La Via per Cincinnati: Cristian Pietoso

Cristian Pietoso, born and raised in Florence, Italy came to Cincinnati for the same reason countless other immigrants have come before him.  He came because of family.

His father's people are "meridionale," from the south in Naples where a steady paycheck is not easy to find.  First one uncle relocated to St. Louis.  Then another.  Finally his father, Nicola, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of Florence, came to join them.  But the Italian community was so big in St. Louis that it was hard to stand out in the restaurant business.  When the owners of Verdin Bell called and offered an opportunity to start a new establishment in one of their empty buildings on Sycamore St. in Cincinnati, Nicola decided to take a chance.


After Cristian graduated from the same school where his father studied, it was only logical that he should join the family business in Ohio.  Soon after he took over the kitchen at Nicola's, word got around about the imaginative young chef.  Three years ago the Pietosos decided to expand their operation to include a more casual dining experience on Fountain Square named Via Vite (Vine Street) which features wood fired pizzas and the pasta bolognese that is so popular in Over the Rhine. The atmosphere may be hip, more American contemporary, but oceans cannot separate Italians from who they really are. "My grandma's peperonata," is one of  the side dishes on Cristian's menu:  sweet peppers, onions, and tomatoes, a taste of what his family left behind.

For those of us in the Queen City who appreciate great food prepared from the finest, freshest ingredients, where the pasta is never "mushy", we are lucky.  Italians don't like to move and they hate to change jobs so it looks like the Pietosos are here to stay.   Last year Cristian married Amanda, a local girl, and their daughter, Ilaria, was born in November. 

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On Sunday, March 6th at 10am, Cristian has agreed to open Via Vite just for School Amici.  For two hours he will personally demonstrate how to prepare a traditional pasta cavolfiore (cauliflower), a special appetizer and tiramisu.  Then we get to eat!  Space is limited to 25 and we only have a few remaining seats, so if you'd like to join us, please register as soon as possible at School Amici