After opening in Yountville in 2012, Ciccio became a favorite among Napa Valley locals and visitors as a convivial gathering place for comforting Italian food and great Negronis. But, like many other restaurants, the beloved spot struggled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually shuttered in 2022. It sat empty for nearly 18 months before chef Christopher Kostow and his wife, Martina, approached Ciccio’s owners, Frank and Karen Altamura (owners of Altamura winery), about taking over.
“As a resident of the valley, Ciccio was a place we always brought people,” said Kostow, who earned renown as chef at the Restaurant at Meadowood, which held a Wine Spectator Grand Award before tragically burning down in the wildfires that ravaged Northern California in 2020. “We didn’t want to see the loss of something we thought had real value in the valley. We’re not vintners, so our ability to improve the valley is through restaurants, and it was important to us that Ciccio didn’t go away.”
Also leading local restaurateurs, the Kostows are the duo behind the Charter Oak, a more casual spot in St. Helena, which has held a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2022.
The Altamuras remain Ciccio’s owners but have handed over operations to Kostow and his team, who, after receiving the keys in April, made a few quick adjustments before reopening on May 11. “We approached it, always, with an eye not to shock people,” Kostow explained, noting that they changed small things to contribute to a slightly more fun, deliberate and “sexy” feel, such as giving the walls an earthy shade of yellow paint and adding 1970s movie posters to the décor.
Similarly, the menu format is the same, with starters, salads, pizzas, pastas and other entrées. But there’s been a refresh from Kostow, culinary director John Tyler Franson and chef Juan Carlos Atonal. “We don’t want people to come in and try the same dish they had five years ago,” Kostow elaborated, highlighting revamped menu staples like the pork Milanese and cacio e pepe. “I think the pork had capers and lemon; we’re doing chicories and anchovy. And the cacio e pepe has burnt peppercorn and pennyroyal cheese.” The pizza also received an upgrade: Kostow now utilizes his 30-year-old sourdough starter for the dough.
As for the beverage list, the restaurant will continue to serve up rock-solid Negronis, which come three ways: “Frank’s,” the classic version; “Kingston,” made with rum instead of gin; and a white Negroni made with Alpe Lys amaro and Bordiga vermouth. Beverage director Micah Clarke, also of Charter Oak and formerly the Restaurant at Meadowood, has devoted 80 percent of the wine list to Italian offerings, including aged bottles like the ArPePe Valtellina Superiore Grumello Rocca de Piro 2015, along with other versatile, food-friendly and affordable reds such as Grattamacco’s Bolgheri. “It’s not super geeky, but rather very thoughtful. Our goal is to have the best Italian-focused list in the valley,” said Kostow, noting plans to grow the list from 50 selections to 100. The team is also maintaining a tradition of featuring wines from the local vintners who frequent Ciccio, offering bottles from Caymus, Staglin, Chappellet and, of course, Altamura.—A.R.
Las Vegas’ Red Rock Resort Opens a Parisian-Style Restaurant and Lounge
Another newcomer has appeared on the dining scene in the Las Vegas area: Rouge Room, a Paris-inspired restaurant and lounge at Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa in Summerlin, Nev. Open since May, the latest project from Wish You Were Here Group joins Red Rock’s Best of Award of Excellence–winning steak house T-Bones Chophouse & Lounge.
While steak shows up on Rouge Room’s menu as well (an Australian Wagyu filet “au poivre,” shaved black truffle optional), the restaurant covers a wide spectrum of ingredients and flavors inspired by French cuisine. Options include seafood platters, a croque madame, tuna tartare and moules frites, alongside a range of caviar services (one paired with Louis XIII Cognac). A separate menu is available for guests dining by the restaurant’s pool or in one of its eight cabanas.
Wish You Were Here Group corporate beverage director Julien Calella oversees a list of about 150 wines from a cellar of some 800 bottles. “The wine program was created with everyone in mind, but it leans into the classic French style to fit the venue’s theme,” Calella explained to Wine Spectator via email. Burgundy and Bordeaux feature prominently, including well-known names such as Bouchard Père & Fils and Château Beauregard. Champagne, the Rhône Valley, the Loire Valley and other French regions also get a spotlight, as do other popular wine types: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Barolo and Rioja for instance.
Rouge Room’s interior offers plenty of 1920s Paris style; true to the restaurant’s name, there are red accents throughout, from velvet seats to floral lighting fixtures and curtains hanging overhead. It is, altogether, a lively space that contrasts with the white-accented pool area outside. In addition to private events, Rouge Room hosts live entertainment, including musical performances and DJ sets. “[The] unique ambiance, sophisticated atmosphere and live music excite me the most,” Calella said. “We are excited to bring a new option for going out at night that strays away from the predictable … Rouge Room is bringing a remarkably different experience to Summerlin that brings the luxury from the Strip.”
This is not the only debut at Red Rock in the past 12 months. In Nov. 2022, the resort opened a new spot (the third overall) for Thai-cuisine eatery Lotus of Siam, joining a Best of Award of Excellence–winning location in Las Vegas’ Historic Commercial Center District. And in February, Red Rock opened the Greek-cuisine Naxos Taverna, led by chef Mark Andelbradt; Naxos is also home to the new 13-seat Kallisto Oyster Bar.—C.D.
Tao Group Hospitality to Open Casadonna in Miami
Miami’s dining scene keeps growing bigger! This summer, Magic City residents are expecting a new restaurant from New York–based Tao Group Hospitality and Florida-based nightlife leader and hotelier David Grutman’s Groot Hospitality. Casadonna, an Italian-cuisine eatery on Biscayne Bay, will be the first collaboration between the two companies.
Casadonna will join Tao’s growing portfolio of more than 70 properties, including Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner Cathédrale at the Moxy East Village in New York. Groot Hospitality’s Gekko, Komodo Miami, Papi Steak and Swan all earned an Award of Excellence this year.
Casadonna will seat nearly 400 across 20,000 square feet in the century-old Miami Women’s Club building. (The restaurant’s name, meaning “house of women,” pays tribute to this history.) Acclaimed designer Ken Fulk has conceived of a space with classic Miami colors (bright pinks, dark greens), chandeliers and mid-century modern furniture, a theme that carries onto the restaurant’s extensive, waterside deck and bar.
Italy’s coastal regions are the inspiration for Casadonna’s menu, developed by executive chef Michael Gucfa (formerly of Tao’s Lavo Sinagpore), alongside Tao’s chief culinary officer Ralph Scamardella and Groot’s culinary vice president Josh Brown.
There’s no word yet on what the wine list will look like. But given Tao and Groot’s track records, it’s fair to predict Miami enophiles have plenty to look forward to there.—C.D.
