If you follow Atlanta restaurant news, you’ve seen his name often over the past few years. Chef Pat Pascarella, co-founder of The Porchetta Group, is on a journey of introducing Atlantans to his authentic and memorable Italian dishes made with quality ingredients and skillful techniques, and his growth in the city in only six years is remarkable.
With four restaurants open today (Grana, The White Bull, Bastone and Alici) and two more slated to open this year (Grana’s second location at Ashford Lane in Dunwoody and its third location at Roswell’s Southern Post), it’s clear that this chef and his Italian eats (meatball flight, anyone?) are here to stay.
As he prepares to introduce his signature recipes to two new neighborhoods, Pascarella shared some stories from his past along with his plans for the future.
- His earliest cooking memory is making gnocchi with his grandmother
At 5 years old, Pascarella’s first exposure to Italian cooking began with a charming story focused on a common scene from his youth. At his grandparents’ home, he was playing tag and running upstairs with his brother and cousins as he often did. That’s when he slid under the table, causing a piece of gnocchi to fall onto the floor. He ate it, of course.
“I got a pop for eating off the floor,” remembers Pascarella. “I asked my grandmother what she was making, and she showed me how to make gnocchi.”
- He didn’t always want to cook Italian food
Pascarella was 8 years old when he knew he wanted to become a chef. By the age of 14, he was working in restaurants, and for a period of time, he focused on making great food that was not Italian. “From about 17 to 27 years old, I tried hard to not be known as an Italian chef,” he recalls.
Eventually, Pascarella was drawn back to the Italian recipes he grew up preparing with his mother and grandmother and committed to sharing the food he loved with restaurant guests. He opened the renowned Bar Sugo in Connecticut, drawing much praise from food critics and eager guests alike before relocating to Atlanta to seek a new culinary adventure.
- Atlanta wasn’t his first choice
Next time you’re devouring a slice at Grana or savoring a farm-forward small plate at The White Bull, thank Pascarella’s wife. Megan Pascarella creates dreamy treats as The Porchetta Group’s Executive Pastry Chef, and steered the couple’s relocation to Atlanta.
Pascarella reminisces, “I wanted to open a 10-seat Michelin-star restaurant in Naples and cook what I want. My wife said she wasn’t moving to Italy. My second choice was Boston. They got 164 inches in snow that year.” Compared to icy Boston, Atlanta’s Southern sunshine was a welcome contrast. The Pascarellas ultimately chose to make Atlanta their home, and the rest is history.
- He’s intentional about eliminating food waste
Inside the kitchens of Pascarella’s restaurants, the culinary teams aren’t simply making delicious Italian food. They’re also practicing the no waste method of cooking. Carrot tops, stems and leaves are incorporated into pesto. The scraps of prosciutto di Parma are used to make stock. At The White Bull, they buy and use whole pigs.
Pascarella recalls learning the importance of not wasting food while cooking alongside his grandmother, and now teaches his staff how to get creative with recipes and take the extra steps to avoid food waste.
- He’s integral to the design process
Pascarella is once again partnering with local firm Z-Space Design on the buildout of the second Grana location in Dunwoody’s Ashford Lane, and he’s guided the design process to incorporate his learning from the restaurant’s original location. The restaurant is designed around the central lawn and will feature a walk-up window for frozen Negronis and cannoli. The indoor-outdoor bar is made of white marble and will feature a large hanging structure with focal point lighting.
The dining room will include an homage to the Mona Lisa, and guests will get to see more cooking action happening with a more visible line that’s centrally positioned in the space. Beside the line, of course, will be a “monster pizza oven” in Pascarella’s words, that is one and a half times the size of the original Grana ovens.
- He wants more connection with local chefs
“Chefs like Anne Quatrano and Linton Hopkins put Atlanta on the map and paved the way for younger chefs,” Pascarella recalls.
Over the next few years, he hopes to foster a culture of camaraderie among local chefs in Atlanta, envisioning chefs’ supper clubs and other meet ups that allow them to connect.
