New DANTE Not Really Italian

What is It ???

SMALL PLATES ECLECTIC MENU

Non-Driven Italian Wine List

Old Patrons Probably Won’t Like It

The New Dante

South Room Bar

Linden Pride

Caffe Dante’s New Owner

DANTE The new owners, including Linden Pride, formerly of AvroKO, have spruced up the 100-year-old cafe with green leather banquettes, but the space retains a vintage Italian Greenwich Village look with its pressed tin ceiling. The menu is now mostly small plates: beef tartare, burrata, flatbread and cold pasta salad. Italian aperitifs dominate the cocktail list: 79-81 Macdougal Street (Bleecker Street), 212-982-5275

A Picture of Former Caffe Dante Owner

Mari Flotta on the Homepage of The New Dante

The new Dante on Macdougal Street in Greenwich Village is

absolutely nothing like the former beloved Caffe Dante, a caffe

that was a fixture of Greenwich Village for exactly 100 years

before closing earlier this year, when former owner

Mario Flotta sold Caffe Dante to Linden Pride who has been

quoted as saying the new Dante will be very much like the old

one with some changes. “Not” !!! The new Dante looks very nice

although quite different from the former caffe .. The entire concept

of the new Dante pretty much has nothing to do with the old one.

The New Dante has been billed as a Small Plates / Apertivo Bar

that has little resemblance to anything remotely Italian .. It’s billed

as an Italian Apertivo Bar, yet the Wine list has barely 20%

Italian Wines in its makeup an the food apart from a few

Italian items, seems anything but Italian.

Although the new owner (s) has stated that the New Dante

will be very much like and in the spirit of the former Caffe Dante,

it seems doubtful that writers & students would be able to go into

the place, get a Cappuccino and sit writing for an hour or two.

The former Caffe Dante was a Greenwich Village Italian Caffe where

people could go just for a Cappuccino or Espresso and maybe a

pastry if they liked, hang out with friends or be there on there own just

relaxing, reading, writing, whatever ..

There was a rumor that the new Dante would be serving dinner and drinks

at night and that is what customers would be expected to order, and

spend probably a minimum of $30 and upwards, but during the day

people would be able to just go in for a Cappuccino or Espresso. it seems

doubtful that this will be possible, but time will tell. Time will tell what the

New Dante is, if its successful or not and if it stays the same as the owners

now intend or if it will morf into something else.

The New DANTE

North Side Dining Room

APEROL SPRITZ

On The Menu

Caffe Dante to Close ???

MY BELOVED CAFFE DANTE to CLOSE

Yes I’m afraid it’s most likely true, my beloved Caffe Dante to close this month (February 2015) after 100 years in business in New York’s Greenwich Village. It’s rumored that Mario Flotta the long time owner of Caffe Dante will be selling the caffe to a Australian Corporation and it was reported on 1010 WINS Radio News this morning that Dante will be shuttering its doors in 10 days time. This is very sad, especially for me and longtime regulars who have been going to Caffe Dante for 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years for New York’s most authentic Espresso and cups of Cappuccino. I myself have been going there since the Summer of 1985 when I came back from my first trip wonderful trip of many to my ancestral homeland of Italy .. As i’ve been going to Caffe Dante almost evry single day siance 85, I’ve become good friends with the Flotta Family over the years especially Mario Sr. who is almost like a second father to me.

This is such sad news, and all I can say is something I know that most do not, is that Mario bought a building around the corner on Bleecker Street for just such a situation. That being that the landlord would one day raise his rent beyond reason (the Landlord did in 2013), and Mario would just pack up his caffe and move it around the corner. Mario is Caffe Dante, his loves the place like one of his own children, and I know this is the reason he bought the building on Bleedker. Mario told me himself what he would do, and he always wanted the Caffe to continue and for there to be a place for Caffe Dante for his sons, Mario Jr., Anthony, and Peter.

I hope everything all works out, I love Caffe Dante more than I can ever express, it’s without question my second home, and a Greenwich Village without this wonderful Caffe would be that much less of the Greenwich Village that we residients, visitors and tourist from around the country and around the World know.

Story & Photos by Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

CAFFE DANTE OPEN AGAIN

CAFFE DANTE

NEW CAFFE DANTE

The EXTERIOR Is THE SAME

Former Owner

MARIO FLOTTA

CAFFE DANTE

“Mario, Is CAFFE DANTE”

BASTA !!!!

