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W E I V OOD By Chris Murphy
There is really nothing better than being greeted by a restaurant owner. It says a lot when the owner knows what is happening, how the food is served and who is dining. It makes a difference. Vinnie Altadonna is that guy. Warm, friendly, outgoing, and proudly Italian with lots of ideas. He wears his Palermo family history and his Long Island upbringing well. Best of all, it shows up in the food and now in the restaurant he has been dreaming of. A little background, Vinnie’s grandfather left Italy for America before WWII and Mussolini. He and a partner started a tomato sauce company in Riverbank and then later had a dairy in West Modesto off of Vivian Road where Vinnie would later work. Italian food and culture is a part of Vinnie’s fabric and today, many of his recipes are based off of his Nona’s wonderful tomato sauce recipes. Most of us got to know Vinnie when he opened the Chef ’s of New York on Oakdale Rd. I became an instant fan of his New York Boardwalk-style pizzas. Thin crust, tasty, big and foldable. When he expanded into downtown, he once told me how he dreamed of having a full restaurant, with a full real bar. Now,
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Chefs Of New York Goes All In!
along with his business partner Clay Rossen, this dream has come true and now it is one of Modesto’s best dining experiences. The 13th Street location is easy to find with plenty of parking. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a growing evening crowd and a great weekend breakfast. Chef ’s is welcoming, comfortable and friendly and suitable for a nice romantic dinner. The chairs and booths are comfortable, the noise level is good and everyone has to walk by the kitchen on the way to their table. They know it is going to be a nice meal.
First up, it’s the food.
The entrees and specialties are flat out great. This month, in a nod to the Visit Modesto Almond Blossom Cruise, there is an almond encrusted Salmon that is amazing. I couldn’t wait to dive in, getting a bite of the almond crust with nice moist salmon. It was truly tasty and the rice, vegetables and a nice bruschetta. The almonds are a great match. Chef Austin Thom, with Italian cooking experience that even includes Alaska so he knows his seafood, runs a very efficient exposition kitchen and everything is cooked carefully under his watchful eye. Catching
MODESTO VIEW MAGAZINE
the occasional big flame as the sauces and specialties are sautéed while everything is plated perfectly. It is extra fun to see the amazing New York Style pizzas coming out under the watchful eye of Raphael so grab a slice and fold it up if you desire. There are many fresh tastes on the menu if you want a salad on the side or a full meal salad. Oh did I mention the calamari? It is so hard to find where you want to start on their menu. Our specialties where the Chicken Florentine, the Nona’s Trio, and of course, their special lasagna. Wow, just wow. The flavors are rich and bold, not too blended and each dish stood out. The Manhattan style clam chowder is good and spice and pairs well as a starter. Big thumbs up. A quick word about breakfast. Amazing. For those looking for the big breakfast classics of the Sundial and Sabatino’s, they have ebelskivers, the big downtown breakfast, awesome hashbrowns, scrambles and so many more big plates. Oh yeah, and avocado toast too. But let’s get back to the bar. Star Podesto is quick with an amazing Negroni, one of my sipping and lounging favorites. This is one of Vinnie’s favorite parts. He has long wanted a full bar, a full New York style bar and Star blends up the classic favorites to any of the new craft cocktails. The G&T is perfection and they have a good selection
of great cabernets and chiantis. The vibe is good, and if you have been to the Iridium, Village Vanguard you get what this place could be. Vinnie and Clay have decorated the bar with legendary rock and roll, blues and jazz posters to get in the groove. Eric Benson brings in Grammy-winning musicians with the Blue Monday Band and long time rocker Dennis Gilmore, (started touring at 13, played all over, Vegas and more with Thunder Road. More about him soon) is both a house musician, host and purveyor of the amazing big Oysters that Chef ’s serves on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s fitting that Chef ’s is located where Modesto Music used to be back in the day. You can say that music is in the bones. There is a lot going on, the music is amazing and when I asked Vinnie how he was feeling about this right now, he exclaimed, “we are on the runway, in a jet, getting ready to take off ”. So now it is up to you. Time to check out Chef ’s of New York, for breakfast, lunch or dinner and don’t miss a great evening with great Italian food, some first class music and great cocktails. Oh yeah, take a pizza home with you for the morning.
Chef ’s of New York
918 13th St. Modesto 95354 209-857-5102 www.chefsofnewyork.com @chefsofnewyorkdowntown 8 am – 2 pm 5pm – closing
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