Bringing the North End to Worcester

By Rachel Shuster

You don’t have to travel far and wide to get great Italian food. Gvanni’s Ristorante Italiano makes it easy as uno, due, tre. Located at 55 Pearl Street in Worcester (the former site of Ti Novo), Gvanni’s brings a taste of authentic, North End style cuisine right here for us to enjoy.

Being brand new to the Worcester community (as of late November of this year), Gvanni’s isn’t just another Italian place. It is housed in an historic mansion built in the 1800s, and is made up of stone walls that add to the genuine Italian ambiance. The 15,000 square foot restaurant aims to make you feel like you are right in Italy, as any good Italian restaurant should. And it takes but setting foot inside the door for that wonderful Italian warmth to envelop you.

John DeCristofaro, the Chef/Manager of Gvanni’s, is thrilled to be a part of this new Worcester gem. The restaurant is fashioned after the Giovanni’s in the North End of Boston: “We have over 25 years of experience and now want to bring that to Worcester,” DeCristofaro says. Just as Giovanni’s in the North End has been a longtime favorite of Bostonians, the location on Pearl Street is rapidly becoming a favorite spot of Worcesterites.

The menu is made up of authentic Italian cuisine. Ranging from appetizers beginning at $10 to fresh pasta dishes priced at $13-$15 to veal and chicken dishes priced at $17-$20 to steak dishes priced at $27, all entrees include sides such as starches and vegetables. “It’s all included, which some places do not do,” DeCristofaro says.

The restaurant also has a room which can be used for a variety of functions. It holds up to 70 people and can be used for private parties, buffets, weddings, showers, cocktail parties, and more! The room also holds functions for alumni associations for the 13 schools in the Worcester Consortium. Don’t forget to check out the two bar areas and indulge in some guilty pleasures, too.

Gvanni’s Ristorante Italiano is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information, call 508-752-0070. See you there!