FoodView
Chef’s of New York
In 2007, a small restaurant opened on Oakdale Rd with amazing rich flavors. Vinny Altadonna and his daughter Kim opened a traditional authentic Italian restaurant. The food was delicious, with rich sauces inspired by Vinny’s mom, Emilia Galati Altadonna, Her recipes, the thin crust New York Boardwalk style pizzas, rich marinaras, zesty picattas and so much more. This place caught the attention of many here in our area and developed a solid following.
Well folks, if you miss that special experience, it’s back and it’s downtown. There is a new chapter opening for Chefs of New York, located on 13th St in downtown Modesto. It is a great time for downtown dining with new creative and fresh offerings. This time, Vinny and Kim are back running the kitchen, making the sauces, the pastas, the cannolis, the knotted bread and so much more. If you are a fan on New York’s Little Italy on Mulberry St, this is the place for you, with a warm friendly greeting from Vinnie, friendly prompt service from his staff with long time server Terri returning and Anna running the bar.
What’s different this time as that there is a new business partner, Jay Singh. Jay had been a regular at the bar previously and had become friends. When Chefs closed last year, he reached out to Vinny and Clay Rossen and asked how they could bring it back. Jay has a long history in the hospitality business, working for Renaissance and Marriot hotels. His family is in the hospitality business running a bay area limousine company. Now he is all charged up to make Chefs of New York a destination restaurant, helping Vinnie and Kim and the kitchen team lead by Rafael and Juan, make wonderful Italian food with the magic touch of the traditional recipes. Each of the staff has their favorites and they are not shy about recommending something they like. In the photograph, Kim is holding the Baked Ziti Siciliana, Jay is enjoying the dun-dried tomato chicken and Vinny has his shrimp and pesto pasta.
Everything at Chefs is fresh, the meatballs are hand made, from the pasta to the sauces, the salads. They have an amazing fish and chips, delicious calamari steak and the lasagna well feed the heartiest of appetites.
For the early risers, Chefs has become a go-to spot for breakfast as they open at 8 am. I am a regular for breakfast on the weekends with my grandson, and the silver dollar pancakes, the ricotta pancakes, fresh bagel sandwiches, ebelskivers with fresh jam and the large portion breakfasts that bring back the legendary Sundial, for those of you that go back. Breakfast is served daily, the bar is open from mornings through the late night hours.
Speaking of the bar, look for some new changes there. One of the coolest things about Chefs is the alley. Many times this is used for overflow dining, but recently there have been weddings and events in the alley, but you can expect to see a new bar entrance for afterhours. Anna XXXXX is managing the bar and she brings many years of experience to Chefs, from the standards to some new fun flavors and custom shots. With an Italian dinner, sometimes you just want a perfect martini.
You will enjoy this new experience. Vinny’s mom passed away in 2021 at the age of 100, but her recipes live on in the hands of her son and granddaughter Kim. Take time to explore the menu and try something new. Oh yeah, bring your appetite and get ready to enjoy.
Hours
8 am – 2 pm / 5 – 9 pm Fri, Sat, Sun
11 – 2 pm / 5 – 9 pm M, W, Th
Open till 10 on Fridays and Saturdays
New later bar hours will be coming soon along with Open Mic nights, Karaoke Saturdays and more. Live music on Fridays. Check their Facebook and Instagram for updates @chefsofnewyorkdowntown
918 13th St, Modesto
209-488-4243
www.chefsofnewyork.com
Delivery available
