Elite Event at Ravioli Wine Bar

I’m a bit late posting a review for this event, but I just want to say this was definitely a remarkable event to start off the year. It was a cold winter night, but wine and great homemade Italian food didn’t keep us from coming. The fact that the restaurant was separated into two areas made the event more cozy and intimate. It’s like two small events that you can hop around.
Once you settle in, there’s already someone ready to pour you a glass of wine. The bar counter had cheese, olives, and several breads with different toppings setup for you to snack on while the rest of the food comes out. My favorite was the smoked salmon toast because I just love smoked salmon. They did a really great job getting the food to everybody. I was sitting in the same area most of the time and the food always made it to me.
They offered me so much food that I had to turn it down multiple times. I didn’t try everything that night because I was just too full. It’s like they cooked up the entire menu for us to try. I really enjoyed the food, especially the different raviolis, calamari, and everything else. When dessert came out I was only able to fit in a few. I had the napoleon and rainbow cookie, they were incredible.
A big thanks to everyone that worked hard to make this event flawless.

Last week’s event at Ravioli Wine Bar was epic! It was the perfect event to ring in a new year of Unilocal Elite goodness.
To start, the service was impeccable. From the folk bringing out tasty treats to the wine guy to the gracious owner and the lively chef who came out to great us, everyone was very welcoming. To top that, the food was absolutely delicious! And plentiful. My favorites include the mushroom ravioli – my word!– and meatballs in that wonderful sauce and the eggplant dish. So tasty!
The wine was also delightful. The wine with the oldest grapes in Sicily was my favorite. Totally changed my wine palette-​experience. I will be seeking out more of that.
And then the desserts, they just kept coming! I joked with some friends that I knew somebody’s grandmother was cooking by the way the dishes coming out of that kitchen tasted. They agreed, and turns out, we were right.
A few of us also remarked that we can’t wait to come back for dinner. We imagine the service would be impeccable and this would be the perfect date spot.
A sincere thank you to the Ravioli staff, and thanks for another wonder event Peter D. and company.

That was some party. I might’ve woken up with some Italian cookies is my purse. Whoops!
What a fabulous way to start the 2016 Unilocal Elite year! I checked in to the event and 18 of my friends were also there. I was greeted with smiling faces, full glasses of vino, a cheese as old as a teenager and olives.
Then came the food. Hilary P. and Mellissa N. kept their eyes peeled for veggie options for me. And boy was there veggie options. Dang! I’m glad I didn’t fill up in bread or the breadsticks. I was thrilled to see vegetarian raviolis coming my way. The mushroom ravioli was creamy and woodsy. Just the way I wanted it! It was absolutely delicious and hard to beat. A runner up was the spinach and cheese fried balls. I loved dipping the round masterpieces into the fresh marinara.
I had to leave room for endless amounts of wine and dessert! They had yummy cream filled cookies (as I mentioned surprisingly ended up in my purse). There was tons of delicious food. No one left the event hungry or thirsty for that matter. I told «Elvira» the chef that I might have gained a few pounds, she said I was perfecto and gave me a hug! Talk about having the familia atmosphere. I was thrilled to be introduced to authentic Italian cooking from Italian chefs in the cute little neighborhood of Cobble Hill. I will definitely be returning.
Thanks Ravioli Wine Bar for hosting us! Thank you Peter D. for having such amazing Unilocal events and starting the year off with a bang! And thanks Gladiator Wines for all the delicious pours!

What an amazing event to kick off the new year!
I loved so much about this event. Starting with this event being in my neighborhood. Keep those coming Pete! The good people of Ravioli Wine Bar treated us Unilocalers so generously that night, everything was outsized… the food. the pours of wine… the giant wheel of cheese. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of delicious food that was served… meatballs, eggplant Parmesan, foccacia, ricotta salami sandwiches, calamari stew, all different types of ravioli… and the list goes on. I really enjoyed both of the red wines they served, unfortunately didn’t get a chance to try the white.
Fun catching up with all the fellow Unilocalers and meeting some new faces. So much regret that I had to leave this event early (and to go to Hell’s Kitchen no less, ugh). I see I missed a ton of food that came out later in the evening, sigh. But you can bet I’ll be coming back here.
Thanks so much to Pete and Ruggy and Ravioli Wine Bar for a wonderful night!

