Salvucci’s Ristorante Ushers Old School Italian Into the East Village (Demo)

The East Village food scene is filling back in again after several notable restaurant closures; over on J Street, Oscar’s Mexican Seafood has replaced TOAST Enoteca & Cucina and we’re hearing that a local hospitality group has something in the pipeline for the former Table No. 10. And today, the RMD Group announced that it will be taking over the space vacated by Comun Taqueria last November.

RMD Group, whose high-profile projects include the Gaslamp’s FLUXX nightclub, Don Chido and Rustic Root, is venturing east to open Salvucci’s Ristorante, which will specialize in “authentic, home-style Italian cuisine”. Inspired by the group’s East Coast Italian roots and named for one of the partner’s grandparents, the menu will be based on family recipes (including osso buco, spaghetti alle vongole, housemade gnocchi and eggplant involtini), implemented by chef Michael Marino. The kitchen will also bake up pizzas ranging from the classic Margherita to the “Fig & Pig” made with smoked bacon, figs, fontina and mozzarella cheese.

Scheduled to open by late April or early May, Salvucci’s will serve lunch and dinner daily. Moderate structural changes are being done to the space, which will feature copper tables and old school images of Italian families, plus a 12-seat bar pouring Italian and California wines and signature cocktails.