Vinny's Grill and Grotto is a new neighborhood favorite

Got a hankering for cheeseburgers and wings at midnight? How about some thin and crispy pizza topped with just about anything one could imagine?

Stop by Vinny's Grill and Grotto, a new bar and restaurant located on the Post Road, and place an order. The kitchen's open until closing, said John Kastrati, one of three partners who took over the site formerly occupied by The Reef and Ash Creek Salon, at the corner of Post Road and Riverside Drive, near Grasmere Avenue.

Vinny's Grill and Grotto serves up a variety of appetizers to accompany its extensive beer and wine list. However, its signature dish is its 12-inch,

Neapolitan-style pizzas served with finely chopped ingredients and comprising an assortment of topping and unique combinations, explained Ernest Buggisch. He and Jack Hekker also own and operate the chain of Vinny's eateries, including the popular Vinny's Backyard in Stamford.

"Each pizza we serve is unique," Buggisch said. "You could get them with a variety of toppings. People seem to really like the salad pizzas."

Other favorites include pies made with chicken pesto. Another specialty pizza that is frequently asked for is one made with artichoke hearts and capers. However, it's Vinny's poached pear pizza, made with caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese, that has people talking, Buggisch said.

"We do a lot of fundraisers and whenever we serve our poached pear pizza, it's always undoubtedly the talk of the room," he said.

Kastrati admitted that his all-time favorite meal offered on Vinny's menu is, indeed, the poached pear pizza. (Buggisch referred to the restaurant's "S'hroom Burger," a hamburger topped with melted Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms and garlic parmesan butter, as his favorite meal.)

Everything is cooked fresh and homemade, including Vinny's desserts. Some of the more unusual treats available are a peanut butter New York cheesecake, Tollhouse cookie pie and rice krispie cake pie.

Although Vinny's Grill and Grotto only opened a month ago -- on July 1 -- it's already enjoyed some good business, the two owners reported. Moreover, they said, a few customers have repeatedly returned to sample more of its food and drink.

Buggisch recalled speaking with a patron last weekend who came in with a group of young boys and their fathers after playing baseball.

"I thanked him for his patronage and he asked me how long we've been open," Buggisch said. "He told me that he's already been in here seven times."

Kastrati feels that people are drawn to Vinny's cozy ambiance. "We're casual here," he said. "It's a great place for good food and also to watch a game on television."

The restaurant boasts 10 big-screen televisions, seven of which are located in the spacious, newly renovated bar room.

Shortly after signing the lease for the 32,000-square foot property last February, an extensive remodeling project got underway. With the three partners acting as its designers, the bar area was reconfigured and enlarged and the restaurant's interior received an overhaul.

Now decorated with old-time celebrity memorabilia and classic movie posters displayed on its interior walls, Vinny's Grill and Grotto offers a casual, relaxing atmosphere.

"I think we have the best bar in Fairfield," said Kastrati. "It's classy. It's roomy. So far, we've had a nice crowd coming in, and it's been a real mix of young and old."

Both he and Buggisch were amazed at how many people stopped in to ask about the construction project as they were walking by this spring.

"There was a great curiosity among the neighborhood about what we were doing," Buggisch said. "This was exciting for us because we are new here."

Patricia Ritchie, president and chief executive officer of the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, is one of the community members who drove by the work site daily, on her way to work, and wondered what was going to be built.

"Vinny's is the third restaurant to make an attempt at the corner of Post and Riverside location," she said. "I go by it every day on my way to work. I watched them blast out the front and put in big windows and put in a big bar."

Now that she knows about Vinny's Grill and Grotto, Ritchie plans to stop in soon to meet its owners and to sample its food.

"Everyone's taste is different, and for those in the Riverside Drive/Grasmere area, it is a local, friendly neighborhood bar," Ritchie added.

Vinny's is currently only open for dinner but the owners said that it will soon be offering lunch meals, too. The outdoor grotto, which also has a television and piped in music, is also still under construction.

"We hope to get this done soon so we could enjoy some dining on our outdoor porch," Buggisch said. "We are also having a wine bar out here in our grotto."

Vinny's Grill and Grotto marks the latest venture of Kastrati and his two business partners, Ernst Buggisch and Jack Hekker. The trio is also at the helm of Vinny's Backyard, a popular Stamford eatery since 2005. The business responsibilities are divided with Buggisch in charge of administrative duties, Kastrati takes care of daily operations and Julie Hekker, Jack's wife, handles public relations and special events.

And, Jack? "He is our creative inspiration," Buggisch said, with a smile.

Individually, the entrepreneurs also own and operate several eateries in Connecticut, Westchester County, N.Y., and the Hamptons. Kastrati and Buggisch operate four corporate dining rooms in Fairfield County.

Vinny's Backyard in Stamford has supported several local community and nonprofit groups through its fundraising efforts. A few weeks ago, the restaurant provided beverages for a Triathlon Benefit sponsored by Kids in Crisis.

"We asked our vendors to donate juice and coffee and we donated our time," Buggisch said.

They've also recently participated in fundraisers for the Fairfield County Food Bank and Stamford Chamber of Commerce.

Vinny's Grill and Grotto is located at 93 Post Road, Fairfield.