About Armando

Armando started in the restaurant industry the age of 12, assisting in the coat room of a small Italian restaurant in New Jersey during the winters. Since then, he has worked in every possible area of a restaurant from being a chef, busboy, server and host. Graduated from Johnson & Wales University in 2001 with an undergraduate degree in Hospitality Management and in 2003 with a graduate degree in Hospitality Education. Some of his most prominent work, as first General Manager for the chain Rosso Pomodoro in the United States, US Ambassadorship for Mastroberardino Winery, Vignaioli DiMorellino DiScansano and Cantina Lungarotti, General Manager and Wine Director of Trattoria Zooma and CEO of Napoli Hospitality Consulting Group and was voted Chairman of the Board of the Federal Hill Commerce Association in 2021.

During the past four years, he has worked closely with the MS Dream Center of RI, a local non-profit organization which assist patients of MS and their caregivers, and most recently with Accessible RI, a guide created with the intent of providing people with disabilities a list of places like libraries, parks, restaurants, etc. which they could easily obtain access to. Armando also works with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, in memory of his sister Rosaria, who passed away at the age of 36 after battling breast cancer. Both, have and will always remain very close to his heart.

Armando’s passion for wine has driven him to express special emphasis in smaller family wineries and “other” less known varietals of grapes, introducing a series of wines which he is around to call “his own”, product of relationships that he’s built in recent years, which would probably be inaccessible to the local market and would never be touched by the new or less knowledgeable wine drinker.

His mission is to be a resource, a guide, to expand your pallet, provide you with knowledge, experiences and introduce you to good food and great wines.