'Ciao Italia' visits Fortuna's in Manchester
Patti Fortuna-Stannard was just a little bit nervous. She kept checking her phone as the hours ticked past 10 a.m. on Tuesday, wondering when public television Italian cooking icon Mary Ann Esposito would be arriving at her family's business, Fortuna's Sausage & Italian Market, to film an episode of PBS' "Ciao Italia," the longest-running cooking s...
Mangia Mangia prepares to re-open in Billerica
There’s new equipment and a new look inside, but the same classic food Billerica residents have come to love will remain when Mangia Mangia Italian Kitchen reopens later this month. Mangia Mangia Italian Kitchen, located at 430 Boston Rd. in Billerica, has been closed since May 2, when an electrical fire in the kitchen burned overnight. The reopeni...
One Dish: A family affair at new Moody Street Italian eatery
It’s only one dish, but the Sicilian cannoli pizza at Raffaele’s is as good as any to describe the new upstart Waltham eatery along Restaurant Row. For starters, it’s undoubtedly Italian, using an eclectic blend of ingredients from the Mediterranean nation. But it’s also the brainchild of Lory D’Agostino, the owner and operator of the restaurant. T...
Bar Zepoli brings Traditional Italian Flavors and Modern Flair to Stamford
Chef Antonio Greco is thrilled to announce the opening of his new restaurant, Bar Zepoli, in Stamford. On the menu, you’ll find family favorites such as Nonna’s Meatballs and Gnocchi Puttanesca, alongside modern dishes such as Arctic Trout Crudo and Mint Crusted Rack of Lamb. Classic salads, such as the Caesar get a modern update with polenta crout...
The Roma Cafe is reborn in Portland, with ‘big shoes to fill’
Karen Morrill peeked around the corner, through the open pocket doors, into the main dining room of the Roma Café. “Oh, this is so exciting,” said Morrill, a 58-year-old Scarborough resident who works for the city of South Portland. Morrill hadn’t set foot in the Congress Street restaurant, which reopened three weeks ago, since 1989, when the room...
Delicious Pastas and a welcoming vibe at Pastaio
It may be unfair to assess a restaurant on a soft opening or the first big weekend. But there’s something about those early days — like watching a toddler take his first steps — that imbue a food venture with deliberate romanticism. The physical space, the dynamic on the line, the relationship between waitstaff and guests: All of it marries method...
A taste of the Italian coast at your backdoor
Dante Bellucci, executive chef and co-owner of Tartufo in Newton Centre, grew up with seafood in his blood. His hometown Pescara lies in Abruzzese on Italy’s Adriatic Coast and is famous for both seafood and its handmade pasta. It’s no wonder Bellucci found his calling as a chef or that the Tartufo menu is so heavily influenced by fresh seafood. “I...
Italian Ristorante finds home in S. Deerfield village center
Gianni Fig’s Ristorante on Elm Street in the village center is open for business as of this evening. “It’s wonderful. Generous portions, reasonable prices. They deserve to be successful, and this town deserves a nice restaurant,” said Fran Richard, who traveled from New York for the Italian restaurant’s soft opening Sunday night. Doors opened to cu...
Siano's in Springfield offers Italian-American fare that won't bust your wallet
Located on Boston Road across from the entrance to Five Mile Pond, Siano's Italian Pizzeria & Restaurant doubles as neighborhood pizzeria and casual Italian eatery. As we sat waiting for our order at Siano's, we couldn't help but think that this was an establishment whose physical presence mirrors the "tiny house" trend in home design. That's not t...
Eataly Boston's summer block party series
To end summer on a high note, Eataly Boston is throwing an outdoor block party series full of food, drinks and live music on Boylston Street. Every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Sept. 28, Piazza all'Aperto ("open piazza") is welcoming people to indulge and have fun right outside of Eataly. "We were inspired by sagre, the bustling food fes...
New restaurant to open in shuttered Guiseppe’s Grille in Northborough
The owner of a restaurant in Worcester hopes to bring a little bit of Boston’s North End to the old Guiseppe’s Grille building off Solomon Pond. Aurelia Metohu, owner of Caffe Espresso Trattoria on Chandler Street in Worcester, bought the property at 35 Solomon Pond Road and plans to open Casta Diva in November. Guiseppe’s Grille closed last Septem...
Pawtucket’s Bella Pasta offers value and daily Italian-American dining deals
While I’m not set to endorse Bella Pasta Ristorante’s motto of “A piece of Italy in Pawtucket,” I’m happy to attest to their solid menu of Italian-American food. I had a long day at the office and then a disappointing visit in search of my next hidden treasure when I remembered Bella Pasta. They had recently left their tiny space and moved into new...