapolitan panuozzo. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)The Panini Grill ‘baby’
But as far as Forest Avenue is concerned, it will stay the same.
“That’s my baby,” said Macri. “A lot of the customers from the North Shore have been begging me to come to the South Shore. People at my local gym, supermarket, even on social media — they say, ‘Please open on the South Shore.’”
Panini Grill offers a popular Sunday brunch and has added a private party room extension — Il Giardino. It also installed a new climate-controlled wine cellar which holds 500 bottles. An expanded wine list includes more breadth of California and Italian varietals, said Macri.
Macri and Mentesana also own Casa Nino’s Pizza Bar at 1281 Arthur Kill Road, Arden Heights; 718-317-8400, casaninosi.com. Both Panini Grill — 538 Forest Ave., West Brighton, paninigrillsi.com — and Casa Nino are open daily. Tutto Apposto will be closed on Mondays when it opens in October.
Tutto Apposto can be reached by mail until it opens at tuttoappostosi24@gmail.com.
Pamela Silvestri is Advance/SILive.com food editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
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