What a fantastic place! I can’t wait to go back with my friends and repeat the experience! First off, the food was a-​mazing! Oh, and that wine! I need! The Perric. One 2011 was just out of control, and I will be finding a way to get some of that (Gladiator Wines, watch out)!
For me, some of the highlights of the night included: (a) tasting the different varieties of ravioli and then meeting the sweet Italian women who made them, (b) meeting the owners who were just absolutely fantastic hosts, and © meeting some awesome new Unilocal Elite folks!

Little Italian old ladies cooking fresh, delicious food, while a little old Italian man carries samples to us and coerces us into more dessert, while a very knowledgeable wine purveyor keeps our glasses full, while staff members smile warmly and make sure everyone is having a great time. This was truly an amazing event.
Everything was so on point. I feel like Italian food can often be a disappointment, but Ravioli does what it does extremely well. Everything I ate, and I mean everything, was excellent. The sauce was perfect, the pasta was perfect. This event was one of my favorites ever. I left stuffed and happy.
Thank you to everyone who helped put on this event. I will be back to Ravioli Wine Bar for sure.

Not having been to an Elite event for over a month, I was hoping that the event at Ravioli Wine Bar would make up for it.
Mostly in the sense of reuniting with my Unilocal community and having a good time. Not so much in the sense that they would actually feed me a month’s worth of food. However they managed to do both.
Not only did no one leave hungry, but no one left without saying how they couldn’t eat anymore.
After a cold walk over, I was ready to warm up with some wine. That Miano was fantastic. As Andrew and I both agreed, it reminded us of a dry riesling. Dry, but not too dry, just right. It was the perfect companion to all that food. Oh, all that food.
Upon entering you notice this giant wheel of parmesan cheese. This thing was huge. Some olives and bread sticks on the side as well. Grabbed some savory crostinis with salmon. Then the warm food started coming out. Up first was some sliced potatoes and onions cooked in a tomato sauce. Delicious. Eggplant parm, super yummy. Various focaccia breads, which were all pleasant. Meatballs with marinara sauce, which were tasty. Calamari which was done in a really good sauce. The two things I only got one of each were the fried spinach and mozzerella ball and the sandwiches with ricotta and salami, not because they weren’t great, but rather because they were so heavy. C’mon I hadn’t even had the ravioli yet.
Speaking of the ravioli there was so much. I don’t think I got to try them all, but each one I had was wonderful. The first two were chesse raviolis, one with bolognese (which I liked better) and the other with marinara. The broccoli rabe with sausage on top was solid. My favorite was the spinach one filled with gorgonzola. I was in cheese heaven at this event.
The staff here deserves six stars. The ladies walking around were super friendly and warm. They were weaving in and out of the hordes of Unilocalers in their way. They even quickly cleaned up Kenny’s mess. Watch the drinking, Kenny. Tony was explaining all the wines and serving all night long, keeping us all very happy. Part owner Denise was delightful. They have some wonderful people here.
It was great to catch up with some people, despite the fact they wished me a happy new year even though it was the 19^th. Guys, give it up. That ship has sailed. You can say that till about January 7^th. After a week, drop it. We all told stories from over the holidays while stuffing our faces with food and wine. At one point everyone was gossiping about the other room the next store front over. Should we go and explore? No one wanted to be the first. Eventually I braved the cold weather and found myself in a room with less noise, more space, and best of all, more food. Eventually people came and ruined it all. I’m kidding, I love you guys. Except Mike.
Huge thanks to the rad staff at Ravioli Wine Bar. I will return with an empty belly. Thanks to Ruggy, stepping up and working one room while Pete did the other. And thanks to Pete for starting the Unilocal year off right with a five star event. I’ll bypass the «Best event of the year» joke, and just say this will easily be one of the best events we will have in 2016.

