21 minute read
Table Hoppin’
CITY LIVING
Marcello Bruno and wife, Maria De Los Angeles CHRISTINE
Advertisement
PETERSON/TELEGRAM & GAZETTE
TABLE HOPPIN’
Pizzeria Bruno brings authentic Italian-style pizza to Sutton
Barbara Houle
Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Pizzeria Bruno in Sutton run by two brothers originally from Italy is a hidden gem for pizza. Davide and Marcello Bruno, both of Sutton, opened Pizzeria Bruno on Galaxy Pass in August 2020, serving traditional Italian-style thin crust pizza cooked in a wood fired pizza oven that was built in Italy. Ingredients are imported from the country, everything from meats to buffalo-milk mozzarella cheese produced in Italy’s Campania region. The mozzarella is ordered on Friday and arrives in Boston from Italy at the beginning of each week, said Marcello Bruno. The pizzeria’s menu features only Italian wines (red and white) and beer, in addition to assorted flavors of imported Italian soft drinks (peach tea, lemon tea, lemonade, red orange) and sparkling water. The business orders from an Italian food distributor in Boston, said Bruno.
OK, most everyone has a goto favorite pizza place, no matter the style of pizza and crusts. I don’t want to get into a social media war about who makes the area’s best pizza ever. I will say the Bruno brothers are proudly Italian and devoted to serving the highest quality style pizza and Italian specialties.
In Italy, the men worked with family in a restaurant located close to Milan where they grew up. The restaurant seated 250 and had a “huge” menu, said Marcello Bruno. “We were in business more than 15 years before family members decided to sell and go separate ways,” he said, explaining how the restaurant was known not only for food, but also large parties and live music until 4 in the morning. “It was a lot,” said Bruno, who later bought a small bar and bartended for nine years.
Davide Bruno came to the United States before his brother and is an American citizen. “After visiting my brother, a couple times, I decided to take on a new life challenge,” said Marcello Bruno. “First I found a house in Sutton and then we looked for a business location. We thought maybe a sandwich place. But in our hearts, we knew we wanted to open a small size pizzeria where we could share the style of pizza we grew up eating and loved.”
The pizzeria took almost a year to open as a result of COVID-19 complications, said Bruno, who with his brother (an engineer) did most of the inside work, assisted by a local carpenter.
Hard work paid off, he said. “We’re happy to be part of this community and find it’s much easier to work in the town where you live. We are minutes from the business.”
Pizzeria Bruno, 27C Galaxy Pass, Sutton (building next to Market 32) is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 4 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday;
CONNELL SANDERS
I pulled down my blouse in public to get a COVID-19 booster shot
Sarah Connell Sanders
Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
I’ve been thinking a lot about dignity ever since I got my booster shot. This is the time of year when I teach my students about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a treasured international agreement fast approaching its 73rd birthday. The UDHR declares that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity. Middle schoolers always balk at the idea that it’s not a legally binding document, but I try to emphasize its value as a moral guide and societal benchmark. My personal violation of dignity was slight, if not imperceptible. But, I have this little platform through which to tell my story, and I choose to share it with you.
As an educator, I work with young people ages 11-13, most of whom are by now vaccinated — though not all. We wear masks in school and do our best to maintain social distance. Nevertheless, I recently became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and scheduled an appointment at the nearest CVS straightaway.
I am not an economist or anything close to it, so please forgive my reliance on “Neighborhood Scout” for preliminary data collection. That said, the median real estate price in my neighborhood is reportedly $415,453. Our local CVS is kind of bougie, which is to say it has a snack cooler stocked with organic coconut waters and an extensive seasonal holiday section.
I arrived on time for my appointment at CVS, checked in on my phone, and waited less than 30 seconds by the clinic door before my name was called. Inside the small exam room, a smiling medical professional greeted me warmly and asked to see my vaccine card.
“I notice you received Moderna for your first two doses,” she told me. “We only have Pfizer and it’s best not to mix and match; I suggest you try West Boylston or Holden.” I thanked her for the information and left without a poke.
That evening, I logged onto the CVS website and found there was another Worcester CVS where I could receive the Moderna booster the very next day. I booked a slot and arrived early for my appointment, a good thing given how many people were standing in line. While I waited, I watched the patients in front of me disappear behind a folding privacy screen one by one as their names were called. It wasn’t the clinical exam room I had witnessed the day before, but at least it was something. For reference, “Neighborhood Scout” reports the median real estate price of this CVS as $328,007. When I got to the front of the line, a pharmacist informed me I was at the wrong location. “There are two of our stores on this street,” she explained. “It gets confusing for a lot of people.”
