Fort Point’s Wood-Fired Pizza Scene Is Growing

Former Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca pizzaiolo Mario LaPosta is planning to open his own pizzeria at 12 Farnsworth St. in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood. Da LaPosta, as it will be called, will open around spring 2020, LaPosta told Eater via email. The menu will revolve around “rustic Italian food with a focus on artisan wood-fired pizza and a commitment to local and sustainable ingredients,” said LaPosta.

LaPosta isn’t ready to share too many details yet, but he said that his pizzas will cook between 800 and 1,000 degrees, as is traditional with Neapolitan-style pies. However, LaPosta doesn’t refer to his pizzas as Neapolitan.

“I prefer the term pizza artigianale, especially with our commitment to local, sustainable ingredients,” he told Eater.

Fort Point does have one wood-fired pizza option already; Pastoral, which opened in 2014, also generally favors the word “artisanal” over Neapolitan. (Official use of the latter is governed by strict regulations, and Boston has its fair share of Neapolitan-inspired pizzas but few official Neapolitan pizzas. Mast’, located downtown, is the only Massachusetts pizzeria currently on the VPN Association’s list.)

In addition to his work at Babbo, LaPosta has made pizza at Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, NY, and has competed in the World Pizza Championship, according to a bio on Babbo’s website. LaPosta, who is from Connecticut, has familial roots just north of Naples, which is where his fascination with pizza began.

LaPosta’s restaurant will fill the space formerly occupied by Bee’s Knees Supply Co., which closed in January 2017 after it was seized by the state for nonpayment of taxes. LaPosta’s former employer, Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca, closed earlier this year. It was formerly co-owned by Mario Batali, a celebrity chef who has been accused of sexual misconduct and sexual assault. Tarry Lodge — which will close in November — was also formerly co-owned by Batali, who divested from all of his restaurants after news of his alleged misconduct and assault came to light.

Update, 09/30/19, 3 p.m.: An earlier version of this post stated that Mario LaPosta grew up in Naples. LaPosta’s family is from Naples, but he is from Connecticut.

• LaPosta Pizzeria May Be Coming to Former Bee’s Knees Space in Boston’s Fort Point [BRT]
• Bee’s Knees Supply Co. Is Closed in Fort Point [EBOS]
• Former Batali Restaurant Babbo Closes in Boston’s Seaport District [EBOS]
• Mario Batali Groped Fans While Posing for Photos, Several Women Allege [ENY]
• NYPD Is Investigating Mario Batali for Sexual Misconduct Allegations [ENY]
• Tarry Lodge in Port Chester to Close, Lay Off 50 Employees by Nov. 22 [RWJN]