Best event of the year!
Ok, yes, this was actually the first Unilocal Elite Event of 2016, but it’s going to be a tough one to beat. The bar has been set really high in terms of food, fun, and overall awesomeness levels. If this is the preview of things to come in 2016, we’re in for a vintage year.
First and foremost, food was amazing. Starting from the quarter wheel of parmesan cheese, down to every single thing I tried. Also, there was a ridiculous amount of food: the staff kept bringing tray after tray of delicious things from the kitchen from start to end. I definitely lost track of all the things I tried, but the most memorable dishes for me were meatballs in tomato basil sauce, the ricotta and salame panino, the eggplant parmigiana involtini, alongside the pumpkin ravioli with butter and sage, the mushroom ravioli in creamy mushroom sauce, and the broccoli rabe & spicy sauce provolone ravioli in white wine sauce. That, plus the almond cookies and the three-​color dessert[1].
As far as wine, Mr. Margiotta of Gladiator Wines enthusiastically introduced us to some truly fantastic Sicilian wines. Alongside Nero D’Avola, which is one of my favorite Italian Wines, we had the opportunity to try an excellent white wine with the Miano, and the oldest grape in Sicily with the PerricOne.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the evening was to see some of the people who work at Ravioli Wine Bar, including one of the chefs, come to greet everybody at the end of the evening. I don’t think I have seen so much enthusiasm by the staff at any other event I attended: more wine was poured, and more glasses clinked among kisses, hugs, and cheers.
I definitely look forward to coming back, particularly if they start selling those amazing ravioli as frozen ravioli to take home and cook yourself.
Thank you Peter D., and all the people at Ravioli Wine Bar for a truly fantastic event.
Link to the pictures:
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[1] Which was mirroring the Italian flag: red, white, and green.

When someone pours their soul into craft they love, and open their hearts to people around them, it shows.
This is Ravioli Wine Bar in short — lots of soul and love went into this place, those dishes, menus, wines.
We walked in from freezing arctic air and were thawed instantly by warm welcome from the staff — coast were forgotten, wine flowed into gorgeous glasses, and savory bites were waiting for us on a counter. Simple, yet delectable — aged parm, breadsticks, olives of different kinds. Wine was fantastic.
And food started to arrive — meatballs, ravioli, ricotta bites — and that never stopped. Each and every dish that came from the kitchen was absolutely amazing. I particularly loved mushroom ravioli — I am already dreaming to come back for more. The sauces each kind came with were something else — perfect, from texture to seasoning.
It’s authentic, there is no doubt. Everything is well-​thought, cared and made with love and attention to details.
And once our tummies were filled and wine warmed up our blood, conversations and laughter filled the room — people were smiling.
This is happiness, my friends.
Cheers to my old friends I have not seen all year, to new ones I just made, to owner and staff of Ravioli Wine Bar, and to our wonderful CMs who made this happen. To 2016 and more amazing events like this! And to the Ravioli Wine Bar — wishes for greatest success in 2016!

This event completely blew me away. I find myself often stating ‘this was the best Unilocal event’, then correcting myself a month or two later, ‘no, this was definitely the best Unilocal event’. But honestly this was one of the better events I’ve been to in awhile by myself. The food was ridiculously delicious and kept flowing out of the kitchen constantly. The wine was better wine than I ever find myself buying. The owners and staff were insanely disgustingly sweet and kept encouraging us to eat and drink until we were near exploding.
Gladiator wines provided an array of Sicilian wine for the evening. Of the wines my favorite was the Nero D’Avola. It tasted oaky and rich with so much body. The PerricOne was actually the first I tasted and I loved that one as well and couldn’t believe they kept getting better. Finished the night because I had to try them all with the Miano white wine and it was crisp and delicious and paired well with the dynamite little napoleon deserts.
Impossible to pick a favorite food of the night but there were some stars: The Spinach Ravioli with arugala, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, the pumpkin ravioli in a butter, sage and parmigiano sauce, and the mushroom ravioli were all melt in your mouth. I would seriously go back for all of these and to try more and more of their ravioli. I also noticed they are conveniently very close to a favorite bar of mine (Zombie Hut) that does not have any food there so very convenient for the near future! Other ravioli: The Roasted Pork Broccoli Rabe and Provolone in a white wine sauce, Meat ravioli in a bolognese sauce, cheese ravioli in a marinara sauce all so good as well.
A rotation of other dishes and appetizers kept appearing before my face. The eggplant parmesan was so good and paired so well with all the red wine. Meatballs, little puff balls stuffed with ricotta and salami, warm fragrant focaccia, the enormous wedge of aged parmesan, something that I like to call Italian potato salad with olives (I don’t remember the name but it was different!), and balls stuffed with creamy spinach and cheese. The desert tray was unreal as well: delicate cream puffs, napoleons, rainbow cake squares, dense chocolate brownies, and cookies all made in-​house.
Such warm hospitality and such good food. I love that they make a point to have all female chefs from Italy working in their kitchens. It’s amazing and inspiring as well as the owner’s love for helping with the community and soup kitchens.

