SUNNYSIDE — The owners of two popular Astoria eateries are opening a third venture in Sunnyside this week: an Italian osteria where the bread, cheese and pastas are made in-house every day.
Venturo will debut Thursday at 44-07 Queens Blvd., the work of co-owners Leo Sacco, Giuseppe Falco and Michelle Vido — the same team behind foodie-favorites Vesta Trattoria and Panchanga Patterson in Astoria.
“We’ve admired Sunnyside for a while,” Falco said in a statement the new outpost.
“It reminds us of the Queens neighborhoods where we grew up and where we opened our first two restaurants," he said.
The new eatery is being pitched as the brother operation to Vesta, and like that restaurant, will offer an Italian-inspired menu that changes seasonally, with an emphasis on locally-sourced food.
Dishes available at this week's opening include a black kale salad — made with kale grown specifically for Venturo at nearby Long Island City rooftop farm Brooklyn Grange — served in a anchovy-garlic vinaigrette and topped with house made croutons, pecorino and a poached egg.
Venturo's menu will also feature "Community Dinners," for tables of three or four people to share, like a pork shoulder rolled into a pork loin, served with lentils and stuffed peaches.
Vido, who runs the kitchens at Vesta and Panchanga Patterson, will also head Venturo's kitchen as the executive chef.
Newly hired pastry chef Eve Bergazyn — formerly of restaurants Craft and Le Bernardin in Manhattan — will be in charge of the cheeses, pastas, breads and pastries that will be made in-house daily.
Vesta fans will be pleased to hear that the Sunnyside location will also be serving the famed Baby Jesus Cake, a moist, date-filled, caramel-drizzled dessert that's been a favorite at the Astoria location since its inception.
Venturo has seating indoors for 54 customers, plus a 600-square-foot backyard that seats 20.
The restaurant plans to expand its hours with brunch service this fall, which will include complimentary almond sticky buns.
Venturo Osteria & Wine Bar will open at 44-07 Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside on Thursday, Aug. 15. Current hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.