La Rondinella officially opens Tuesday
La Rondinella, a small Italian restaurant in Eastern Market, has been one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in town for months.
After weeks of soft openings and a false start, the restaurant will officially open 5 p.m. Tuesday. Hours will be 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Buzz about the corner spot, owned by Supino Pizzeria’s Dave Mancini, started as far back as 2014. It quietly opened in the fall, but closed shortly after. Supino’s Facebook page cited “red tape” as the reason for having to close.
Supino, a popular New York-style pizza joint, is located at 2457 Russell and La Rondinella is next door.
Those who were able to slip into La Rondinella on a day that it was open and serving were treated to small plates like a trio of meatballs or salad with barley, parmigiano-reggiano, roasted carrot and mint. Gnocchi, squid and potato stew, and a seasonal lasagna were among the entrees.
On the carefully curated bar menu was a long list of Amaro, a bitter Italian liqueur, plus a few choices of grappa (very strong grape brandy). Naturally, La Rondinella has a ton of wine available, too.
twitter.com/melodybaetens