Oh my gosh this place was so amazing. I can honestly say they offered the best raviolis I have ever consumed. Everything was just so tasty and made with such love. When I found out that the two cooks were straight from Italy I knew the reason why this food was so good and authentic.
The place itself was a small space but had a very romantic feel to it. This is a place I would love to go back to and try more of their menu.
The wine, every single flavor, was absolutely amazing. The owner and CEO of the wine company explained everything to us about how authentic this wine is and how the grapes are grown from a vineyard over 2500 years old.
Overall, staff was spectacular and I had a wonderful time at my first Unilocal elite event. Can’t wait to meet y’all at another!

Another AMAZING Unilocal Elite Event!
(Sadly my first review of the year… sorry I’ve been behind!)
Happy New Year indeed! Kicked off the year with a fantastic event with the amazing hosts and cooks of Ravioli Wine Bar (and awesome fellow Elites)!
I cannot tell you how many different things I got to sample, but it was more than enough for a meal! Let’s begin with the starters: the olives and $ 300 cheese block was delicious! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to sample those super real bread sticks. Then slowly, the deliciousness started pouring out of the kitchen and out of the bottles! Gladiator Wine Distribution showered us with 3 different wines to choose from: 2 reds — Perricone 2011 and Nero D’Avola 2013 (my fav though both were delicious!) and 1 white — Miano 2013 which was also a good white :)
I started to see different types of foccacia bread, then salmon and olive tapanade crostinis (i think), this little bread roll with rocotta and salami (warm!), fried spinach and mozzarella balls, calamari, a potato thing, meatballs, eggplant parm rollatini, and of course RAVIOLIS!
Ok so i’m not sure, but there was like at least 6 different flavors! There was a cheese ravioli with a tomato basil sauce, cheese ravioli with a meat sauce, a mushroom ravioli (OMGosh), a pumpkin one, another meat one with pork i think with amazing sauce, and a spinach one!
Then if you thought you were full, out came dessert! Biscotti, seven layer cake squares, brownies, a cream puff with custard thing and something else I didn’t get to try! My fiancé states that there is a second stomach for dessert, but last night, i really needed to open up a third!
It was cold outside, but the warm hosts, delicious home cooked food and delicious beverages made me forget it was winter and had me outside without my coat to check out BOTH sides of this new place! Great food and great people!
So excited to come back and bring friends :)
Thanks so much to the hosts of Ravioli Wine Bar for the delicious food, amazing service and staff, and super generous portions! This was one of the best events I’ve been to so far! =)
Thanks to Tony at Gladiator Wine Distribution for the very yummy wines and never ending pours!
Thanks to Peter D., Ruggy and Unilocal for planning and creating this spectacular event! What a way to kick off the new Elite year!
I heart Unilocal!=)

