New year, new food goals. And if you haven’t been to Stapleton, now’s a good time for a dining tour .
The neighborhood, on Staten Island’s North Shore, has seen a number of restaurants open in recent months. Non-SIers can have an adventure getting there: The ferry touches down at St. George, and from there it’s a quick walk to the SIR subway line, which you’ll take two stops.
“There’s a food vibe coming back here, which is cool, like a rebirth. I feel like Christopher Columbus,” Vic Rallo tells us. He has two restaurants in Stapleton: year-old Surf, offering comfort foods (including homemade pastas) and draft beers sourced from locals, and the seafood-minded Barca, which opened a year ago and is a joint with Dave Pasternack of Manhattan’s Esca. Nab a spot by the window for a water view.
“No one came here because there was nothing. Now this shore is becoming a destination,” Rallo says.
It’s true. Another new spot, upscale bistro The Richmond, serves Kobe beef and a mussels entrée. On the casual end, Seppe Pizza Bar entered the world of Stapleton in November, serving specialty pies alongside custom cocktails. The gin-based Verrazzano, of course, has the appropriate number of Zs .
“This is kind of an area in New York where there hasn’t been much attention on or much development,” Seppe’s Joe Iovino says. “All along the waterfront, it’s beautiful. It’s a beautiful setting that’s been ignored for a number of years.”
” data-id=”125464557″ data-link=”https://amnewyork.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/7343_image.jpg” class=”wp-image-1.25464557″/> Photo Credit: Lily Brown