Megan Soyars

Adelina’s Brings a Taste of Rome to Greenpoint Avenue

Like the sound of freshly-made bruschetta, pizza fritta montanara, and quality wines on tap? Head on over to Adelina’s, a new wine bar/eatery that’s bringing a dash of Italian pizzazz to Greenpoint. Owned and operated by Toby Buggiani, the ristorante celebrated its soft opening on July 1st.
“We’ll be having our hard opening on July 14th,” said Buggiani. “That gives me time to tweak the menu and make changes until it’s perfect. I like to concentrate on quality over quantity, so right now we’ve got a really tight menu.”

A small but well-crafted breakfast menu offers: fresh cornetto ($3), truffled egg with fontina and asparagus ($7), and frittata with onions and goat cheese ($7). Their day and evening menu features bruschetta ($2-6), pasta ($9), artisanal cheese and olive plates ($12) and more. For dessert, try a créme brule for only $3.

“We’ve also got pizza fritta, which is basically deep-fried pizza,” Buggiani said. “It’s a really popular dish! We deep fry the dough, then add the toppings before putting it in the oven.” Toppings include basil, sopressata, pesto, and of course, fresh mozzarella!

“All of our mozzarella, bread, and dough is made in house,” said Buggiani. This ensures an authentically Italian taste. “I want to stay away from anything processed. All of our pasta is whole wheat or gluten free.”
As for drink options—“We offer high-end coffee in the morning from Brooklyn Roasters, then convert to a wine on tap bar in the evening,” Buggiani said. “Right now, we’re offering four whites, one rosé, and five reds.” (There are also two choices of beer.)

Wine on tap represents a growing trend. By eliminating bottling, quality wine can be served in an affordable, environmentally-friendly manner. Buggiani says his bar resembles the traditional, laid-back ‘fraschettas’ found in Rome. “What’s unique about these places is that they’re completely no-frills,” he explained. Buggiani can testify to that with experience. Born and bred in Rome, he immigrated to NYC when he was six, but keeps both cities close to his heart. “I still go back and forth between the two places. My background definitely influences the menu so you’ll get an authentic experience,” he said. One of Buggiani’s earliest culinary influences was his grandmother, Adelina, for whom the bar is named.

While Adelina’s is the first restaurant Buggiani has owned, he comes with credentials. Before opening his own establishment, the maestro learned his trade managing the famous Caffe Reggio in Greenwich Village for six years. “Cafe Reggio was one the first cafes in the New York, and the first one to serve a cappuccino!” he said.

Those stopping by Adelina’s can meet the friendly manager any time of day. “Right now, I’m here before it opens until it closes every day,” Buggiani laughed. “That’s because I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I want to make sure everything’s running smoothly as we’re just starting out!”

Though the sailing might not always be smooth, Adelina’s is definitely off to a great start. “It’s been crazy and stressful, but a lot of fun, too!” Buggiani exclaimed. “On top of that, I moved [from Manhattan to Brooklyn] on the same day we had our soft opening.”

Before becoming manager, Buggiani lived above Cafe Reggio on Macdougal Street for many years. “So I was really ready to leave Manhattan—I’m proud to call myself a Brooklynite now!”

Buggiani is especially glad to be in Greenpoint. “Everything’s been really great here so far. I thought it’d take awhile for everything to get rolling, but it’s been busy, especially with neighborhood couples. And everybody loves the menu, so it’s been pretty awesome.”

Adelina’s
159 Greenpoint Avenue
Open 8am-12am, 7 days a week
Breakfast served 8-11:30am
Lunch and dinner served 11:30am-12am

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