February 24, 2015 – Gusto Handcrafted Pizza and Pasta opened over the weekend in the Seaside restaurant that housed Bill Lee’s short-lived Lucky’s Roadside.
“I want to bring authentic Italian food to Seaside,” says chef/owner Denis Boaro and judging from the crowds on opening night, that’s what the people want.
Specialties include: fresh Bigoli Pasta with roasted duck ragout and glazed cippoline onions; Fettucine Mare e Monti which melds shimp and wild mushrooms in tomato sauce; and Short Rib Ravioli with porcini-mascarpone sauce. All pasta comes from close friend Michele Cremonese’s Bigoli Fresh Pasta company in Sand City.
Gusto—which means taste in Italian, not the speed and enthusiasm of diners digging into the tasty pasta dishes—has undergone a front-of-the-house remodel with new flooring, a new bar and red tile surrounding the wood-fired pizza oven.
Pizzas are made starting with organic flour imported from Il Mulino Sobrino in the Piedmont region and topped with Italian delicacies like bresaolo (cured beef), smoked ham and creamy burrata cheese. There are also salads, a charcuterie plate, carpaccio and crispy calamari. Wines are a mix of local Monterey County and Italian vintages, with bubbly prosecco available by the glass. See full menu below.
While Gusto is only open from 5-10pm for dinner right now, plans call for lunch service and a to-go-counter opening in about a month inside the 105-seat restaurant.
Boaro, who also owns Basil Seasonal Dining in Carmel, is from the foothill town of Bassano del Grappa about 45 minutes north of Venice, a wine region where grappa was invented. His family owned a hotel and restaurant there and he grew up in the hospitality business. But that business is now up for sale and he’s expecting his parents to come and help out at Gusto as soon as next month.
There will be plenty to do. “We’re going to have family-style Italian nights, wine dinners, a full liquor license, happy hours, and live Sunday night radio broadcasts,” says Boaro. “It will be a lot of fun and I want to create a unique experience for the Seaside community.”
Gusto includes a little deli where you can pick up charcuterie, cheeses, coffee, olive oil and vinegar all imported directly from Italy by Boaro. The coffee comes from a small family operation in Rome with a wood-fueled roaster, which Boaro says provides high-quality and taste without the acidity.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
