Italian favorite Via Della Pace opens in new East Village home on 4th Street

Photos by Stacie Joy 

A new era begins for Giovanni Bartocci (above and below, left) and Marco Ventura at Via Della Pace. (The two also recently opened the small grocery Via Della Scrofa at 60 E. Fourth St.)

Last night, the restaurant had a soft opening in its new home at 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery... after months of delays while waiting for approvals on various permits and licenses. 

As Bartocci told us at the start of the year: "We are close — very, very close to opening. Close to opening sounds funny, but we have been almost ready since the end of July, but nothing is playing on our side. We are stubborn, and we don’t give up!" 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by Via Della Pace for the opening last night...

Via Della Pace, which first opened in 2002, lost its home during the devastating fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street in December 2020. VDP had been closed since a previous fire on Feb. 10, 2020. 

At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever reopen on Seventh Street. The Dec. 5 disaster took care of that, as workers had to demolish the five-floor building. 

You can follow Via Della Pace on Instagram for updates.

No. 87 had been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• The first look at the all-new Via Della Pace on 4th Street

The first look at the all-new Via Della Pace on 4th Street

Text and photos by Stacie Joy

I’m back at Via Della Scrofa to meet with co-owner Giovanni Bartocci and get a sneak peek at Via Della Pace’s new location at 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Business partner and co-owner Marco Ventura keeps tabs on the alimentari while Bartocci takes me down the block to see the renovated space as they ready it for opening. 

While here, I ask for an update on Bartocci’s expired E-2 visa. (He was back in Italy as of yesterday.) In addition, we talk about the fires in the previous location in 2020 after 17 years in service, the status of the new space, and the immigration issues that have forced Bartocci to temporarily leave the United States.

What’s the status of the new home for Via Della Pace?

We are close — very, very close to opening. Close to opening sounds funny, but we have been almost ready since the end of July, but nothing is playing on our side. We are stubborn, and we don’t give up!

You posted on Instagram in 2020 that you were able to salvage the original sign from Seventh Street. Will there be anything else from the original restaurant here?

Thank God the first fire [Feb. 10] wasn’t as bad as the second [Dec. 5]. And the most important thing, no one got severely injured or worse, and the only damage we had was mainly from the water. 

We didn’t have a single flame inside, and we were able to save most of all the memorabilia and tables — the soul of VDP is going to be there!    

How did you mark the 1st anniversary of the fire this past Dec. 5?

I just stopped by and cried a bit. It is really painful for me every time I pass by! I miss VDP every single day — it was just magical. 

You mentioned that your E-2 visa has expired, and you are being forced to leave the country until you can reapply. Are you comfortable talking about the visa issue? 

What can I say? Since Feb. 10, 2020, everything went wrong, and my visa problem is just a consequence of all these crazy events. For sure, I can tell you I wasn’t very lucky but considering what is happening in the world, I’m alive and still fighting, so I should reconsider the word luck. Plus, after two years I will see my family again. Yes, I must go back to Italy, but you will not get rid of me so easily! [Laughs]      

You can keep an eye on the restaurant’s Instagram page for any updates.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• A visit to Via Della Scrofa

Memories of the former location of Via Della Pace

Someone put up this note along the plywood on Seventh Street at Second Avenue... where a fire destroyed the residential building at 48 E. Seventh St. in December 2020. Via Della Pace was in one of the retail spaces... (thanks to Derek Berg for this photo) 

This used to be Via Della Pace.

In college one of my best friends waited tables here so I drank free a lot. I threw up after a shot of grappa on my 21st birthday.

I brought my grandparents here after graduation. I dreamed of having my wedding in the basement. I miss that gnocchi.

Perhaps this fan can make some new memories when Via Della Pace opens in its new home on Fourth Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Italian specialty shop Via Della Scrofa debuts on 4th Street

Via Della Scrofa, the new Italian food market via Giovanni Bartocci, is now open at 60 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. (Thanks for all the reader tips about this debut!)

We haven't stopped by just yet. According to the shop's Instagram account: "You can find everything from Tombola to Chinotto and much more!" Via Della Scrofa is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Bartocci will also be reopening Via Della Pace in its new space down the block at 87 E. Fourth St. in the weeks ahead. Our previous posts — here and here — have more details. 

Via Della Pace owners opening an Italian deli on 4th Street

Photo by Derek Berg

As we've been reporting, Via Della Pace is reopening in a new space at 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. 

Turns out co-owner Giovanni Bartocci and company have another venture on the block. Work has been taking place at 60 E. Fourth St. in recent weeks on an Italian deli/cafe going by, we're told, Via Della Scrofa.

