New restaurant on Columbia Place

>> Andrea Mocci and Giovanna Fadda plan to open a new Italian restaurant at the old River Deli by October (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

>> Andrea Mocci and Giovanna Fadda plan to open a new Italian restaurant at the old River Deli by October (BHB/Sarah Portlock)

BHB caught up with Andrea Mocci and Giovanna Fadda yesterday, who are the new leaseholders at the former River Deli at 34 Columbia Place, at the base of Joralemon Street. The couple, who moved to New York from Sardinia nearly three years ago, hopes to open an Italian restaurant or café in the spot by mid-October.

“We’ll have pasta, pizza, steaks, and fish,” Mocci said.

The pair has applied for a liquor license, but Mocci noted that he doesn’t plan to open a loud bar, as neighbors sometimes fear.

“It won’t be a noisy bar — it’s not our intention to have that,” he said. “We’d like to serve some good food.”

Mocci and Fadda first found the long-empty space two years ago when they spent weekends at the temporary pool off Pier 5, and realized it would be the perfect spot for a restaurant. Fadda is currently the manager of a wine bar on Mott Street in Manhattan.

According to their liquor license application, which was approved in June by Community Board 2, the restaurant will be open for dinner until midnight on Sunday through Thursday, and 1 am on Friday and Saturday, and be open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday. They hope to have an outdoor seating area, and will sound proof the ceiling, Fadda told CB2.

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  • Federico

    Andrea and Giovana are so pleasant to be around that I am already convinced that this will be a welcome gem in the neighborhood. Sarda si, can’t wait for openning day!

  • River Deli

    Hi all, thank you so much for your wishes!
    We hope to see you around once we’re up and runing.
    All the best,
    River Deli

  • WillowtownCop

    My hope is that the new restaurant is better than the one that closed on Columbia Place maybe 5 years ago. Decent food but the rudest waitstaff I have ever encountered!

  • nabeguy

    River deli, welcome to the area. Feel free to use this site as a source of how NOT to run a restaurant, and go with your gut…but make sure that you make all of ours happy! Do you have a set opening date? Can’t wait.

  • Kvetchy

    It’s November 11th. I have passed this place a few times and it looks like it is boarded up. Are they going to be opening soon or has the project been ditched?
    It’s time we got something in that area. That was the locale for where they filmed Moonstruck. What a charming spot…so let’s get on the ball and open it up.
    By the way…the old Mr. Souvlaki is now going to be a Doctor’s office again (can’t someone put a mexican place there)