I jumped back in my truck
ThankyouforVOTING! BESTTATTOO PARLORFINALIST
287W.BoylstonSt.,WestBoylston 508-835-6559•zazaink.com
Pizza
Continued from Page 22
closed Mondays. Familyfriendly. Call (508) 917-8182 for takeout and info about online ordering. Delivery is available.
The menu placemat lists selections for classic, red pizza (no cheese), gourmet and white pizza (no sauce). Gourmet pizzas are Bruno’s creations using a variety of ingredients to include porcini mushrooms, Italian Grana Padano cheese (similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano), speck (a type of cured, smoked ham made in northeast Italy), truffle sauce, aged prosciutto, hot nduja sausage (spicy, spreadable pork sausage from Calabria in Southern Italy). San Marzano brand of tomatoes provide the base for delicious pizza sauce. Toppings, such as artichokes, arugula, broccoli rabe, capers, eggplant, truffle sauce, olives, spicy soppressata, and other cured meats and seafood, can be added for an extra cost. Gluten-free crust is available. FYI: Pizza fanatics’ love the Parma, according to Bruno.
Other menu items: Piadina (Italian flatbread) sandwiches, Panini, meat and cheese plates, salads and desserts. Tiramisu and profiterole are made in house.
Marcello Bruno’s wife, Maria De Los Angeles, works in the business. Bruno said several part-time employees also help out. “We so lucky to have them,” he said.
Got a note from a wellknown Worcester chef and caterer this past weekend who said she just had eaten at Pizzeria Bruno. She loves the food. The restaurant is near where she lives and she admitted, “We’re spoiled. We won’t go anywhere else.”
As for Marcello Bruno he favors American, Mexican and Chinese food when he eats out. For authentic and traditional Italian food, he said he cooks at home.
A visit to Pizzeria Bruno, and maybe you’ll discover a new favorite pie.
Les Amis d’ Escoffier dinner a great success
Congrats to executive chef/ owner Bill Brady of Brady’s in Leominster and staff for one of the most memorable Les Amis d’ Escoffier Society dinners ever.
Members of the New England Joseph Donon Chapter, founded by the late Stanley J. Nicas, were guests at “Le Diner D’Automne” earlier this month. A champagne reception preceded dinner, four courses (Philadelphia Pepper Pot, lobster, grilled quail, venison), a cheese course and dessert. Wine pairings, of course. Too much food to describe. Justin Smith of Brady’s was executive chef; Keith Boston, chef de cuisine; Christopher Ingel of Brady’s, chef de partie.
Josh Suprenant, director of hospitality at Samuel Slater’s Restaurant at Indian Ranch in Webster, inducted new members in the absence of James Nicas, co-owner of the former Castle Restaurant in Leicester.
New members: Christopher Ingel, chef at Brady’s; Brian Dugan, GM at Tatnuck Country Club in Worcester; Faye Sarcich, assistant pastry chef at Classic Cakes in West Hartford, Connecticut; Juergen Knerr, culinary instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Providence; Jayne Suprenant of Indian Ranch in Webster; Peggy Conley of Leicester; Evan Jones, GM of Anya Restaurant in Woodstock, Connecticut.
Note: Jayne Suprenant was inducted by her two sons, Josh and Aaron Suprenant, both society members. Peggy Conley has strong ties with the former Castle Restaurant having worked there. She also is a longtime friend and customer of the restaurant and attended every special event the restaurant held, according to Evangeline Nicas, the Castle’s coowner.
Les Amis d’ Escoffier Society “brings together members of the culinary profession and loyal friends who appreciate good food and good wines; people who believe in the adage ‘Live and Let Live’ and who place sincere friendship above all else.”
Members kept fine dining alive at Brady’s!
Chef Jay Powell ranks high in national challenge
Executive chef Jay Powell scored high at the recent World Food Championships held in Dallas, Texas.
Powell competed in the Chef Challenge against 40 chefs from around the country to reach the top 10. He met the challenge by getting into the second round of competition, ending in the sixth spot. Local executive chef Al Maykel III worked with Powell at the event. “Despite not winning first place I told Al, I hit the moon when I heard my name,” said Powell, who prepared extraordinary dishes, even bringing a taste of Maine lobster to the judges’ table. And, so much more. Connect with Powell on Facebook for more details.
