Eats
East Village’s Cacio e Pepe opens second location amid pandemic
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
Cacio e Pepe, located at 182
Second Avenue, has been
an East Village staple
since 2004. Named for the classic
Roman dish, Salvatore Corea and
Giusto Priola felt that they needed
to bring a taste of this classic Italian
fare to the neighborhood.
“In July of 2004, Cacio e Pepe
opened after Salvatore and myself
and one other partner, who is no
longer with us, decided the East
Village needed a new authentic
and creative Italian restaurant,”
recalled Priola.
The restaurant quickly garnered
a lot of buzz with its authentic
Italian specialties. What
caught the eye of many diners
and members of the media was
the restaurant’s namesake: cacio
e pepe. Translated to “cheese and
pepper,” cacio e pepe is as simple
as it sounds, a cheese-based
pasta dish with black pepper
and salt. Cacio e Pepe took this
dish to the next level by tossing
it together in a wheel of cheese
served tableside.
“We were lauded in NY Magazine,
Time Out New York, The
New York Post, The Village Voice
and many others,” said Corea.
“Shortly after, I was invited to
cook at the James Beard Foundation
where I was the featured chef
for 2 events. In 2017, New Fork
City posted a video of the Cacio
e Pepe which brought it newfound
worldwide popularity bringing in
tourists from all over the world.
Insider and many others soon
followed.”
While the cacio e pepe drew
many in, guests stayed for the
restaurant’s variety of Roman
entrees, desserts and wine. Business
was booming, and there were
talks of opening a second location
over the years.
However, like many restaurants,
Cacio e Pepe was forced
to close down in 2020 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Priola and
Salvatore Corea (l) and Giusto Priola (r), owners of Cacio e
Pepe.
Corea immediately shut down the
restaurant not just for the safety of
New York City, but mainly for the
safety of their employees.
Thanks to the fundraiser, Cacio
e Pepe’s employees were able
to stay afl oat during the height of
the shutdowns. When the Open
Restaurants program allowed for
outdoor dining in the summer
COURTESY OF CACIO E PEPE
of 2020, Cacio e Pepe reopened
with COVID-19 restrictions at
the ready.
Cacio e Pepe began to get its
customer base back over the
months. However, despite the
pandemic Corea and Priola still
had thoughts of opening a second
spot in the Upper East Side.
“We have been planning and
saving for a second location for
a couple of years now. Salvatore
lives on the Upper East Side with
his wife and children and wanted
to be closer to home,” said Priola.
“When the place on York Avenue
became available, we inquired
and it all fell nicely into place.”
And fall into place it did. The
second location of Cacio e Pepe
recently opened its doors at 1479
York Avenue at the corner of 78th
Street with the same full menu
you’ll fi nd at the East Village location,
including the iconic tableside
cacio e pepe. At this time, the Upper
East Side location is BYOB,
so guests are encouraged to bring
their own wine and beer.
Priola and Corea acknowledge
that opening a new location was
tough to pull off, but they are
excited for the challenge and owe
a lot to their customers for helping
make it possible to open the
second Cacio e Pepe.
For more information, visit
cacioepepe.com.
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/cacioepepe.com
