Photo courtesy of ITA Kitchen
Salvatore Sorrentino comes from a long line of restaurateurs.
His parents, Andrew and Susan, got their start in the industry when they first opened up a pizzeria in Lake George, NY. Over the years, they grew the family business and owned over a dozen restaurants including the popular Matteo’s Family Style Brand. When Matteo’s sold in 2009, Sorrentino, along with his brother, Matt, and cousin, Peter, opened up Andrea’s 25 in Commack.
Now, Sorrentino is set to open up ITA Kitchen in downtown Bay Shore in the old Gino’s pizzeria space. Local residents may remember the dated interior of the old space, but they should expect something completely different when ITA’s doors open. The completely redone black and white décor will have splashes of color that will welcome patrons from the minute they walk in the door. In addition to booth and table seating, a beautifully tiled bar will make the perfect spot to enjoy cocktails on date night.
“We want our patrons to arrive into a welcoming space where they can envision themselves dining daily,” Sorrentino says. “Whether it’s for date nights, family dinners, or a special occasion, we want people to feel comfortable here.”
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As sole owner—and head chef—Sorrentino is excited to be a part of Bay Shore’s vibrant dining scene. He had his heart set on a Main Street location for quite some time now, so when his wife, Christina, came across a posting for this space, they jumped on the opportunity.
“We started looking for a space again in January of this year and it just landed in our lap,” Sorrentino says. “It couldn’t have been a better opportunity, and the timing was just right for us to open up a new restaurant in a neighborhood that we’d been trying to get into for a while.”
ITA Kitchen’s menu will focus on Italian American food and will have gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options too. Although the menu will stay consistent from season-to-season, they will also be offering numerous specials to their customers.
“Specials are some of my favorite things to give to our customers,” says Sorrentino. “It allows us to add delicious seasonal items to our menu like Stuffed Artichokes or in-season seafood.”
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Even though Andrea’s 25 is not affiliated with the new ITA Kitchen, there will be some select menu items that carry over like the hand rolled Rabe and Sausage Eggrolls with spicy aioli and Sal’s Mac and Cheese with pancetta, Vidalia onions, and four different cheeses.
Sorrentino predicts that two new items will become fast fan favorites when they open the doors in the middle of August. The first is the Spicy Mezzi Rigatoni made with an Amatriciana sauce with crushed red pepper, a touch of cream, and finished off with Ricotta Salata cheese. The second is Ma! The Meatball! which is an enormous meatball made with veal, pork and ground Prime NY Strip steak simmered in San Marzano tomato sauce and topped with a dollop of perfectly seasoned ricotta. He says that “they’re just perfect!”
As a father with a young family himself, Sorrentino is on a mission to make everyone, including families, feel welcome. This means that even the smallest details are important like having changing tables in both the men’s and women’s restrooms. He also understands that sometimes kids finish their dinners much faster than their parents do, so they have also installed outlets by the bar for patrons to charge up their devices, if needed.
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“We want families to enjoy their time here, so we’re making sure to include the kids in the experience too,” Sorrentino says. “Whenever they order a brownie or ice cream for dessert, they’ll get to come back to the kitchen to put their own toppings on it!”
Although ITA Kitchen won’t open its doors until the end of the summer, they will be at each of Bay Shore’s Alive by the Bay events showcasing some of their favorite dishes and handing out copies of their menu. Once they’re fully operating, delivery services will also be available through Door Dash and Uber Eats.
