The Upper East Side will discover treasure at Il Tesoro Ristorante & Bar opening at 1578 First Ave.
"Italian treasure" Il Tesoro will take over the space of the popular Primavera Ristorante at the corner of First Avenue and 82nd Street.
Owner and chef AJ Black, who grew up in the restaurant
… business in Rome and trained at the Italian Culinary Institute, also owns Il Tesoro Ristorante on Florida's Sanibel Island and Il Tesoro at the Terrace on Martha's Vineyard. (He previously owned Villa Pazzo in the West Village, on Bleeker Street.)
His artist-wife Jolie has created the restaurant's frescoes. The design will also include a marble bar, woodwork and Venetian plastered walls.
The 2,000-square-foot dining room has 65 seats, while a private dining/tasting room seats 35 in the 1,500-square-foot wine cellar, styled like a private Tuscan home.
"We kept the authenticity of the place, but restored the wood and original paintings, and put in an updated kitchen, and modernized the decor."Continued