It was an afternoon chocked full of footballs and meatballs on Sunday, August 23^rd, as Girls on Food was invited to brunch with noted former NFL pro Rob Carpenter at Ornella Trattoria Italiana in Astoria, Queens. Other guests in attendance included CBS & Sirius FM anchor/reporter Peter Schwartz, New York City PR whiz Alysia Stern, members of the blog La Mode Exposé, and of course, chef-owner Giuseppe Viterale.

Ornella Trattoria Italiana
29-17 23^rd Avenue
Astoria, NY 11105
www.ornellatrattoria.com

The décor of Ornella is a reflection of signore Viterale in every way. Much like Giuseppe, the restaurant is warm & welcoming; a charming Italian accent is evident on both Viterale and the restaurant. His craftsmanship of the exterior wooden doors and hand painted sign is matched on the interior as well. The restaurant is intimate, dimly lit & romantic, but playful at the same time.

 

 

It is decorated with a wooden bar and tables that Viterale hand built, on which a hand written, laminated menu laid. He was an architect by trade before immersing himself in the restaurant business. His personality shines through from every corner of the property, including the bathrooms, which are plastered with Yelp reviews of previous diners. Not only is Viterale aware of the praise & criticism surrounding Ornella, he even responds to the diners, not afraid to be artfully sarcastic. “I’m not like everyone else,” said Viterale.

I walked in, having never met anyone else from the brunch, so I was a bit nervous. However, that nervous feeling melted away quickly as soon shook Alysia’s hand. Her personality was fun and infectious, making me feel like I was meeting someone I was already familiar with. She was so excited to introduce me to Giuseppe, as well as Rob & Peter, and I was equally excited to meet a fellow foodie as well as such prominent names in sports.

 

Carpenter played wide receiver for notable teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, and most recently, the New York Jets and he was one of many ranked players in fantasy football through companies like FanDuel. Although his 6’2” stance might look intimidating on the field, off the field, Carpenter was a gentle giant. He was refreshingly friendly and down to Earth. He described himself as “low key, but a little crazy.” He shared about his love for “the game,” reminisced about sports memories with Schwartz, and talked to me about plans for a possible Super Bowl party. “Definitely wings…and empanadas! I love empanadas,” he exclaimed.

 

After some mingling and a cocktail or two, we sat down at the table. Giuseppe spoke about the importance of food, and how it brings everyone together. “Start with the food,” he spoke softly, but powerfully. “The best business, you do at the table,” he said. And so, the business began. He took us on a journey through his menu. Course by course, plate by plate, Giuseppe guided us through different textures, flavor profiles, preparation methods, and atypical ingredients. “I want to let you try stuff that you wouldn’t find in other places,” he encouraged.

He makes his own gluten free pasta from chickpeas, as they are a wonderful source for all kinds of nutrients. He also let us sample his wildly popular Pasta di Castagna, a pasta made from chestnut flour, dressed in a pistachio and truffle oil sauce.

 

 

 

In addition, he presented us with his version of Canard a l’Orange, using a duck meatball with an orange sauce instead of a whole duck. Each dish we tasted was unique, coating every crevice of your palate with flavor. Viterale let us know that “If you have an explosion of flavor in your mouth, then the food was good.”

Before we knew it, the early afternoon had suddenly turned into the early evening. Our break from reality was over, and our journey through the world of Ornella Trattoria had ended.

We all said our goodbyes, but I knew that we would all remember this experience. We were all bonded by the sacred activity of eating and sharing with each other. We shared feelings, memories, and emotions. It is these kinds of bonds that are more powerful and evoking than any number of likes re-tweets on social media. I left feeling like I just made a handful of new friends. Whether or not we’ll all stay in touch remains to be seen, but we’ll always have that Sunday afternoon at Ornella.