Buongiorno New York! A brand new Italian restaurant is currently gearing up to open in Hell’s Kitchen, but you might want to brush up on your Italian before visiting…
Italian 101 is a brand new restaurant from Long Beach restaurateur Thomas Corning. Simple yet elevated, Corning’s new restaurant will demonstrate mastery of the fundamentals of Italian cuisine. Corning is going back to the basics, serving the traditional pizza and pasta entrees you would expect but with a level of craft and precision that will refine the recipes that so many New Yorkers have come to love.
Prior to his expansion into Manhattan, Corning previously operated Minnesota’s, a Long Beach staple that has been in operation since 1994. Offering beachside bites and beverages year-round, Minnesota’s is a fixture of the neighborhood and is especially beloved by locals. Known for hosting popular events and happy hours, Corning’s restaurant is lead by a top-rated chef and staffed by kind and welcoming employees.
Now, Corning will be opening his newest concept, Italian 101, at 204 Ninth Avenue. Formerly the home of (one of) Famous Original Ray’s Pizza, the space is surprisingly spacious for a pizza joint, offering enough room to comfortably seat 50 guests around its tables and an additional 20 guests around its central stand-up bar. Famous Original Ray’s Pizza was a famous, but not quite original, pizza shop that followed the recipes established by famed restaurateur Rosolino Mangano.
While the story is interesting enough to write an entire book about (and is seriously worth looking up,), the question of which Ray’s Pizza can truly be considered the “original” has rankled New Yorkers for over 50 years. Making a long story short, there are now at least 49 different pizza restaurants in the city operating under derivations of the name “Ray’s Pizza”. In the opinion of locals though, the Ray’s on Ninth was one of the best, so residents are sad to see it go.
Italian 101 is sure to be a welcome replacement, though. Serving up plenty of pizza in its traditional brick oven, Italian 101 is also expected to offer premium pasta selections like lobster ravioli, gnocchi pesto, linguine de mare, and cavatelli spiga. Corning is currently in the process of applying for a full liquor, beer, and wine license for his new restaurant, so guests will be able to enjoy their favorite cocktails and wines alongside freshly baked pizza.
