A nearly-century-old Manhattan steakhouse will reopen this summer in Midtown after an 11-month hiatus, the restaurant’s owners and its new landlord announced Thursday.
Originally founded in 1932 at the corner of East 45th Street and Third Avenue by two brothers from Italy, Pietro’s Ristorante moved to its longtime digs at 232 E. 43rd St. in 1984. The steakhouse closed in May after its lease there expired — it was on the ground floor of the former Pfizer building, which was sold last year and is being converted into residential housing, Crain’s has reported.
The famed red sauce joint, which had been taken over by new owners, will move about five blocks north to 890 Second Ave. in June and reopen in its new home several weeks later sometime in August.
Pietro’s, which is now stewarded by Bill Bruckman, son of David Bruckman, a former busboy at the restaurant, signed a 15-year lease to occupy about 5,000 square feet across the ground floor and lower level of the 21-story building at the corner of East 47th Street. The space is currently occupied by the Italian restaurant Angeletto. It was unclear by press time if Angeletto will be closing or also relocating.
The starting rent at the new space is $89.29 per square foot, according to information from CoStar, and the landlord is Stellar Management. Lee & Associates NYC’s Cory Gahr represented the restaurant in the deal, while Cushman & Wakefield’s Sean Moran and Patrick O’Rourke represented the landlord.
Pietro’s was one of the last remaining Italian-style spots on what was considered Steak Row — a Midtown corridor filled with similar haunts where the Don Drapers of the world conducted business deals, The New York Times wrote as part of its eulogy last year. It wasn’t just a place for handshaking, though; it was also home to the “single best steak” former Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl said she had eaten, the paper wrote 30 years ago.
This story has been updated to reflect that while the restaurant will move into its new space at 890 Second Ave. in June, it won’t open until August.
