Via Cannuccia is a charming Dorchester gem serving up authentic Italian dishes and freshly baked pastries, creating a cozy, homey vibe akin to dining in Italy.
"Chef Stefano Quaresima transports customers direct to Italy at this spot on Dorchester Avenue. Roman through and through, this trattoria is a bakery by day — putting out some of Boston’s freshest and tastiest pastries thanks to their lievito madre (sourdough starter) — and a restaurant by night. Stop by on the weekend to sample their brunch, where you can taste a cream-filled maritozzo. Then, come back in the evening for an unforgettable dining experience that will make you question if you’re in Dorchester or Anzio, Quaresima’s hometown south of Rome." - Erika Adams, Nathan Tavares, Celina Colby, Eater Staff
"Via Cannuccia has a solid reputation for its cozy dinner service, but those in the know are returning during the daytime on Saturday and Sunday (from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for chef Stefano Quaresima’s eye-catching array of Italian pastries and excellent brunch service. Don’t miss the crostata Romana carbonara, a quiche with egg yolks, cream, cheese, and pancetta poured into a pastry shell made from decadent French pâte brisée dough. It comes with salad and fried, smashed potatoes on the side. The spuds are blanched, roasted, and fried over a painstaking 48-hour period, and the time and effort shows in the crispy, well-seasoned results." - Erika Adams, Celina Colby, Eater Staff
"This locally owned Italian restaurant has been bursting at the seams with hungry diners since it opened in Dorchester in May of 2023. The space is small and romantic, featuring a gallery wall of oil paintings, a bar spilling over with luscious plants, and a comforting olive-green color scheme. The menu boasts handmade pizzas and pastas native to chef Stefano Quaresima’s Italian hometown Anzio. Plus, a meal here comes with a live love story: Quaresima and his wife Tsedenia Kiros co-run the restaurant and it was their romance that launched the trattoria." - Celina Colby, Valerie Li Stack, Rachel Leah Blumenthal
"This Dorchester spot is both a bistro and a formidable bakery, with a counter piled high with pastries and dense loaves of bread. If frittatas make up the backbone of their brunch menu, the frittata calabrese is the spinal cord. It's chock full of cheese, greens, and spicy salami, and served with crispy smashed potatoes—and at $16, it's one of the best brunch deals you'll find in Boston. Donuts aren’t their strong suit, but the laminated pastries, like the chocolate croissant, are next-level, and eating their maritozzi is like biting into a cloud." - lala thaddeus
"This Italian restaurant opened in May 2023 and it’s already a neighborhood hit—probably because they’re offering the freshest plate of pasta in Dorchester. The decor is unfussy, but gives the feeling of a retro Roman holiday, with colorful prints, hanging wine glasses, and tons of baked goods on display. The menu features a lot of meat, so expect dishes like focaccia with homemade crackly porchetta and rich lasagna bolognese. The cacio pepe suppli are also a must, as is a pizza or two for the table—go with the sausage pie or the Quattro Formaggi if they have it, because why just have one cheese on your pizza when you could have four?" - tanya edwards
