Anyone familiar with the grilled pizzas of Al Forno, the Italian restaurant in Providence, R.I., will be glad that Kevin Garcia, who once worked the dough there, is serving very satisfying clones of those crackling crusted gems at Accademia di Vino, where he is now the chef. Read more »

I don’t want to jinx this jinxed restaurant address with rashly optimistic judgments, but Accademia di Vino could be just what the neighborhood was waiting for: a comfy, laid-back spot to order a few $4 antipasti, a seriously al dente pasta to share, and wine by the glass. Nice ending for a Bloomies shopping binge or after the Third Avenue movies. Read more »

“Taking up half of an avenue block, Accademia di Vino is an imposing presence on the Upper East Side. An encyclopedic menu from chef Kevin Garcia (’Cesca) covers all of the au courant Italian bases: small plates like honey-kissed kabocha squash; grilled pizzas, including a superior Robiolaand black truffle version; Read more »

If you’re not enamored with at least one out of a whopping 500 bottles of wine at this “Academy,” you should be smacked or find a new hobby. But this place isn’t just for oenophiles. Alcoholics will also take stock after a few swigs of the high-grade Jesus juice. Hungry? Try a grilled pizza or one of the other Italian specialties. Your waiter will act as wine professor as he/she helps your navigate the gargantuan list and decide what to get. …Read full review

The owner, Anthony Mazzola, is a restaurant and wine industry veteran. Former owner of Sutton Wine Shop and current owner of ‘Cesca on the Upper West Side, Mazzola has played an important role in putting together the extensive wine program at Accademia di Vino. Some of the highlights are the collection of over 500 Italian wines offered by the bottle (from $28 and up) and an extensive wine by the glass program (from $8 to $25). …Read full article

There seems to be an insatiable appetite for Italian food and wine in this town.  The informal but well-appointed wine bar-restaurant is almost the default restaurant format these days, and the places with this format are always packed. …Read full article

A massive, vino-laden grotto created by ‘Cesca’s Anthony Mazzola, Accademia offers 500 different Italian wines, a truly comprehensive stash on par with the tomes of Alexandria/your Sweet Valley High collection (unabridged). To introduce the subject manageably, the restaurant regularly rotates 20 wines-by-the-glass, …Read full article