Thomas Breen photo
The new home of Pasta EATaliana at 121 Wooster St.
A Naples native and former head chef at Anthony’s Ocean View plans to open a new Italian restaurant at the heart of the city’s Little Italy.
Giulio Laurentino unveiled those culinary plans Tuesday night during the regular monthly Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) meeting on the ground floor of 200 Orange St.
The new restaurant’s owner, Giulio Laurentino.
The commissioners unanimously voted in support of granting Laurentino a special exception for a restaurant liquor permit for his prospective new 42-seat restaurant on the ground floor of 121 Wooster St., right at the northeastern corner of Wooster and Chestnut Streets.
“The restaurant is ready to open,” Laurentino said, even without the liquor permit. The restaurant is called Pasta EATaliana. He said he plans on opening the restaurant sometime in the next few weeks.
Laurentino’s attorney, Sally Landback, told the commissioners that the new restaurant is a good fit for the area. It will be on the same block as Sally’s, Pepe’s, Abate’s, Zeneli’s, and many other Italian eateries. And it will be kitty corner to the former Tony and Lucille’s, which closed last year. “This would be a really great addition to the neighborhood,” she said.
Laurentino said he moved from Naples to New Haven a decade ago after traveling stateside to visit a friend — and then ultimately meeting his future wife. The married couple now live with their two children in Morris Cove, where Laurentino has spent the past few years working as the head chef at Anthony’s Ocean View restaurant.
Attendees at Tuesday night’s Board of Zoning Appeals hearing.
Now, he said, he’s looking to branch out on his own — with a restaurant focused on freshly made Italian pasta and Neapolitan specialties.
Those will include braciole —steak slices rolled up with parsley and garlic — as well as boneless beef ribs, ragù Napoletano, grilled octopus, focaccia Napoletana, and — of course — pizza.
The restaurant itself will be on the ground floor of a building owned by the Santa Maria Maddalena Society, a longstanding local Italian social club.
Laurentino and his attorney Sally Landback.
The BZA commissioners imposed several conditions of approval on their granting of the restaurant liquor license. Those included that the hours of operation are not to exceed midnight daily, and that there be no live entertainment.
Laurentino agreed, saying that he plans to keep the restaurant open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
CONGRATULATIONS GIULIO! Can't wait to visit! Not only have you picked a great spot for your restaurant but you also live in a great neighborhood!ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