Peter Reuter, a graduate of Johnson and Wales culinary school, launched Scorpacciata Pasta Co. in the Market Hall at Van Aken District in 2018. A couple of years later he opened a second stall, Scorpacciata Pizza. The two businesses thrived until late last year, when Reuter closed them to focus on the buildout of his new brick-and-mortar restaurant on Larchmere.
That restaurant, Scorpacciata Pasta Co., opens next week following a weekend of private events. For the countless fans who have been missing Reuter’s matchless pies, he will be selling slices this Saturday during Larchmere PorchFest.
Having a full-service restaurant has always been the plan for Reuter, who prides himself on doing absolutely everything from scratch. His pizza dough is naturally fermented and he makes every single piece of pasta in-house, including extruded products like linguini and fettuccine. He’s thrilled to begin pairing those products with appetizers, salads, wines and cocktails, he says.
The former Larchmere Tavern space has been reshaped into well-tailored Italian bistro that seats about 92. A front sidewalk patio will accommodate another 20. There is a 10-seat live-edge wooden bar, some communal seating in the lounge area by the bar, and a dining room with wide open views of Larchmere thanks to a wall of glass.
Windows also provide a view into the kitchen, where pizza and pasta is made by day and salads and charcuterie boards are assembled during service.
The menu offers half a dozen pasta dishes like gnocchi in gorgonzola cream sauce, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe, and linguini with clams. Reuter played around a little with the pizza selection, offering new specialty pies like the mortadella with pistachio pesto. The biggest difference fans will observe is that all pizzas have been trimmed down to 12-inchers as opposed to the small and large options previously available.
“We want people to eat more than just pizza, to try and share a pasta, get some clams, have some charcuterie,” says Reuter.
To start there are sausage-stuffed peppers, beef and pork meatballs, Little Neck clams in a white wine and butter sauce, and the aforementioned charcuterie boards starring Marchant Manor cheeses.
Down the road, Reuter plans to roll out some entrees, such as a grilled steak, some fish and chicken.
To drink, there will be half a dozen whites and reds by the glass, more by the bottle, beer and cocktails. A window in the bar opens directly to the patio, making ordering a drink a breeze for alfresco diners.
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Douglas Trattner
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