This event was like coming to my Italian grandmother’s house; every time I turned around, someone was encouraging me to eat more, or pressing dessert into my hand. In the face of incredible Italian food, welcoming staff, and an excellent wine selection, who was I to refuse?
(It’s probably worth mentioning that I don’t actually have an Italian grandmother, and it’s bittersweet that I don’t; if my family was anything like Ravioli Wine Bar, I’d never want to leave. I’d also probably be grossly overweight.)
But anyways, back to the good stuff. This event was absolutely incredible. I came expecting a glass of wine and a ravioli or two, and was instead was treated to a feast of homemade Italian specialties. I started with a sampler of meatballs with sauce, eggplant parm, spicy calamari, and potato stew, each which was better than the last. Nothing frozen, fried, or dried here; you could really taste the freshness of each dish. My favorite had to be a little bite-​sized panino filled with fresh ricotta cheese, which was light, creamy, and delicious.
But the ravioli… oh man. If you’re going to name your restaurant «Ravioli Wine Bar,» you better deliver on your namesake menu item. I’m happy to say that I can’t remember the last time I has such delicious pasta. You could tell how much work had gone into hand-​making each one, and the sauces were just as intricate. I tried the regular cheese, mushroom, broccoli rabe with spicy meat sauce, and pumpkin. The classic ricotta cheese ravioli was definitely my favorite, followed very closely by the pumpkin. The former was basic but absolute perfection, while the latter was delicately spiced and slightly sweet, smothered in a rich but not overwhelming white sauce.
Our wine for the evening was also excellent, as was our incredible bartender. I stuck with white (the Miano, I believe?) which was crisp and very refreshing with the heavy food. I couldn’t quite believe I was drinking wine straight from Sicily, made with hand-​picked grapes. How am I supposed to go back to drinking two buck chuck now?
After a selection of amazing desserts, I left warmed to my bones and ready to hibernate rather than face the cold. Thank you Peter, Unilocal,and the fantastic staff at Ravioli Wine Bar for putting on the event, and all of the hard work feeding not one but two rooms of hungry Unilocalers. I already can’t wait to return and have another taste of authentic Italy.

This was an outstanding elite event. The staff at ravioli wine bar were immensely warm and welcoming. It felt like I was visiting a Sicilian household and not a restaurant.
There’s that old adage about how Italian grandmothers never let you suffer from a moment of hunger. This place lived up to that. The cooks are all Sicilian woman and it shows in the food. Once again, this is not restaurant food! This is AUTHENTIC Sicilian cuisine that just happens to be served in a Brooklyn establishment. Everything is made with the freshest finest ingredients. This is exactly what you go to little Italy looking to find but never do. This was a two hour event and by the end of the first hour my fellow Unilocalers and I were saying «we’re full already I hope they don’t have more food», and yet the food kept coming and we kept eating it.
They started us off with Cheese from a massive block of Parmesan, some delicious pizza, some olives and some type of cheese bread. At some of events this would have been the majority of the food offerings. Ravioli wine bar was just getting started. In the back of the restaurant there was a complete spread of food! Calamari, bread with ricotta, pasta, ravioli etc! I was given a full plate of food. I sat down with my plate and before I was finished with it they started passing around bruschetta, various ravioli types and other items. Then finally there was deserts. Cookies and cake. The food just did not stop. They really went all out for us.
Then there was the wine tasting that was going on at the bar. The bartender was giving an explanation of the 3 Sicilian wines they had and pouring everyone glasses of each. He gave us the history of each wine as well as a thorough description of the taste. My glass stayed full the entire night!
Many times we Unilocal Elites say «I’m going to comeback here». I’ve said that before and in many of those cases I have not. But that’s not going to be the case with ravioli wine bar. I will be returning VERY soon. In fact I intend on it being the next restaurant I visit. I want more! And more importantly I was to take credit for introducing my friends to this gem. I’ve already told them all about it.

The food here is to die for! Brooklyn Elite could not have started 2016 any stronger!
Ravioli Wine bar is truly amazing. You will feel like your in your grandmas kitchen eating Sunday dinner when you come here. The staff is warm and kind and it is clear that they put a lot of love into the food. Both the food and the wine was amazing!!! The amount of food was endless and I think that we can all agree that we left here stuffed!
For appetizers we had meatballs in tomato basil, fried spinach, eggplant parmigiana, pizza & focaccia, ricotta & salame, calamari & baked sicilian potato stew. Everything was amazing! To highlight my favorite bites were the eggplant and the calamari.
Now onto the delicious raviolis. I tried the cheese ravioli, pumpkin ravioli, mushroom ravioli, pork ravioli and spinach ravioli. To highlight my favorite was the mushroom ravioli but they were all delicious! Everything is made fresh in the kitchen and it shows.
We were then delighted with desserts! All types of Italian sweets and treats! The wine was fantastic everything was just A+!
A very special thank you to the owners and staff of Ravioli wine bar. This place is truly a gem and I hope that they do well in the Cobble Hill area. And of course thanks to Peter D as usual hooking up yet another awesome event. I highly recommend that everyone goes to Ravioli Wine bar asap you wont regret it!

