Grappino is a restaurant in Naples featuring Italian cuisine.
It is the newest venture of the Aielli Group who have distinguished themselves in both Naples and St. Petersburg with their mastery of Italian fare. Grappino diverges from their other endeavors in that it features more rustic, simply-prepared and softly-priced dishes from Italy.
Grappino in Italian is literally a small portion (shot) of grappa, similar to that wee dram of whiskey associated with Scotland. Grappa is a brandy-like spirit made from pomace. Pomace is a by-product of winemaking, consisting of grape skins, seeds and stems left over after winemaking.
Being in the shadow of the wine trade, grappa has been very much under the radar and a somewhat ridiculed spirit for many years even in its home country Italy. This is changing. Some producers are featuring grappa that is barrel-aged among other refinements, leading to speculation that grappa may eventually follow the way of tequila as its quality improves.
Grappino is almost distinctive in North America as it is one of the few establishments that feature over 100 different grappa varieties. With this armamentarium of grappa choices, one has a unique opportunity to cut their teeth on this perhaps up and coming alcoholic beverage.
