In Boston, Italian food has established itself as an enduring favorite among locals. People wait in line for a seat at renowned establishments like the Daily Catch, Neptune Oyster, and other North End mainstays. Chef Jody Adams’s glamorous Back Bay Italian restaurant, La Padrona, was the city’s hottest opening last year. Securing a reservation at the tiny Tonino in Jamaica Plain is akin to winning the lottery. When New York restaurateurs venture to invest in Boston, they often choose Italian cuisine, as showcased by establishments like Contessa by Major Food Group on Newbury Street and Ci Siamo from Danny Meyer, set to open in the Seaport later this year. While other concepts struggle, Italian restaurants continue to thrive. All That Fish + Oyster, a seafood venue by restaurateur Garrett Harker, opened in September 2023 but closed just a few months later; Harker and his team replaced it with Standard Italian. Columbus Hospitality Group, which debuted South End bistro Bar Lyon in 2018 and closed it in 2021, is set to unveil Gary’s Pizza at the Washington Street location this Friday. Additionally, Savin Bar & Kitchen in Dorchester was chosen to be featured on an upcoming reality show that cannot yet be named, leading producers to decide to reimagine it with an Italian concept.
But what explains Boston’s deep-rooted affection for Italian restaurants? “Italian food is comfort food. I mean, who doesn’t love a dish of spaghetti?” remarks chef Lydia Shire, who has been serving Italian cuisine for decades at various locations, including Pignoli, Scampo, and Bar Enza, where she recently took over the kitchen. “Italian food has been a crowd-pleaser from Day 1. Give the people what they want,” she adds. “Italian food reigns, it really does, and for all the right reasons. It’s satisfying and just so tasty.”
In many ways, the allure of Italian cuisine lies in its simplicity and familiarity. This phenomenon can be likened to the Papa Gino’s effect: many locals grew up indulging in spaghetti dinners and pizza at birthday celebrations. As adults, trips to Italy often leave them craving more. “Italian cuisine has long been one of the three most popular ‘ethnic cuisines’ in the United States, alongside Chinese and Mexican,” states Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor at Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. He adds, “All three are essentially mainstream at this point, and in the Northeast, that’s especially true with Italian cuisine. This part of the country, from Philadelphia to Boston, is home to numerous Italian-American communities that retain strong ties to their heritage and view Italian dishes, especially ‘Sunday gravy’ pasta meals, as comfort food.”
For a historical perspective, one can trace back to the post-Civil War era when immigrants from various backgrounds arrived in the United States, setting up food businesses. According to John Mariani, author of “How Italian Food Conquered the World” and the newsletter Virtual Gourmet, Italian cuisine had a significant advantage due to the familiarity of ingredients like tomatoes and peppers. Neighborhoods like the North End began to be seen not just as inviting places to dine, but also as economically accessible. “Throughout the 1920s and even during the Depression, one could enjoy a hearty serving of spaghetti and meatballs for a very affordable price,” Mariani notes. “After World War II, many GIs returned with memories of the Italian food they experienced overseas.”
Over the years, Italian restaurants in America have evolved, becoming more upscale and refined as high-quality ingredients and wines became readily available. The emergence of celebrity chefs further transformed the culinary landscape. Notable figures like Marisa Iocco with her partner Rita D’Angelo at Galleria Italiana, as well as Jody Adams and Michela Larson at Rialto or Todd English at Figs, introduced a new style of Italian food characterized by unique personalities and innovative dishes. “During the late ’80s and ’90s, you had access to a plethora of great chefs,” Mariani recalls. “Those restaurants were considered the coolest and trendiest spots to dine. You had an incredibly vibrant Italian dining scene to work with.”
However, today’s dining landscape presents distinct challenges, particularly in running a restaurant business. “Restaurants are tough. It’s a difficult industry right now. The costs associated with running a restaurant and labor have skyrocketed,” explains Jamie Mammano, chef-owner of Columbus Hospitality Group, which oversees Mistral, Mooo…, Ostra, and Sorellina. He notes that since the onset of COVID-19, the landscape has shifted dramatically, and with tariffs and related uncertainties looming, the current environment feels particularly precarious for independent operators. “In terms of new restaurants in Boston, I see potential for very high-end concepts like steakhouses or casual spots like Gary’s Pizza. Anything in between presents a challenge,” Mammano adds.
Navigating the taste-to-risk ratio is a constant concern for investors in the culinary scene. “Boston is a meat and potatoes town, and it’s a comfort food-centric city,” shares Patrick Lyons, cofounder of the Lyons Group, which includes approximately 20 restaurants and entertainment venues, including Bar Enza and Scampo. “While there are certainly areas open to culinary experimentation, if you’re aiming for a viable business, you don’t want to take too many risks. The goal is to provide what the largest number of people want while consistently delivering a reliable product. When you talk about Italian food, it fits squarely within the comfort food zone in our city.”
However, when discussing Italian dining in Boston, it’s essential to recognize its diversity beyond the standard pasta and pizza offerings. The city boasts seafood-centric spots like Bar Mezzana and Neptune, regional establishments such as Karen Akunowicz’s Bar Volpe and Fox & the Knife, pasta specialists like Giulia and Little Sage, Venetian cicchetti bars like SRV, and chef-driven tasting menus from venues like Pammy’s. Local gems like Carlo’s Cucina Italiana, Delfino, and Via Cannuccia further illustrate the culinary variety in the Italian food scene.
In contrast to the French dining scene, where deviation from classic dishes often leads to reclassification as New American, Italian restaurants that stray from traditional sauces are still firmly considered Italian. Boston embraces a broad spectrum of dining concepts, ranging from experimental pop-ups to high-end omakase establishments, and everything in between. However, given its status as a smaller city, the scale often influences the success of more avant-garde concepts. There are simply fewer patrons willing to splurge on an innovative chef’s tasting menu on any given evening. Yet, exceptional spots like Carl Dooley’s Mooncusser and Rachel Miller’s Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn demonstrate that there are exceptions to this trend.
“You need to have a significant population density,” attorney Daniel Dain, cofounder of the Restaurant Investment Group and author of “A History of Boston,” explains. “In major cities like New York and London, it’s feasible to operate a specialized fine dining restaurant engagement because of the larger potential customer base. Years ago, an ambitious chef approached us with a proposal for an 18-course tasting menu, which we found impressive. However, we had to decline. While it would undoubtedly have been the best restaurant in Boston, it simply wouldn’t have been financially viable.
After six months, the chef returned with a revised plan. Once again, we were impressed, but this time we said yes. That chef was Douglass Williams, and the restaurant was Mida.
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