The handpainted signage lists items such as espresso, biscotti, tramezzini, chinotto and porchetta. 

No word on opening dates for either business.

The 17-year-old Via Della Pace lost its home during the devastating fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street in December 2020.

The Italian restaurant had been closed since the previous fire on Feb. 10, 2020. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever reopen on Seventh Street. The fire last Dec. 5 took care of that, as workers had to demolish the five-floor building.

New awning alert at Via Della Pace's new 4th Street home

Photo by Derek Berg

ICYMI: Via Della Pace is reopening in a new space at 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. And now the awning is in place.

As we noted in January, the owners were on the CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license for this space.

The 17-year-old Italian restaurant lost its home during the devastating fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street in December 2020.

Via Della Pace had been closed since the previous fire on Feb. 10, 2020. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever reopen on Seventh Street. The fire last Dec. 5 took care of that, as workers had to demolish the five-floor building. (Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, was able to salvage the Via Della Pace sign, per an Instagram post.)

No word on an opening date.

This part of the storefront at 87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.

Italian favorite Via Della Pace announces itself in new 4th Street home

The new home of Via Della Pace looks to be shaping up at 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. (You can see the VDP-branded awning here, for starters.)

As we noted in January, the owners were on the CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license for this space.

The 17-year-old Italian restaurant lost its home during the devastating fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street in December 2020.

Via Della Pace had been closed since the previous fire on Feb. 10, 2020. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever reopen on Seventh Street. The fire last Dec. 5 took care of that, as workers had to demolish the five-floor building. (Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, was able to salvage the Via Della Pace sign, per an Instagram post.)

No word on a possible opening date.

This part of the storefront at 87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.  

A new era for Via Della Pace on 4th Street

Via Della Pace, the 17-year-old Italian restaurant that lost its home during the devastating fire on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street last month, has designs on a new East Village home.

According to public documents posted on the Community Board website, the owners are on this month's CB3-SLA docket for a new liquor license for 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. (The item was a scratch from the November agenda.)

A notice about the virtual meeting next Monday is also on the door for neighbors...

Via Della Pace had been closed since the previous fire on Feb. 10, 2020. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would reopen on Seventh Street. The fire on Dec. 5 took care of that, as workers had to demolish the five-floor building. (Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, was able to salvage the Via Della Pace sign, per an Instagram post.)

The CB3 questionnaire shows that the new Via Della Pace, if approved, will have 20 tables with 45 seats. Once hours are back to normal... Via Della Pace will be open for lunch starting at 11 a.m. with proposed closing times of 12:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. 

87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.  

Via Della Pace reacts to loss of longtime home on 7th Street

Workers yesterday demolished the remains of 48 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue... the above photo by Steven shows the fire-ruined Via Della Pace in the morning. 

The rustic Italian cafe had been closed here since the fire back on Feb. 10. At the time, the owners were unsure if they would ever be able to reopen here.

Over the weekend, Via Della Pace responded on Instagram to the news of another fire in the building ... with a photo of a heart-shaped cloud ...

Giovanni Bartocci, the restaurant's co-owner and chef, has made headlines during the U.S. Open for his enthusiastic support of Italian tennis star Matteo Berrettini. 

Bartocci posted an emotional video clip on Instagram Saturday as he watched firefighters hose down 48 E. Seventh St., where the cafe first opened in 2001. (In one bit of positive news, it appears he was able to salvage the original Via Della Pace sign from the building.)

Meanwhile, it's very possible that we'll see a return of Via Della Pace one day. Bartocci was on the November CB3-SLA agenda for a new liquor license for 87 E. Fourth St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery, according to public documents filed on the Community Board website. The item was ultimately a scratch from the agenda. 

87 E. Fourth St. has been vacant since Cucina di Pesce closed in September 2018.

Crowdfunding campaign launched for fire-damaged Via Della Pace on 7th Street

[Photo by Steven from Feb. 11]

A friend of Via Della Pace owners Giovanni Bartocci and Marco Ventura launched a crowdfunding campaign yesterday to help the restaurant reopen after the three-alarm fire on Feb. 10 severely damaged the space at 48 E. Seventh St. near Second Avenue.

Per the campaign:

We all know how difficult it is to survive in NYC these days, let alone having to deal with such devastation. Giovanni and Marco as well as their amazing team of employees, friends and family, have supported their community for so long. It's time for us to come together and lend a helping hand for them now. Let's help them rebuild!

There's a fundraising goal of $25,000. Find the info here.

Activity at the fire-damaged Cafe Mocha

This past week, workers covered up the windows at Cafe Mocha, which was wiped out by the three-alarm fire on Feb. 10 at 48 E. Seventh St./116 Second Ave.

