Vita Urbana (1200 W. 76th St., 216-600-5303), located in the ritzy Shoreway Building in Battery Park, will officially open its doors to the general public tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. The all-day gourmet market and café, operated by owner Mike Graley and chef-partner Scott Popovic, combines a 50-seat bar and bistro with a gourmet retail marketplace.
Credit: Douglas Trattner
On Tuesday, management was putting the finishing touches on the space. The shelves are being stocked, the kegs are being tapped, the coolers are being filled, and the mise en place is in place.
In the morning, Vita Urbana functions as the neighborhood’s coffee shop, offering up fresh-brewed Rising Star and Cleveland coffees, espresso, cappuccino and fresh-fruit smoothies. To eat, there will be grab-and-go items like danish, muffins and croissants and made-to-order foods like oatmeal, granola, and sausage, egg and cheese empanadas.
Following breakfast service, an all-day menu kicks in. A large selection of snacks and starters features meat and cheese boards, a few salads, beef fat-popped popcorn with smoked sea salt, tuna tartar with orange and scotch bonnet gelée, Certified Angus Beef tacos with chipotle cabbage, and grilled salmon skewers.
More substantial small and medium plates include beef and ricotta meatballs with sauce and bread, rosemary roasted chicken mac and cheese, fried mascarpone polenta with roasted mushroom ragout, pan-roasted Canadian salmon with roasted new potatoes and spring pea sauce, and beer-braised beef short rib with polenta and swiss chard.
Prices are in the $5 to $13 range.
For in-house guests there are four beers on tap and nearly 50 wines by the glass. For those on the go, a well-stocked retail section has beer, wine, gourmet cheeses, charcuterie, pasta, olive oil, condiments and a few basic necessities. One section is dedicated to “first to market” food products originating in the Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen.
For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.
5 replies on “First Look: Vita Urbana in Battery Park’s Shoreway Building”
Hell Yeah! One more white-only drop of water in an already saturated bucket! And the nerve to give it that name. Nothing says “urban life” like pricing out the locals to cater to the $2 a square foot crowd.
You want flaming hot pork rinds. Or dill pickles on a peppermint stick for you brefas, go to the Arab sto and trade your gubmint aid fo cash at 20% on the dollar.
Well, now that the “ritzy Shoreway Building in Battery Park” is occupied, and there more condos going up and TWO pricey eateries are now open, so much for the convenience of parking near W. 76th and walking through the tunnel to Edgewater Park for a concert or the beach.
One of the best-kept and most delightful secrets of our “Vita Urbana” (Urban life…in Cleveland…not the new restaurant) is history.
From the images posted, and the menu, the new place sounds pleasant enough, but where the hell will the potential customers be able to park? Or do they expect them to be strictly a walk-up, neighborhood crowd?
Chuckles the Clown
People are so negative. This place looks great! Wish them the best of luck.
It’s bound to be great. They already have many other success stories behind them. I wish them the best.
Hell Yeah! One more white-only drop of water in an already saturated bucket! And the nerve to give it that name. Nothing says “urban life” like pricing out the locals to cater to the $2 a square foot crowd.
You want flaming hot pork rinds. Or dill pickles on a peppermint stick for you brefas, go to the Arab sto and trade your gubmint aid fo cash at 20% on the dollar.
Well, now that the “ritzy Shoreway Building in Battery Park” is occupied, and there more condos going up and TWO pricey eateries are now open, so much for the convenience of parking near W. 76th and walking through the tunnel to Edgewater Park for a concert or the beach.
One of the best-kept and most delightful secrets of our “Vita Urbana” (Urban life…in Cleveland…not the new restaurant) is history.
From the images posted, and the menu, the new place sounds pleasant enough, but where the hell will the potential customers be able to park? Or do they expect them to be strictly a walk-up, neighborhood crowd?
Chuckles the Clown
People are so negative. This place looks great! Wish them the best of luck.
It’s bound to be great. They already have many other success stories behind them. I wish them the best.