Little Fino (111 N. 12th St.) opens today on the ground floor of The William Vale joining the hotel’s other restaurants from James Beard award-winning Chef Andrew Carmellini, Leuca and Westlight.
Little Fino has taken over the front room and bar of Leuca, but defines itself as a completely different concept. The newcomer is inspired by Roman cafes and designed to effortlessly evolve from a relaxed daytime cafe to a lively evening haunt with Italian-leaning fare from Greenpoint native Chef Anthony Ricco, who grew up a few blocks away from The William Vale.
“Chef Ricco and I have worked together for years, and he never stops impressing me with what he brings to the table,” Chef Carmellini said.
“After running the show at The William Vale for nearly a decade, I knew Ricco was the perfect fit to bring his creativity to the table for Little Fino. A lifelong Brooklyn native, no one understands the neighborhood better than Ricco as he grew up just blocks away in Greenpoint cooking in his Nonna’s kitchen. Together, we’ve created a menu that combines his talent with his Italian roots.”
Little Fino’s Early Birds Menu, offered 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., includes dishes like a smoked salmon cornetto with scallion cream cheese and egg, Sicilian flapjacks with toasted pine nut butter, yogurt with berries and granola, and a roll with eggs, mortadella, provolone, and Calabrian chili.
There is also a selection of freshly-baked sweet treats like pistachio snacking cakes, cinna-cruffins, gluten-free berry buttermilk muffins, and vegan coconut morning glory muffins.
To drink, there’s a variety of pressed juices like turmeric tonic with orange, apple, turmeric, aloe vera, and black pepper, plus a squeeze of the day, which is currently Valencia orange. La Colombe supplies coffee and espresso drinks like cortados, cappuccinos, lattes, and cold brew.
Little Fino’s all day menu starts with a section titled “Snacks for Martinis.” Included are marcona-stuffed filthy olives, crispy polenta tots with a squeeze of lemon, Grana Padano with truffle wildflower honey, and black and white tarallini, which are Italian crackers.
Next, the menu offers a section of shareable appetizers called “Novelties.” This section kicks off with Chef Ricco’s version of deviled eggs with ham and crispy pepperoni. There’s also smoked butter toast with house smoked butter and an Italian anchovy on a semolina baguette, whole roasted artichoke with Sicilian aioli, and warm cannellini beans with wood-grilled octopus.
Larger plates include a hot Caesar salad and Tony’s Antipasto with crunchy chickpeas, wood-roasted veggies such as artichokes and zucchini, finished with a salumi vinaigrette.
A selection of handheld sandwiches includes a chicken cutlet muffaletta with spicy pepper and a 20-inch long sub served on a housemade skinny torpedo baguette filled with prosciutto, Grana Padano, arugula and agrodolce, plus a Roman-style burger that’s topped with a toasted fragrant black pepper cacio e pepe aioli on a homemade pizza dough bun.
For dessert, Little Fino offers homemade soft serve gelato made in-house with panna triple cream.
Little Fino’s playful cocktail program is helmed by Bar Director Darryl Chan, who said that “the bar program takes inspiration from Italian soda and aperitivo culture, with a nod to Americana.”
“Nostalgic stateside flavors smash with Italian bitterness, such as root beer in our Negroni and Campari in a creamsicle,” Chan said. “We take our ingredients seriously, but our approach is carefree and playful – sometimes the rules don’t apply.”
The beverage menu begins with a lineup of “Teeny Tinis.” The list of smaller martinis includes the Dill Turf Club, made with dill-infused gin, Aquavit, maraschino liqueur and celery shrub bitters, the Lemongrass Vesper, and the Mole Martinez made with reposado tequila and mole bitters. There’s also a fun “Solid Dirty Martini,” which is a jello shot served in a martini glass made by local Brooklyn brand Solid Wiggles.
The house cocktail list includes imaginative spins on the classics like the Campari Creamsicle with grapefruit, orgeat, and vanilla bean panna, and the Root Beer Negroni with mezcal, vermouth, bitters, and sarsaparilla. There’s also a summery “frapperol spritz” slushy.
Little Fino offers a by-the-glass selection of Italian wines curated by Master Sommelier and Beverage Director Josh Nadel. This section of the menu also includes draft and bottled beer.
The beverage menu concludes with a list of drinks that are “spirit-free but full of spirit.” The Faux Daisy contains Aplós Arise, lime, and bitter orange, while the Senza Mule has Monday mezcal, orange, and ginger. The list also offers French Bloom sparkling chardonnay, Aplós Kola Fashioned, and Athletic Brewing’s Upside Down Ale.
Little Fino is currently open for walk-ins only, with reservations available in the future. The bakery is open 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., while the bar and all-day cafe is open Sunday–Thursday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – midnight.