Replacing Taverna Fiorentina in Vinings, Crispina will be an Italian restaurant and pizzeria by Raffaele Crispino, a Naples native whose resume includes Maggiano’s, Darden restaurants, and numerous family businesses in Capri. Crispino will serve as chef and owner and plans to open in May.
The Neapolitan-style pizzas will be 10 to 12 inches and made with fresh ricotta, San Marzano tomatoes, and buffalo and smoked mozzarellas. The signature will be a fried pizza called the Sophia Loren.
Seafood like grilled octopus, salmon, and snapper will also be on the menu, in addition to filet mignon, and a variety of house-made pastas (like duck and seafood raviolis). Classics like veal marsala and chicken francaise will be available as well but don’t expect chicken parmesan. “I don’t want to do the classic Italian-American dishes,” Crispino says.
He will, however, serve a “Pronto” menu during lunch with expedited offerings like salads and Panini.
The restaurant will offer 35 bottled wines and ten by the glass, the majority of which will be Italian. There will be wine-based cocktails like bellinis and spritzers, and for beer drinkers, the bar will be stocked with Peroni, SweetWater 420, and Terrapin.
