Ciao! Pizza & Pasta: Wine, Beer & More

New restaurants often evolve over time, expanding and revising to elevate the quality of their customer's experiences. Ciao! Pizza & Pasta, my Favorite New Restaurant of 2015, opened last September and has been serving some of the best house-made pasta and wood fired pizza in the Boston area. On a regular basis, they change some of their menu items, letting Chef Marvin Posada design some new culinary creations. In addition, they have been instituting other changes over time, such as partnering with Mystic Brewery, to provide food for people who visit their taproom.

Most recently, the front of the restaurant has seen a redesign, pushing the original counter a few feet back into the kitchen and adding a couple more seats, as well as changing the type of chairs. There are now eight seats inside the restaurant, and the front is much roomier, accommodating more people who might be standing, waiting for their to-go orders. Outside, as soon as the weather permits, they will be opening a small patio, increasing the number of people who can dine here. I like sitting at the counter facing the kitchen, having the ability to watch Chef Posada and his team working.

Ciao! also recently received a Wine & Beer license, and they have started carrying some wines. Once their list is complete, they will carry 5 White wines, 5 Red Wines and 5 Beers (including some from Mystic Brewery). The wines will generally cost $6-$8 a bottle and there will be a variety of grapes and countries represented. For example, you might fine an Italian Chianti or a Malbec from Argentina. I like being able to have a glass of wine with lunch or dinner, especially with pasta or pizza.

Earlier this week, I stopped by and had a glass of Chianti with my favorite pasta dish, their House-made Campanelle with Chorizo Bolognese. Food & wine, a work of art.

One of their newest dishes is the Creste Di Gallo, house-made tomato infused pasta, with aglio olio, zucchini, basil, & parmigiana reggiano (though I omitted the zucchini). The little crescent pasta was delicious, with a savory tomato flavor. It was a taste of the garden.

And one of their newest dishes, which will soon be on their menu, is the Shrimp Bruschetta. Their bread dough is used to make the long, loaf of soft and crusty bread. It is topped by an ample amount of plump shrimp in like a scampi sauce, with large cloves of garlic confit. Another winner.

I continue to rave about Ciao! Pizza & Pasta because it is a consistently excellent restaurant and worthy of the attention. I haven't dined there with a friend who hasn't loved it. They are creating some of the best pizza and pasta in the Boston region. If you haven't visited it yet, then make plans to do so and I'm sure you'll love it.