Piccola Cucina’s SoHo Debut: Chef Philip Guardione Unveils Enoteca & Tapas With Intimate Apericena

On a soft September evening, New York’s culinary map quietly shifted. At 196 Spring Street (SoHo), Chef Philip Guardione opened the doors to Piccola Cucina Enoteca & Tapas, hosting an “apericena”-style dinner that unveiled the restaurant’s philosophy—where wine, fire, and small plates converse in harmony.

Guardione’s vision for Enoteca & Tapas centers on a bold wine program. The intimate dinner celebrated a 4,000-bottle wine cellar, with a spotlight on Sicilian labels—among them rare bottles from Etna Sud e Nord. Such a deep Sicilian selection underscores how seriously the team is taking terroir, authenticity, and regional storytelling.

Instagram already frames Enoteca’s promise: “Enoteca e Tapas is officially open in Soho. A snug little wine bar with 4,000 reasons to stay a little longer.” The official page defines the tapas concept as “waste-free Italian tapas cooked in a Josper oven.” The choice of a Josper grill—a hybrid oven that sears and smolders over hardwood charcoal—allows dishes to carry a smoky depth that suits both seafood crudi and charred meats.

Chef Guardione matched each Sicilian wine with tapas drawn from his kitchen’s new small-plates lexicon. I recall one pairing: a volcanic wine from Etna paired with calamaro e salsa Romesco, the grilled squid’s char and acidity marrying beautifully with minerality in the glass. Another standout was secreto iberico e insalatina di erbe estive, a richly marbled pork cut with fresh herbs that balanced the evening’s heavier pours.

The grand opening unfolded as a true tapas celebration, pairing Sicilian wines with a thoughtful sequence of small plates. Guests sampled Arancino Catanese, delicate Orata in tempura, Polpo alla “Strascinasali,” and Angus beef short ribs grilled over live fire. The menu reflected the restaurant’s ethos of mindful cooking and minimal waste: “everything will be used to create new and delicious dishes cooked exclusively over a live fire.”

Guardione, well known for his original Piccola Cucina locations, uses this new concept to explore a more playful, experimental side of Sicilian cuisine. The enoteca format allows him to lean further into wine storytelling without sacrificing his culinary DNA. As the group sipped Sicilian Grillo and Sicilian Catarratto, the room felt less like a restaurant and more like a private cellar tasting.

That mantra, woven into menus and ambiance, sets the tone: Enoteca & Tapas asks guests to participate in discovery, not just consumption.

Piccola Cucina Enoteca & Tapas joins a growing portfolio but stands apart in ambition. It arrives as New York’s dining scene continues evolving toward elevated formats—smaller, more defined, driven by narrative. Eater NYC already listed the opening in August 2025, noting Chef Guardione’s expansion of the Piccola empire and the new wine-focused small plates in SoHo.

Though the roster of guests was intimate and the Apericena private, the evening whispered a clear message: this is not simply another addition to Guardione’s brand—it is a purposeful new chapter. At Enoteca, you’re meant to linger, taste deeply, and discover conversation between glass and plate.

For food lovers seeking nuance, freshness, and depth—SoHo just gained a new destination.