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“I asked my wife and I asked my kids what they wanted to do. They said, ‘Nonno’s,’ and I kind of liked it,” especially since nonno means grandfather in Italian, and Petrizzo, 66, whose parents both emigrated from Naples, Italy, is regularly referred to as Nonno. Even by customers.
And so two weeks ago, Petrizzo, of Westwood, opened Nonno’s Cucina Brickoven Pizza & Pasta at 918 Prospect St. His wife Betty is the hostess and one of his three children, Joseph, 32, is involved in everything from cooking to the front of the operation.
The 60-seat venue offers a range of Italian staples, from penne a la vodka to osso buco to chicken scarpariello. It also has a Neapolitan brick pizza oven.
Nonno’s caters for parties and will start delivering next week.
“We take a lot of pride in what we do,” Petrizzo said, who noted that everything is made from scratch, including the dressings and burrata mozzarella.
And he said making people feel at home is just as important. “I love my customers. I always make them feel like they’re welcome into my living room to eat.”
Petrizzi has a history with this location. He was the original chef when it opened as Mangia Trattoria in 2003, but left after a few years. He bought it last September after Mangia closed.
“It became available and I had a good rapport with the people here,” Petrizzo said. “I never really wanted to leave this restaurant, but now that I’m in full control, it’s a pleasure. I love it.”
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