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A pair of restaurateurs behind Italian spots on the north shore and in Boston’s North End are poised to open a joint venture in East Boston. Raffaele Scalzi (a co-founder of the Boston Pizza Festival, and a co-owner of Casa Mia in Marblehead) and Mivan Spencer (owner of Café Dello Sport in the North End) will open Pazza on Porter in September, taking over the space formerly occupied by Craft Table & Bar (107 Porter St., East Boston), which closed earlier this year.
Pazza on Porter’s menu will focus on Italian-inspired cuisine, with homemade pasta from Scalzi’s Casa Mia. Diners can expect carbonara and the Roman classic amatriciana, as well as ribeye and pistachio-crusted salmon. Appetizers will include zucchini fries, stuffed peppers, a salumi board, and fried olives.
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The space was designed by Suzette Gerolium of Suzette Design Marblehead, and is intended to allow for a “social dining experience,” according to representatives of Pazza on Porter.
“Pazza on Porter will be a fun and vibrant atmosphere catering towards young groups who want to enjoy a fun dining experience,” the representative told Eater via email.
The restaurant will have a private dining room, a lounge area, and a patio suited to larger groups and social dining. Pazza on Porter has a full liquor license and its bar will feature 20 draft lines — 13 of which will be dedicated to beers brewed in Massachusetts. The cocktail menu was devised in cooperation with bartender Josue Castillo, a longtime friend of Sclazi who works at the Richard Blais-owned (of Top Chef fame) Crack Shack in Los Angeles.
Pazza on Porter will be open for dinner seven days a week, from 5 p.m. till 11 p.m., late nights on Thursday till 1 a.m., and for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 11 a.m. Its expected opening date is September 23.
Update, October 11, 2019: Pazza on Porter is now open, and brunch begins this weekend (October 12-13).
• Pazza on Porter to Open in Former Craft Table and Bar Space in East Boston [BRT]
• Pazza on Porter [Facebook]
