There’s a new Italian restaurant reviving a long-vacant storefront in Hell’s Kitchen, and its owner is no stranger to the neighborhood.
Patrick Lima, the owner of Eccolo on W48th Street, has opened nine restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen since 2000. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
When Patrick Lima opened Eccolo on W48th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues earlier this month, it became his ninth restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen — and 12th on Manhattan’s West Side. The space was previously home to the Swiss-Austrian restaurant Mont Blanc, which moved to W52nd Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in 2016 after 30 years on W48th Street. The struggling restaurant closed for good in fall 2020 in the midst of the pandemic.
Patrick currently operates three Mexican restaurants: Sombrero – which sits right next door to Eccolo, Patron Mexican Grill on 9th Avenue, and Maiz on 8th Ave. His previous ventures include a French restaurant (Brasseria 52), two Brazilian restaurants (Brazil Grill and Brazil Brazil) and Italian restaurant, Pietrasanta.
Patrick resists claiming any one cuisine as his speciality. “I love good food,” he said. “And I like to try new things.”
Renata Autali, general manager of Eccolo, pours olive oil to complement the focaccia, which is baked in-house daily. Photo: Brennen LaBrie
However, Patrick – who hails from Brazil and traces his lineage to France and Italy – admits Italian food was his first love. When he moved to New York City 32 years ago, Italian restaurants were where he cut his teeth as a busboy, bartender and waiter, before taking over Sombrero in 2000.
In the eight years since closing Pietrasanta, Patrick grew to miss serving Italian food – and he wasn’t finding a linguine alle vongole to his liking in the area. “So I said, you know the best thing to do? Let’s open a restaurant that will deliver what people expect Italian food to be like,” he said.
Patrick called Victor Carbonara, a former collaborator who has run kitchens in upscale and fine dining restaurants across the city and Long Island. “It was an interesting project,” Carbonara said. Patrick offered him “a lot of freedom” in creating the menu and encouraged him to get creative. Plus, he got to team up with his wife, Helen, who bakes fresh focaccia and classic Italian desserts each day.
Carbonara’s menu boasts traditional styles made modern, with a focus on fresh ingredients like wild-caught salmon and shellfish – and presentation. “The food is unbelievable,” Patrick said. “You’ll fall in love”
Linguine elle vongole sits atop Eccolo’s menu, but Patrick’s favorite dish is the squid ink pasta with shrimp, clams, mussels, calamari and pancetta. For appetizers, he recommends the burrata with heirloom tomatoes, grilled pear and basil.
Linguine Alla Vongole, Flat Bread Alla Romana, Steak Alla Eccolo and Cozze Al Vino Bianco are just a few of the items on the menu. Photos: Gina Mastrostefano
The pride of Eccolo is its fresh pasta, 99% of which is made in-house each day. “The labor is intensive, but we make an effort to do it,” Carbonara said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do here.” Even the butter is house-made.
The care and detail put into the dishes translates to its presentation and delivery, Patrick said, as he and Carbonara aim to offer guests a fine dining experience at an affordable price.
The restaurant has a sleek, modern feel, and a playlist of contemporary lounge music to match. Patrick sought to curate an atmosphere that is equally as welcoming to families, date-goers, or locals who want to pop in for an espresso.
The restaurant has a sleek, modern feel, creating an atmosphere that is equally as welcoming to families, date-goers, or locals who want to pop in for an espresso. Photos: Gina Mastrostefano
The goal is cultivating community and a base of regulars, said Patrick, who lived on 50th Street for 10 years and now resides in Queens. “We put a lot of effort into making a nice restaurant, and we know that if people come here once they’ll keep coming back,” he said.
The Carbonaras aren’t the only family on Eccolo’s team; Patrick is joined by his wife, sister and son – all of whom help to run the trio of Mexican restaurants. This family extends to the restaurant’s head server, Pier, who previously managed Pietrasanta. “He’s more than a brother,” Patrick said. “You can’t find a better person than Pier.”
Patrick Lima, owner of Eccolo, and general manager Renata Autali stand outside the new restaurant on W48th Street. Photo: Brennan LaBrie
Kindness is a key criteria in building his staff, he added. “When you go to a place and they recognize you and they give you a beautiful smile and make you feel at home, it makes the whole difference,” said Patrick, who credits his emphasis on service as key to his success in NYC’s grueling restaurant scene.
“I think if you have a good location, good service, a clean place and good food – there’s no way to get it wrong,” he said. “And make sure you care about the people in the neighborhood.”
Eccolo is located at 315 W48th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4pm to 11pm.