CLICK HERE !

READ ABOUT CAFFE DANTE

DANIEL BELLINO-ZWICKE’S

Book

“La TAVOLA”

DANIEL HAS BEEN A LONG TIME PATRON

of CAFFE DANTE

CLICK HERE !

CARBONE

CARBONE – Fine Art by BELLINO

BEST $8.00 LASAGNA in NEW YORK

LASAGNA

CAFFE DANTE

ONLY 8 BUCKS ???

Now That’s a Bargain !!! Yes, a mere $8.00 in “This Day & Age” in New York ..

Caffe Dante’s Lasagna is our most tradition Italian-American version of Lasagna .. Made with Lasagan Rigati Pasta, Tomato Sauce, Ricottta & Mozzarella, Caffe Dante’s Lasagna “Hits The Spot” and is a absolute steal at just $8.00 …

You can also get Panini for $7.00, Pizza MArgarita $8.00, and Homemade Meatballs for just $6.00 … Wow!!! Dante is going give the much higher priced Da Silvano and Bar Pitti Restaurants around the block “A Run FOr Their Money” and a run for the money of local patrons and tourists looking to get some good tasty and very affordable Italian Food in Greenwich Village, Caffe Dante “Just Can’t Be Beat” Get it!

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke

CLICK HERE !

CAFFE DANTE

GREENWICH VILLAGE

NEW YORK

Owner

MARIO FLOTTA

CAFFE DANTE

CAFFE DANTE MILADY’S CLOSE Due To Greedy Landlords

CAFFE DANTE

In Better Days

MILADY’s

VESUVIO BAKERY

ITALIAN BREAD BAKERS

JOE’S DAIRY

Used to Make Fresh Mozzarella

for It’s GREENWICH VILLAGE ITALIAN CLIENTS

photo Copyright Daniel Zwicke

The OLD ROCCO’S SIGN

The traditional Italian restaurant Rocco in Greenwich Village has closed due to “greedy landlords,” as Rocco’s owner Antonio DaSilva says on the now-defunct restaurant’s voice greeting.

THE OLD ROCCO’S SIGN

“Yes the Old Sign with CARBONE Superimposed

Over ROCCO

photo Copyright Daniel Zwicke

GREENWICH VILLAGES LOSES CHERISHED CAFFE RESTAURANT BAR

and BAKERY (Vesuvio’s)
First it was Rocco’s a couple years ago. Rocco’s Restaurant on Thompson Street was just one of few surving Old-School Italian Red-Sauce Restaurants left in New York’s Greenwich Village .. As per usual with greedy-landlords and insane skyrocketing rental priced, the rent on Rocco’s was jacked-up by another “Greedy Landlord” and Rocco’s was “pushed out of business” and forced to shut its doors after almost 90 years in busines (Since 1922).
Milady’s, one of the last remaining old-school neighborhood bar was forced out of business by “greedy landlords” and served their last Beer to sad and loyal customers on Sunday, Juanuary 12, 2014 …

The beloved classic Italian Caffe, “CAFFE DANTE” Closed on Sunday, January 19, 2014

“What is this World Coming to?”
Reported From The VILLAGER …….. January 19, 2012

In November of last year, the New York City restaurant blog Eater reported that the traditional home-style dining spot’s lease was up at the end of 2011. And to renew that lease the landlord was asking for $18,000 a month — a $10,000 monthly increase from what DaSilva traditionally paid.

Assuming the lease are young up-and-comers Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, both chefs belonging to the Torrisi Italian Specialties team. Together with partner Jeff Zalaznick, the group operates a mini-chain of restaurants with two spots in Little Italy and a stand at Yankee Stadium.

Word is the Torrisi team struck a deal with Rocco restaurant’s landlord and then slyly advertised the restaurant takeover in a 16-second video on their Web site.

“It’s pretty bad and it’s a shame,” said Ralph Redillo, the superintendent of the restaurant’s building. “A lot of outsiders came into the neighborhood just for Rocco’s.”

Pat Gombos, a neighborhood regular of Rocco’s says, “Great prices, great food and great atmosphere, I’ll totally miss it.”

“La TAVOLA” Is GREENWICH VILLAGE ITALIAN