Spotlighting “elevated comfort food,” American bistro Vittoria (16524 Manchester) in Wildwood will reveal a new menu, new look, and a revolutionary way of cooking when it hosts its grand opening April 21. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
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The former Craft Eats and Drinks in the Schnucks Wildwood Crossing has blended several concepts to create “a neighborhood gathering place that’s not pretentious,” says general manager Vince Anderson.
The restaurant is introducing cooking with hydrogen, an innovative way to keep proteins tender and juicy while using renewable energy, rather than fossil fuels. “It’s cutting-edge technology,” says Anderson, noting that moisture is retained in the protein, “even if it’s well-done.”
At the same time, Kutz notes, “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. The owners had a vision for the rebrand, and we’re ecstatic with the way it’s turned out. It’s a really exciting time.”
For the moment, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner (staying open until 10 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on weekends), but closed on Sundays and Mondays, though Anderson says the aim is to eventually open seven days a week.
The Menu
A variety of appetizers, salads, entrées, burgers, flatbreads, pizza (including gluten-free and with a cauliflower crust), and more are available, along with daily specials and soups. Customers can enjoy casual pub food, such as chicken wings and charcuterie boards, or more elevated fare, such as pan-seared scallops on a bed of vegetable orzo finished in a saffron cream sauce with a tomato caper relish.
Specialty appetizers include a wild mushroom lobster cake with creole remoulade; house-made potato skins stuffed with beef tenderloin and caramelized onions, as well as a choice of cheddar or bleu cheese; and flash-fried Brussels sprouts topped with Parmesan and red pepper, served with lime mayo and spicy aioli.
Beef dishes include house-braised short rib meat with jalapeño macaroni and cheese or with fresh pappardelle noodles and a goat cheese cream sauce; house-ground chuck burgers; and meatloaf, ribeyes, strip steaks, a thin-sliced prime rib sandwich, and a grilled tenderloin steak sandwich. A noteworthy new dish: a 16-ounce bone-in ribeye steak served with Yukon Gold fingerling potatoes and chef’s vegetables (pictured below).
Bar manager Jackie Kutz also strives for a well-rounded list of specialty cocktails and wine. The Spicy Peach Margarita (with peach moonshine, tequila, house-made jalapeno-infused simple syrup, fresh sour mix and a splash of fresh lime juice), for instance, is popular, and an espresso martini is a mainstay. There are also 35 beers are on tap and 20 bourbons available.
During happy hour (Mon-Fri 4:30 to 6:30) cocktails, beer, and wine are discounted and menu appetizers are half price.
The Team
Anderson has been working in restaurants since age 14, starting as a dishwasher. Over time, Anderson spent more than four decades as a chef, with such former restaurant as JackSons’ in Dogtown, Agave Mexican Table & Tequileria in The Grove, and Chuy Arzola’s in Midtown. “I wanted to get out of the kitchen,” he notes. “Jackie and I work really well together. No way could I have done this without Jackie. Every little detail matters to us. We are both very focused on the guests.”
Kutz is also an industry veteran, who’s worked at the same location for eight years and has a passion for catering to the bar crowd. “It’s really special to me to be on a first-name basis with customers,” she says. “They are really loyal to us—we’re so blessed.”