Workers were also spotted removing debris from the retail space as well as the rest of the building (thanks to Steven for the photos on Friday)...



There is a full vacate on the property, though the city is allowing emergency work, including sealing the roof.

Cafe Mocha has taken a hopeful approach about possibly reopening. A sign on the door and a message on their Instagram account thanks neighbors and customers for their loyalty through the years.




[Photo from Feb. 15]

Meanwhile, on Seventh Street, the Italian restaurant Via Della Pace was also damaged. In an Instagram post on Feb. 11, management said that they were unsure whether they'd continue on with the business.

Based on the 300-plus comments on the post, many patrons hope to see them back.



The cause of the fire is under investigation. Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries. None of the residents were said to be injured. One tenant of the building said on an EVG Facebook post that "all tenants and animals are safe and sound."

And no word on any type of crowdfunding campaigns for the displaced residents. Please let me know if you hear of any.

Fire-damaged Via Della Pace unsure about reopening on 7th Street; Cafe Mocha in bad shape

[Photos yesterday by Steven]

A day after the three-alarm fire tore through 48 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue, residents and business owners faced the grim task of assessing the damage.

The owners of Via Della Pace on Seventh Street posted this message on Instagram about their very uncertain future:

We are deeply saddened that our restaurant, Via Della Pace, was involved in a fire yesterday. Everything was completely destroyed, and we were unable to salvage our precious items. We are holding onto the good memories of serving our wonderful clients and will always remember the fun times we shared over a good meal.

As of now, we are unsure whether we will continue with our restaurant business. We will keep you updated, and we are so thankful for your support and love.

The rustic Italian cafe opened in 2001.

Meanwhile, on the corner, Cafe Mocha, which opened in 2008, looks to be in bad shape with extensive water damage...









[Updated 5 p.m.] The restaurant, with a sidewalk cafe that draws a crowd in warm-weather months, posted this update to its website:

Due to a fire above Cafe Mocha we will be temporarily closed while we assess the severe damages. For our neighbors and customers, we appreciate your loyalty all these years. We remain hopeful that we will reopen to continue serving our friends and families.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries. None of the residents were said to be injured. One tenant of the building said on an EVG Facebook post that "all tenants and animals are safe and sound."

Early morning look at the fire-damaged SE corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

Here's a 6 a.m.-look at the southeast corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street following the three-alarm fire that started here yesterday afternoon shortly before 4...



A lone police car is on the scene...



FDNY officials said that the fire started on "a lower floor" of the five-story building and spread up to the top floor before it was extinguished by about 140 firefighters, according to published reports. The cause is under investigation. Five firefighters were treated for minor injuries.

Here's more via the Post:

The owner of Cafe Mocha, the ground-floor restaurant, said he smelled the fire before the building went up in flames.

"I was in the restaurant and we smelled the fire coming from the bathroom. We smelled it, I think, coming through the shaft," owner Ghasan Ballan said.

"I feel bad for the residents, they have no home," he added.

No other word at the moment on the status of the two retail tenants here — Cafe Mocha and Via Della Pace ... or the displaced tenants of the building with 15 units.

One report said that the building suffered extensive interior damage.

Updated 8:30 a.m.

One tenant of the building left this comment on our Facebook post:

I am a tenant of the building. Live on the top floor. Thank you all for your concern. All tenants and animals (including my 2 cats) are safe and sound. Thankfully my family is blessed with much love and support from family, friends and neighbors. According to my super, building has much smoke and water damage. Will take about a year to restore the building.

When Via Della Pace on 7th Street became Hobart & Blackwell for 'The Goldfinch'

[Derek Berg photo from February 2018]

"The Goldfinch" is in theaters this weekend. The adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, featuring Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright, Sarah Paulson and Finn Wolfhard, has mostly been trashed by critics for being dull and disjointed. Rotten Tomatoes shows a dismal composite score of 24 percent.

As you may recall, "Goldfinch" crews were here in February 2018 ... and again for reported reshoots in October 2018. They transformed the Italian restaurant Via Della Pace on Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue into an antiques shop for the film. Derek Berg documented part of the shoot in these photos.





... and how the storefront — Hobart & Blackwell antiques and restoration shop run by Jeffrey Wright's character — looks in the trailer...


[YouTube screengrab]

And the actual trailer...

Via Della Pace Pizza officially opens tonight on St. Mark's Place

Last Thursday night, Via Della Pace Pizza had a grand opening party at 130 St. Mark's Place near Avenue A … where the owners of Via Della Pace on East Seventh Street took over the Falanghina Pizza Bar space.

The pizzeria officially opens for business tonight at 5...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Via Della Pace opening a pizzeria on St. Mark's Place tonight