May 21, 2024
Provided Image/Mike Prince
Vita's new Italian restaurant is connected to the gelato shop at 261 S. 17th St.
Since they opened their gelato parlor in Rittenhouse in the fall, the owners of Vita have quietly been planning an Italian restaurant on the other side of a Ferrari-red door that looks like a refrigerator.
At the end of May, Massimo and Ana Boni will open that door and start dinner service for their new concept at 261 S. 17th St.
“We’ve put a ton of hours into perfecting this space and making it our own with a vision we’ve had since the day we decided to open a restaurant," the couple said in a statement. "We’re excited to finally let our guests see what’s behind the red door.”
Vita's reservation-only restaurant will be led by executive chef Juan Luis Urdaneta, a Venezuelan who previously ran taco shops and another Italian restaurant, Flora, in Colombia before moving to the United States. The menu will feature a selection of starters, homemade pasta and entrees.
The pasta dishes will incorporate classical carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and interpretations on bottoni and balanzoni. Entrees include bistecca alla fiorentina, chicken al mattone and sea bass puttanesca.
Starters cost between $8 and $18, pasta dishes are $21 to $26, and entrees range from $32 to $42.
The space — formerly the Italian restaurant Branzino — features a dining room and bar, garden seating and a private dining room.
Hours for the new restaurant will be Thursdays from 5-10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5-11 p.m., and Sundays from 5-9 p.m. Reservations can be booked on Resy starting May 24. The gelato shop will maintain its current hours Tuesday through Sunday.
