Popular Eastie restaurant has exciting new look and new menu
Photos by Cary Shuman
Business owners Raffaele Scalzi and Mivan Spencer welcomed guests to East Boston’s premier Italian restaurant, Pazza on Porter, for a grand reopening party.
It was a tremendous celebration of an exciting new chapter of this neighborhood favorite as they fully embrace a redesigned interior and patio space along with a brand-new food and cocktail menu.
Guests thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sample the brand-new elevated menu, including passed hors d’oeuvres like Wagyu Sliders and bite-sized Pazza Parm, chafing station favorites like Zozzona, Spicy Rigatoni, and chopped antipasto, and selections of signature cocktails including La Mora, Dolce Far Niente, and Zia Rosa. Pazza on Porter is also deeply mindful of dietary sensitivities, cooking exclusively with olive oil (never seed oils), and using organic Rummo pasta to aim for a healthier, more thoughtful take on Italian-American cuisine.
“We have reopened with a focus on being that healthier Italian option,” said Scalzi. “Even though our menu might have some stuff that other Italian restaurants have, we exclusively cook with olive oil, and we use the best pasta money can buy. Do you know how in Italy they say that when you eat pasta and don’t gain weight? This is that pasta.”
A graduate of Suffolk University Scalzi, 35, is excited about the restaurant’s future.
“East Boston is a great community. We’ve been here five years now, and we plan on staying here for many more years,” said Scalzi.
Spencer, who is a graduate of East Boston High School and holds an associate’s degree from Bunker Hill Community College, said he is proud of the new look to the restaurant.
“The biggest thing at Pazza on Porter is a renovation and rebrand,” said Spencer, 36, who is an East Boston resident. “We did everything from changing the complete interior to rebranding with a new logo, new look, and new colors and color schemes. And we completely took out the old menu, food and drinks. We made the cocktails a little bit more on the Italian side with the Italian roots. With the menu, we concentrated on using more locally sourced brands such as Bianco’s and Bell and Evans. We just wanted to elevate our menu all-around.”
A true culinary treasure in East Boston, Pazza on Porter will surely deliver a spectacular night of dining.