Intentionality and Quality: DPNB Owners Open New Spot

After much success with fan-favorite Drop Pasta Not Bombs, more widely known as DPNB, Nyack natives and husband and wife team Louiedell Gargantiel-Scotto and Tony Scotto felt that opening up wine bar Louie’s Next Door was a natural progression for their story. The relaxed service and high quality food DPNB is known for is sure to carry over to Louie’s, but the owners are excited to expand with something “a little more adult and sophisticated,” stated the eponymous Louie Gargantiel-Scotto.

Tony was adamant that his wife’s vast knowledge of the back end of the restaurant be front and center. Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just get by on delicious food. Restaurateurs need to become intimately familiar with the ins and outs of state laws, payrolls, taxes, budgeting “…If I made a list, we’d be here all day… I think sometimes I have the easier part of the job,” shared Tony. Louie was quick on his heels, laughing, “His joke is that he only makes things hot.” 

Louie stated that it was her background in nursing that set her up to have the skills to run a restaurant. “It’s all hospitality at the end of the day. It’s all about making sure people are taken care of and have what they need.” Louie has all the warmth and joy of your favorite next-door neighbor who throws sun-soaked, legendary parties, the ones where you go home arms overflowing with leftovers, beers, and a few extra laugh lines. 

Tony spent large portions of his career working with names too big for us Hello Fresh and Instagram reels chefs to fully understand, but trust us when we say they are BIG. Over the years, he grew tired of working at restaurants that had incredible food but came with the caveat of stiff conversations and even stiffer jackets. This lead him to create a space where he could explore and share his findings with his Nyack neighbors.

These kind of friendly-neighbor-vibes help to press against the Brooklyn-based eye rolls that the term “wine bar” may induce, especially in those of us a little less inclined towards orange wine and oversized mustaches. “…We offer something that anyone can come in and enjoy,” said Tony. 

We at the RCT asked Tony, Louie, and John Capone, their Beverage Program Director, what they are most excited to share with guests at this fresh new spot. 

Tony’s Choice

A fresh take on an overdone dish

“What we’ve done here is through Heritage Foods we’ve gotten really good American hams…and then we serve them with mango. Mango is fairly big in the Philippines, but when you get the really overripe mango there’s the muskiness that plays along with the salinity and the fat from the ham.”

He emphasized a focus on high quality ingredients, allowing for their natural flavors to shine instead of being overly manipulated.

Louie’s Choice 

A nostalgic sandwich from Milan

“I spent most of my time just wandering around the city, enjoying Milan. There was this tiny little place around the corner from where Tony worked, and we would meet up there for lunch…It was this place that sold piadinas, which are like an Italian flat bread sandwich, and there was one that I would always, always order…So when we were talking about what types of things we’d be having here and he said “Wait – I have this idea.” The piadina sandwich [at Louie’s] is Tony’s version of the same sandwich that we would have in Milan all the time.”

Louie elaborated on Tony’s discussion of high quality, mentioning that  high-quality people and collaboration are just as important as the ingredients. “You can’t do it all yourself,” added Tony, nodding along with his wife as he recalled Carl from The Parker hanging the art on the wall, and his own brother building the cherry wood bar we all sat at.

John’s Choice

The dance between food and drink

“The short rib is phenomenal… It’s a seasonal thing, but it speaks to the skill and the approach that [Tony] has with food. You hear short rib and you think it’s going to be heavy…We tried it and it was this light, summery dish, this short rib with Caesar salad and crunchy onions on top. And I’m like, I want to pair this with a Sauvignon Blanc. This is a braised red meat dish, but what comes out of it is so light and refreshing that I want a crisp white wine.” John’s goal is to help the food and wine work in tandem, stressing that “…it has to be a handshake with the food.”

John is so skilled at the art of the handshake that Wine Enthusiast has placed Louie’s Next Door on the list of top 50 New Wine Bars in the United States.