Chef owner of JP’s Twisted BBQ, Powell is back on the Cape where he and his wife, Nancy, have a home. For a couple of years, Powell has set up his BBQ trailer with smokers at breweries on the Cape, including Cape Cod Beer where he has settled into the role of “chef-in-residence.” He has appeared on TV’s Food Network and Boston-based “The Phantom Gourmet” and is former owner of the Twisted Fork Bistro in Leicester, where the Powells also have a home. The chef is a strong competitor, hosts the annual Worcester’s Best Chef final round and strongly supports community and local agriculture. He is profiled in the fall 2021 issue of edible Cape Cod.
If you have ever met Powell, you know he’s a chef on the go!
Katzie Guy-Hamilton’s Luxury Gift Cases available
News from Katzie GuyHamilton (Worcester native) is that presales of Cassata Bakery’s annual Luxury Gift Case are underway. The celebrated pastry chef Guy-Hamilton is co-founder of Cassata Bakery, an online business with a focus on “exceptional ingredients, artisan confections and impeccable packaging.”
The cases are works of art, delivered directly, whether it’s a gift or to yourself, said GuyHamilton. Gift cases will ship fresh on Dec. 6, ahead of any holiday shipping delays, and preorders will be completed at the end of the month, she said. Visit https://cassatabakery.com to order.
“As a female founded, owned and fully crafted business, I champion the use of great friends like Kerrygold Butter, Merrimack Valley Apiary Honey, Guittard Chocolate and California Almonds,” said Guy-Hamilton. “We even can fit a copy of my book ‘Clean Enough’ inside the cases.”
It’s all good!
Correction
For the record, Chris Rovezzi’s new restaurant is Villa Sofia, 17 Main St., Brimfield, across from the Brimfield Common. The restaurant was misspelled in the Table Hoppin column in last week’s printed edition of Worcester Magazine.
Villa Sofia is a small and cozy spot with the executive chef/owner preparing fresh pasta from scratch as one of his signature dishes. Rovezzi’s parents, Joseph Rovezzi Sr. and the late Shirley Rovezzi, founded the former Rovezzi’s on Main Street in Worcester.
In the family: Innovative chefs and restaurateurs.
If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.
Booster
Continued from Page 23
feeling foolish for the error and sped to the other CVS, a mile away. “Neighborhood Scout” tells me the median real estate had dropped to $253,231 by the time I got to my final destination.
The pharmacist was in the weeds. “You’ll have to bear with me,” she said to each new customer who queued up, “I am VERY popular today.”
While I waited, I passed the time by reading some bold signage on the plexiglass in front of me. “Warning: Time-Delay Pharmacy Safes in Use. Monitored by 24-hour Surveillance. Emergency Alarm System. For Safety and Security.” I wondered what that meant, exactly.
By some sort of miracle I had managed to arrive on time for my scheduled appointment, but it took nearly 30 minutes before the pharmacist came out from behind the counter with a syringe in hand. She pulled up a rusted folding chair and instructed me to expose my shoulder so she could administer the booster shot.
“You don’t have any sort of privacy screen we could go behind?” I asked her.
“Honey, in this neighborhood, we’re lucky they even give us vaccines,” she said.
I pulled down my blouse. My bra was showing and the other patrons looked away to allow me some modesty. I felt vulnerable. I couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody somewhere had determined this community was unworthy of basic dignity.
I would like to acknowledge my own naivete. It was a privilege to get immunized, but it was also unsettling to see the conditions that might make folks hesitant to get vaccinated in the first place. How about it, CVS? Can you spare one more privacy screen for Worcester? I think you know exactly where it should go.
LISTEN UP
Worcester band GrandEvolution creates an emotional soundscape on ‘Glow ’
Victor D. Infante
Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
“Glow,” the latest album from Worcester indie rock ensemble GrandEvolution, is a study in disappearing and invisibility: People l vanish right in front of you, strangers touch your life without even knowing, people clamor to be seen. The band — vocalist and rhythm guitarist Sarah Kenyon, drummer Scott Kenyon and bassist Greg Bromberg along with numerous guest musicians — creates a lush soundscape, one which well-suits the ephemeral nature of the songs’ subject matter.
