Growing up in Watertown, Frank Martino spent Sundays in the kitchen with his father. They’d chop onions, crush canned tomatoes, and sear meat. Martino climbed onto a stool so he could reach to stir the simmering sauce. He learned to roll meatballs, shape gnocchi, and make ravioli. “I got really good at it at home. I was the official taste-tester,” Martino says. “That’s where my passion was.”

Decades later Martino’s passion remains, but the kitchens have gotten a little bigger. Today, he presides over a collection of Italian-themed eateries within the Mills 58 complex in Peabody. Frankie Slice sells acclaimed pizza, Frankie Beef puts a gourmet spin on classic North Shore roast beef, and Sweet Street Gelato churns up housemade frozen treats.