If you’ve been out of touch, Lita is Chef David Viana’s new venture to honor his Portuguese roots… it’s officially opening tomorrow night, but of course they’ve been getting lots of press already, as Chef is part of Heirloom Kitchen and Heirloom at the St. Laurent.
While I don’t have a reservation yet, I’ve been looking forward to this place since they first announced it, as one of the (few) things I miss about living in NNJ is going to the Ironbound on a regular basis for Portuguese and Spanish food! Lita will (no surprise) get their chourico from Lopes Sausage, which is THE spot in Newark to buy it, and the Lita Instagram page already has me drooling.
The cocktails look great too, and I was surprised to read that their bar manager (who moved from Miami to be part of this venture) “will manage Lita’s sister location, La Otra, located next to the restaurant. It boasts a more causal atmosphere meant for sipping cocktails, listening to music and snacking on Portuguese skewers. La Otra will open organically, a few months after Lita has settled into operation.”
Albariño is our go-to for this type of cuisine because they have a very pleasant patio which meets our need for outdoor dining. Overall, Lita’s prices are comparable though Albariño’s paellas are priced per person (minimum 2 guests) while there is no indication on Lita’s menu as to how many each paella serves.
In my opinion, those prices are reasonable/in line with other restaurants in the area, most of which aren’t cooking at this level. Just one example: I just saw the menu for a newly opened Italian place (pizza! pasta! burgers!) nearby and their house-made New England Clam Chowder is 11.95/bowl.
Lita announced they are moving to a fixed menu. Announcement below. 3 courses for $68 pp.
We are supposed to go Sunday but I’m probably going to cancel unless I can find a babysitter. My daughter is in a wildly picky phase and paying $70 for her to be miserable is insane.
I don’t know if it was about the average check or the length of time it takes to produce those dishes… Either way, I’m still up in the air about what I think. I’m anxious to try it and will get there eventually, but I hate being restricted to a handful of choices! That said, I think the pricing is reasonable for the options.
Risking sounding like a theorist but it does seem like a creative way to eliminate kids. Not sure how many parents are going to want to sign up for $70 pp for their kids.
I hear what you are saying, but in their case they are offering 6 or 7 different items in the Esenciales and Especialidades, which I feel doesn’t hamstring people too much. Admittedly the Apertivo is more limited at 3 choices. I’ve not been so I am assuming the Esenciales is more of an appetizer??
Actually I think the Esenciales are more like heavier apps, but don’t quote me on that.
@gracieggg since they’re still offering a la carte at the bar, maybe worth a call to see if they’ll accommodate the kiddo at the table w 1-2 small dishes?
We went Sunday night and it was amazing. The same level of service and attention to detail you expect from the Heirloom/St. Laurent brand. Very tasty. SUPER creative drinks (like a wasabi vodka drink. what?!) Those cocktails aren’t cheap though and the whole meal was something like $215 pre tip…
We were told they are opening a sidebar inside the restaurant soon which sounds cool. Portion sizes were more than adequate. My husband and I both took home half our our entree which I think was a fluke. I think we normally would have polished them both off.
A few pics, “spicy” potatoes (I’m a wuss and even I didn’t think these were spicy, but they were delicious).
