Zafferano's, East Boston

[shopgirl]

I know it closed years ago, but did anything take its place? Another Italian restaurant, perhaps? Does anyone know? And if so, is it any good?
Thanks!

[StevieC]

It is – believe it or not - now a dentist office.

As an Orient Heights resident, regular of Zafferano, and constant promoter of it on CH from early on, its closing (now more than four years ago) continues to be a great loss for the neighborhood and the dining scene in general. My wife and I, who came to regard chef/owner-husband/wife Peter and Pina as friends over the years, still miss it. I run into Peter in the North End on occasion, and regret to report that he has avoided any chef duties since his restaurant closed (despite my pleas…).

(@Slim: it actually opened in June 2004, not late 2005.)

[missfoodie]

I loved this place as well and am sad that it is no longer there. I think that Caffe Italia (no longer there for a few years now either) and Carmen's Kitchen (also gone, now a butcher shop) were the more popular Italian spots in that area at the time. I remember the space being attractive -- must a good looking dentist office!

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Carmen's Kitchen
1010 Bennington St, Boston, MA 02128

Caffe Italia
21 Water St, Wakefield, MA 01880

[ItalyFan]

A very inciteful post StevieC.

[MC Slim JB]

Thanks for the correction, Stevie! I may have gotten there earlier than my guess; all I know for sure six years or so later is that I was glad to include it in my roundup for The Dig of Eastie restaurants, as an example of how the neighborhood was evolving in restaurant terms.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[shopgirl]

Thanks, everyone. We come to Boston each year and that was one of our stops. The tiramisu that Pina made was awesome and their grilled calamari was always a hit. It was easy to get to via the "T", too. We do miss the food. Never got a bad meal.

[MC Slim JB]

An anecdote from Zafferano's, which I quite liked, raved about in a feature on Eastie restaurants I did for The Dig way back in the day (March 2006).

This place was very good, but pretty expensive by East Boston standards: it was bold to essay that price point there when it opened (late '05). No entree exceeded $25, but still, this was dear for Orient Heights. We'd been four or five times, tried to go anytime one of us was flying home to Logan.

We ordered a pasta one night. They had run out of china serving dishes, so it came to the table in a round aluminum-foil takeout container, which looked really sad on that white tablecloth. Mrs. MC was horrified: the place was never the same for us afterward. It closed less than a year later. I imagine other customers felt the chilling touch of this kind of amateurish service decision.

Too bad: they did nice food: chef/owner was from Avellino. Much more traditional Italian than the old-school Italian-American which tended (and still tends) to dominate the Eastie scene. RIP.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[CocoDan]

Good story. Hadn't heard that one. They would have been better off if the served it in a saute pan, al la Daily Catch.
CocoDan

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Daily Catch
323 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

[chuck s]

My story is on my one visit there with my wife and a good friend, I commented that it looked like a place that my sister would like. (she's from north of Boston). A few minutes later my sister walked in.

[chuck s]

Not a restaurant but some retail space.