With every square inch of Pike/Pine filling in with eating and drinking establishments, it should be no surprise that some of the area’s foundational institutions are doubling down in the neighborhood. The plywood is down today on the front for a new a new project that is taking shape on E. Pike — Vellotti’s Pizza is being constructed in the space adjacent to Caffe Vita to the east. The license CHS found when we first reported the project last summer describes the business as a “Restaurant / lounge — spirits, beer and wine (50 percent or more dining).”
Vita’s Mike McConnell, Neumo’s Jason Lajuenesse, and entrepreneur and political insider David Meinert are teaming up on the new pizza joint. Meinert is also the driving force behind the Capitol Hill Block Party. McConnell also heads the local Via Tribunali chain of restaurants.
CHS has calls out to Vita about the new project but so far we haven’t had a chance to talk with McConnell about Vellotti. It’s apparently a secretive project. CHS was asked to not take pictures of the construction scene this morning by a man working on the project.
Vita’s Mike McConnell (right) – tsb 109 Originally
uploaded by Caffe Vita
Last summer, Francesco Angiuli, director of operations for Via Tribunali, confirmed that Vellotti was being planned and was in the process of securing licenses and permits for the 1011 E. Pike location.
He wouldn’t confirm other details about the restaurant but did drop one important piece of data. “This won’t be Neapolitan style pizza,” Angiuli said. “It’s going to be a different kind of place with New York style.”
“CHS was asked to not take pictures of the construction scene this morning by a man working on the project.”
this makes me want to walk up the hill at lunch and just stand around outside vellotti’s taking pictures. when will people learn you can’t prohibit someone, on a public sidewalk, from getting a picture of a building.
want to hide your construction? then build a huge wall around your site until the work is complete.
How does this person request that the photo of his hand be removed from the site?
Send me e-mail so I can say no. [email protected] We try to be extremely courteous when we’re out shooting — especially this kind of thing. And I kid about saying ‘no’ — for certain coverage, we can handle these kinds of requests. We had no interest in getting a picture of this guy — but he seemed to be making a point by standing in the shot.
This is great, because between Via Tribunali, Bill’s and Hot Mama’s there is not enough variety of pizza on Pike/Pine. I can’t wait!
you forgot ‘zaw and Piecora’s which isn’t technically on Pike but close enough to count…
I would have preferred a blue collar French bistro, (Cafe Presse doesn’t count because I hate it).