Cartoccio Mastermind Opens Nina With Same Irresistible Deep-Fried Italian Snacks and Thirst-Quenching Spritz

The opening of Nina earlier this month couldn’t have been better timed, given the owners’ passion for Spritz. That shouldn't come as a surprise, seeing as it's the “it” drink of this summer, which various Beijing venues are clamoring to offer patrons eager for its hot weather nullifying, fizzy quality.

Given the cocktail’s popularity and ever-increasing availability around town, many Beijingers may assume that they’re well versed in all things Spritz, but Nina aims to stir up such preconceived notions by serving a substantially greater variety of the cocktail, instead of settling for the conventional Aperol take that can be found just about anywhere.

Sure, sweetly satisfying Aperol Sprtiz is readily available on the new Beiluogu Xiang bar and restaurant’s menu. But bartenders Kai Wang and Mattia Beradi have also reached deeper into the Italian cocktail’s repertoire, serving lesser-known options that might induce a double-take of the menu, such as their artichoke Spritz. Priced at RMB 50 and made with artichoke flavored Cynar liqueur, soda, olives, an orange slice and of course Prosecco Italian sparkling wine (a Spritz prerequisite), this variety is far more bitter than its Aperol counterpart. Meanwhile, Nina's vermouth spritz (RMB 60), features Punt e Mes and is also a bitter, albeit drier, take.

Those and other Spritz options go down well with Nina’s bar snacks, which further the venue's Italian theme all the more because they are readied in the nation's cartoccio-style grab-it-and-go bitesized eats. The delectable Italian snacks, characterized in part by coming in a paper cone that help to preserve the moisture and intensity of the natural flavors, were first introduced to Beijing by burgeoning Chef Giuseppe Epifanio in early 2016, which he would prepare for El Nido and Fang Bar, as well as other Fangjia Hutong venues. Through that endeavor he befriended Wang and Beradi, who worked at nearby Jiao bar at the time.

“At the beginning of this year we started thinking about doing something together, because I thought their drinks and my food would really go well together,” says Epifanio, who is more commonly known in the hutongs by his nickname Peppe. That inkling has proven to be true, especially when you begin nibbling the flavorful delights to be had from Nina's cold cuts platter (RMB 65 for a small, RMB 130 for a large). Featuring a range of meats like parma ham, fiery spianata salami, hearty finotonia (essentially a mix of ham and salami from Tuscany), a flavorful Mortadella flecked with bits of black pepper, and more, this platter will more than amply line your stomach while also leaving you thirsting for a Spritz to wash all that devilishly salty meat down.

Same goes for the the cartoccio platter (RMB 75 for a small, RMB 100 for a large). It includes mashed potato croquettes, both seafood and vegetarian arancini (stuffed rice balls coated with bread crumbs and then deep fried), and much more. If you’ve never tried the chewy, pillow-soft fried croquettes then brace yourself for the most delectably addictive bar bites you could imagine.

Peppe goes on to explain the cartoccio culinary tradition: “The word is Italian for paper cone, the original flatware used back in the days in Italy after WWII. Very few people had a house or a kitchen then, leading them to eat this kind of street food.” 

Peppe's certainly right about that low, on-the-go nature of the cartoccio snacks; however, Nina guests are also likely to remember these bites for their opulent quality, amounting to a fun yet rare Beijing bar snack, especially in the hutongs.

All that, along with the venue’s low-key atmosphere (the bar is simply adorned with one huge neon sign with the bar’s name and some of the latest hip-hop hits pouring from the speakers) make Nina an approachable venue, and one that’s primed to attract cocktail lovers and curious foodies deep into the hot summer nights.

Nina
Mon-Fri 6pm-2am, Sat-Sun 11am-1am. 66 Beiluogu Xiang, Dongcheng District
东城区北锣鼓巷66号

Photos: Kyle Mullin, courtesy of Nina