Anthony Caturano
Photo: courtesy of Prezza
Prior to earning his stripes at restaurants in Miami and LA, Boston native Anthony Caturano cut his teeth back in the '90s at Todd English's Olives. But it was his ancestral homeland of Italy – most notably his grandmother’s birthplace of Prezza – that shaped his North End restaurant of the same name.
Zagat Buzz: 2010 is right around the corner, and with it comes Prezza's 10th anniversary. Given the competitive North End dining scene, that's quite an accomplishment. To what do you most attribute the restaurant's success over the years?
Anthony Caturano: I think the success of Prezza is owed to a lot of different things, but it starts with the product. We are lucky here to maintain a consistent staff; I have had about 30% of my staff from day one and 60% has been here for at least three years. That helps us to produce consistent service and food, which is obviously important in the restaurant business.
ZB: So many diners associate the North End with classic "red-sauce" Italian – how do you handle that stigma? From your wood-fired grill to the menu's many delicate items (e.g. zucchini flowers and soft-shell crab), you're not exactly churning out marinara and garlic bread.
AC: I think that there is still the "red-sauce stigma," but I also think that a majority of the restaurants have moved well beyond that. What makes the North End so dynamic is that you can walk into a small family restaurant and have a cheap bite, and then go to another upscale restaurant and order an expensive bottle of wine and then go out for drinks at another livelier bar or restaurant, all within walking distance. We do offer a red-sauce dish, though – it's got polenta, meatballs, sausage and pork ribs all stewed in garlicky tomatoes. It has to be on the menu – it's a staple dish from Prezza and my ancestors all grew up on it. It's sort of an homage to them.
ZB: I'll hold the North End up to NYC's Little Italy, SF's North Beach or any of the country's other Italian dining meccas. On the whole, how do you feel about the neighborhood? How has it changed over the 10 years you've been at Prezza? And which U.S. city, outside of Boston, do you think has the best Italian restaurants?
AC: This neighborhood is great: it's safe, fun and offers a lot from culinary to historical to family roots. The neighborhood has changed some – I think it has grown into its own little dynamic. There is still the old Italian heritage mixed in with younger professionals and college students, and then there is the whole social end of what goes on down here with the restaurants and bars. NYC would probably hold the standard to Italian restaurants. There are such new creative things going on down there along with the old traditions.
ZB: We hear you're big into hunting and fishing – having traveled as far as Alaska in search of moose, elk and grizzly bear. Describe your interest in hunting, and what's left on your hunting wish list?
AC: Yes, I hunt for myself. It's not about killing or big trophies to show off to friends – that's sort of the anticlimactic end of the hobby. It's more about getting out there. I leave this week for British Columbia – a buddy and I go all over the country on these trips. It's going to take us three days just to get to the camp by horse. There are campfires and canned food and the whole danger element. We are meeting up with this old-school outfitter, a real mountain man with some of the best stories that can be told. Do you know what we are going to talk about for 12 days? I'll give you a hint – it's not the economy, how much money we are going to make or lose, cell phones or the new TVs we just bought. We are going to tell tall tales about the ones that got away and the adventures we have been on and the people we met along the way. As for what's on the wish list, I'd like to return to Africa. Last time I was there I didn't see a lion; I really want to see one pretty bad.
ZB: Finally, where's your go-to spot for a quick, sub-$10 meal?
AC: Arthur's Deli in Chelsea for a real Reuben (139 Arlington St.; 617-884-9538). You know, the one you need a fistful of napkins to clean yourself up with afterward.
– Eric Grossman