Buona Sera, New York! It’s time to brush up on your Italian, because a brand new Roman-inspired eatery is gearing up to open in the East Village.
Caffe Corretto is a new Roman-inspired caffe and restaurant from owners Colin Vickery and Leah Blewett. Colin is a well-established hospitality veteran with years of experience in the industry, and previously served as General Manager at Jose Andres’s celebrated Spanish Diner. Prior to that, he served as Beverage Manager for Stephen Starr’s landmark restaurant Buddakan in Philadelphia. His vision for Caffe Corretto is borne out of a longstanding dream of his to serve as a collegial tavern keeper for his neighborhood.
Leah Blewett meanwhile is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality business. As both the co-owner and marketing director of Caffe Corretto, Leah will be drawing from her experience as the principal of Gooder Grammar Inc., a digital communications consultancy that will provide crucial marketing, design, photography, and copy support to the restaurant. Together, Leah and Colin will launch an innovative, “morning to midnight, double-f-caffe for the Eternal City that Never Sleeps.”
Drawing inspiration from Roman dining traditions, Caffe Corretto derives its name from an Italian drink meaning “corrected coffee” – an espresso that is “corrected” with a little bit of extra booze. This philosophy, of taking something great and somehow making it even better, is exactly what inspired Colin and Leah and to open up a restaurant of their own, hoping to capture the very essence of Roma in their home in New York.
Operating daily from 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Caffe Corretto will undergo three different transformations throughout the day. In the mornings, guests can enjoy an invigorating caffe and breakfast sandwiches, while the menu will expand at lunchtime to include a wide array of Roman-style pizzas. In the evenings, the menu will add Rome’s “four great pastas”, and late at night – “Anything Goes”. Additionally, the planned menu will rotate according to the season and available ingredients. Of course, the restaurant will also serve a robust selection of Italian wines, beers, and cocktails, to help you better “correct” your espresso.
At the moment, Caffe Corretto is currently slated to open up at 511 East 12th Street, moving into the space was previously occupied by Raclette, a popular French eatery that offered upscale sandwiches in a warm and inviting environment. Colin and Leah are currently in the process of acquiring a liquor license for the space, and are getting ready to meet with the community board to propose their new operation. For more information as the team continues to develop their new restaurant, you can follow Caffe Corretto’s recently launched Instagram page.