The album opens with the plaintive “Finding Beauty,” a song that finds the album’s persona in isolation: “It’s tough when you can’t love,” sings Sarah Kenyon, “All you have for the longest time/Finding beauty in the darkest moments.” It’s unclear whether it’s the persona herself who can’t love, or someone else, but nonetheless, this is precisely what the album proceeds to do: Peer into shadows to find something beautiful, even if the odds of that seem unlikely.
Sarah Kenyon is an interesting singer, with a vocal styling that’s articulate and expressive, but also a little ethereal, which she harnesses to great effect. It creates a sense of vulnerability, and accentuates the sense of loss in “Shattered,” which addresses someone who has left the persona’s life suddenly. The vocals here create a deeply effecting emotional resonance, even as the guitar comes across as jagged lightning, jarring as it flashes across the sky. Likewise, a sidewinder peel of guitars and crash of drums interrupt the sense of reminiscence in “Alive,” a necessary disruption that jolts the listener’s perspective into the present, even as the persona is sinking into the past. Someone might have vanished from the persona’s life, but she is also vanishing into her own memory. Being “alive” seems strictly past-tense.
The album then takes a turn with the bracing and extremely catchy “Stranger,” which finds Sarah Kenyon expressing gratitude to someone who seemingly doesn’t know who she is: “It’s who we find how we connect,” she sings. “Doesn’t have to be mutual/To make an impact/I don’t have to know you/ You don’t have to know me/ Timing is everything/Thankful when I look back.” This could be a lot of things – it’s not at all unusual for a well-timed song to save someone’s life, after all – but when the album rolls into the next song, “In Ruins,” that sense of inspiration seems more personal: “In ruins now it’s over/There’s no turning back/Miss the days of having a hero.” Whatever’s lost here, it was deeply intimate, and its absence has left the persona’s heart in tatters.
Throughout the album, there’s a sense of restraint which lends power to each emotional punch. There’s a dreaminess to the album, but the sense of feeling throughout is palpable. Perhaps part of that power is that, as painful as things become, the persona never seems to turn away from the pain. Indeed, she seems to be wrestling with it, trying to understand it, and in doing so, she becomes acutely aware of differences in perspective: “You’ll never see me how I see you,” she sings in “Pipe Dream.” “I’ll never see me like you do.” The song is laden with regret for youthful mistakes: “It was a one-shot deal that I blew/ Didn’t know until too late/I could never expect to be taken serious/It was a pipe dream when I wasn’t/Ready at all.” The persona repeatedly dwells in the past, even as – in songs such as “Nightmare” – even the near future seems completely unknowable. The theme settles with “Chemistry,” and its refrain of “I wish that we were friends,” but now the persona seems to be in a relationship with a ghost: It’s sad and beautiful, but the effort and intensity seems decidedly one-sided.
The next song, “Wish,” changes up the tempo, a blistering blast of guitar launching the song, and drums and bass ushering it forward at an accelerated pace: “Wish to go back in time,” sings Sarah Kenyon, “Feel that same adrenaline/Extraordinary passion/And innocence/All we love/All that we dream of/Fades away into something else.” What is that something else? Even the persona can’t really articulate it, singing in, “Best Feeling”: “A love I can’t explain,” she sings, “I think you’d know what I mean/I’d see you a thousand times/Just to listen and to breathe.” Something is gone, certainly, but there’s still something left behind, and it burns in the persona’s chest. When the album concludes, with the title song, Sarah Kenyon warns the listener: “There’s always more to a story/Don’t be swayed without the pieces/ Just glow how you will.” The persona knows she seems to be locked in her own memories and regrets, but she makes it clear that there’s more than that happening. Ultimately, the album ends with the personas still standing in ruins, still seeking beauty in shadows, but here, her gaze seems to be turned inward. Everything may be ashes around her, but she is “standing here capable of anything at all.” Survival can seem a small sort of triumph, at least from the outside, but sometimes in the face of loss, it’s the one that glows brightest.
GrandEvolution’s newest album is “Glow.” PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
5THINGS TO DO
‘THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, PUBLIC WORKS AND SPACEOUT REUNION, AND MORE ....
Richard Duckett and Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine | USA TODAY NETWORK
“The Velvet Underground” will be screened by cinemaworcester Nov. 19 at the Park View Room in Worcester.