One of the best elite events I have been to. Ravioli wine bar hooked it up with excellent food and wines! My favorite ravioli was the pumpkin — I will be back for this for sure! The foccacia was some of the best I have had and the aged parmesean was a nice touch as well. I enjoyed learning about the wine offerings from Tony, and I loved the Miano and the Nero d’Avola varieties. With handpicked grapes from Sicily, the attention to detail is certaintly evident in the superior taste of these beverages.
Denise, one of the owners, spoke to us about the family nature of the business and promoted volunteering efforts in both a soup kitchen and a shelter for pregnant women.
Special shoutouts to Joanie and Chelsea from the PR team, who were incredibly nice and geniune.
Additional special mention to server Rosie who was super friendly!
Thank you to Peter for coordinating this fab event. And shoutout to Ruggy– it was nice to see a familiar Face :)

Tears are running down my face as I write this.
Damn you work for making me leave early!
But for real, this event was like a visit to my in-​laws in Italy. Amazing food, delicious wine, people forcing you to eat. «Mangia, mangia!» My favorite words.
The hubs is normally all anti eating Italian food at restaurants because he thinks he can make it just as good at home (possibly true) but he can’t make wine! And those mushroom ravioli, to die for!!!
The staff here were so friendly and helpful. The second my hand was empty there was someone there with more food or drink. Thanks guys!
Thanks Peter D. for another fun event! And a special shout out to Jessie for DJing!

What a perfect first event of the year! Ravioli Wine Bar is an exciting new local spot introduced to me through Unilocal,and I really cannot wait to bring some friends to dine on a regular night.
Ravioli Wine Bar touted maybe more than 10 various ravioli specialties from their menu, coming from true Italian cooks and history directly from Italy! Each ravioli was generous tasting size and absolutely delicious. I want to say my favorite ravioli is the pumpkin, but maybe it’s the spicy sausage, or also the spinach, and then also cheese and red sauce, but I can’t forget the mushroom! It’s too hard to choose.
The space was interesting, cozy, but also very special. The 2 space restaurant divvied up the Unilocalers, but it was also an encouragement to venture into the cold to check out the other side. With flowing wine refills, it wasn’t too difficult.
Looking forward to 2016, Unilocal

When people say Italian food and you’re eating it here in America, chances are it’s not authentic Italian. But this food and the people is as Italian you will get to experience without crossing the ocean yourself! The owner Denise, who so humbly clarified that she is one of three partners was a warm hearted smiling face.
There were so many choices of food and I can say my favorite was the mushroom ravioli. I told Matteo if I was a cartoon that my eyes would have popped outta my head when I had the first bite because it was so good.
The food was beyond good, it was excellent!
It was great seeing familiar faces, meeting new people and in such a cozy atmosphere on a cold winter night.

You know the only thing better than one Unilocal event? Two Unilocal events! That’s basically what the Elite event at Ravioli Wine Bar was. They were gracious enough to share with us both their restaurant and private event space. They had the same wine and food (both delicious in their own rights), but like… a lot of it. Just when you thought they were done, they kept bringing out more food. From the eggplant parm (yum) to the mushroom ravioli (super yum) to the meatballs (ultra yum), and all sorts of other authentic Italian goodies, this was a wonderful way to start out the Unilocal Elite New Year!
Great to see everyone for the first time this year, in between giant swigs of delicious wine and incredibly generous plates of food. Sorry Pete, but sometimes… it’s permissible to go ravenous. I have to admit, I was originally skeptical of their on-​the-​nose restaurant name, but when your chefs are that talented, and your staff is so great, you can get away with that. Will definitely look forward to returning for a full meal! And maybe spending most of my time debating the age of the gigantic block of cheese (was it 16, 18 or 36?).
Special thanks to Peter, Ruggy, Denise, Gessica, Tony, and everyone else who helped put this together!