SUBMITTED
They were cool. They were dangerous. The Velvet Underground, formed in 1964, also created a new sound that changed the world of music. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, the new documentary “The Velvet Underground,” which will be screened Nov. 19 by cinema-worcester, looks at how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture. The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with never-before-seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art to create “an immersive experience.” (RD)
What: “The Velvet Underground” When: 7 p.m. Nov. 19 Where: Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester How much: $10; $8.50 students and seniors. Tickets www.cinema-worcester.com
One Last Reunion
Musician Bret Talbert’s been a member of a several well-regarded local bands, including Public Works and Spaceout. Now, Talbert will reunite with members of those bands for what he says is his final “rock club” show. That’s saying a lot, after more than 30 years of playing rock ’n’ roll. What’s more, and to sweeten the deal, perennial favorites the Hip Swayers will be open the night, so it looks like it’s shaping up to be one heck of a party. (VDI)
What: Public Works and Spaceout Reunion When: 9 p.m. Nov. 24 Where: Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester Bret Talbert will reunite with former bands, including Spaceout, at Ralph’s Rock
Poets Paul Richmond, Candace Curran, Karen Warinsky and Gerald Yelle will perform at the GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill in Whitinsville. SUBMITTED PHOTOS
The Master Singers of Worcester will present “Passport: Great Britain” at Salem Covenant Church in Worcester.
An Evening of Poetry
You can listen and be heard as ValleyCAST, the arts and culture arm of Open Sky Community Services, hosts “An Evening of Poetry” from Nov. 20 at the GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill in Whitinsville. The poetry showcase will spotlight Candace Curran, Paul Richmond, Karen Warinsky, and Gerald Yelle, followed by an open mic segment. Curran has twice been named Western Massachusetts Poet’s Seat laureate, while Richmond was honored as Massachusetts Beat Poet Laureate (2017-2019) and National Beat Poet Laureate (2017-2019). Warinsky has been a finalist in the Montreal International Poetry Contest, and her debut collection, “Gold in Autumn,” was released last summer. Yelle’s publications include “The Holyoke Diaries” and “No Place I Would Rather Be.” (RD)
What: “An Evening of Poetry” When: 7 to 9 p.m. Nov. 20 Where: GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center at Alternatives’ Whitin Mill, 60 Douglas Road, Whitinsville How much: Free and open to the public. All attendees are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. To learn more about ValleyCAST and/or Open Sky Community Services, visit openskycs.org
The Music of Great Britain
After a long hiatus, the Master Singers of Worcester is ready to explore a new season of choral masterworks. If music is the best way to travel, MSW’s Nov. 21 concert “Passport: Great Britain” promises a great getaway with works by Handel, Purcell, Britten and Gilbert & Sullivan. Edward Tyler, artistic director, leads the singers; Mark Bartlett is the accompanist. (RD)
What: “Passport: Great Britain” — Master Singers of Worcester When: 4 p.m. Nov. 21 Where: Salem Covenant Church, 215 East Mountain St., Worcester How much: $25; $20 students and seniors in advance. $30; $25 students and seniors at the door. www.mswma.org.
“Joan Ryan: Myth Busters,” is an intriguingsounding solo exhibition presented by ArtsWorcester using painting and drawing “as a critical language to explore contemporary society, politics, and concepts of identity in our modern world.” In “Myth Busters,” Ryan juxtaposes imagery depicting American culture and history - cartoons, childhood fairy tales, and political iconography - and confronts “the fear and denial of Post-War World II America.” The exhibition takes the form of a wall installation, in which largescale charcoal drawings are set against custompainted gallery walls, “giving the illusion of American nostalgia ripping into present time and space.” “Myth Busters” goes on view in ArtsWorcester’s East Gallery, as well as on the organization’s website, beginning Nov. 18. A public reception will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 3. (RD)
What: “Joan Ryan: Myth Busters” When: Nov. 18 to Dec. 19 Where/How much: ArtsWorcester’s East Gallery at 44 Portland St. Also online at www.artsworcester.org. ArtsWorcester gallery hours run Thursdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Concurrently on view Nov. 18 to Dec. 19: “The Little One: A Members’ Exhibition.” ArtsWorcester is bringing its “biggest exhibition down to scale. For the ninth iteration of ArtsWorcester’s ‘One,’ all artist members are invited to exhibit one small-scale artwork.” “Listen to the Crumbling,” charcoal and pastel, 60” x 42
JOAN RYAN/ARTSWORCESTER
“AFullServiceTree RemovalCompany”
Since1980
STEVE STRATTON
Owner
