Trattoria della Nonna

160 North Main Street
Mansfield, MA 02048
508-339-5432

The Tweeter Center may be Mansfield’s biggest draw, but if Trattoria della Nonna could seat more than sixty, the crowds might get just as big. Chef-owner Ken DeFazio, using farm fresh dairy and produce, and the finest meat, game and seafood, pays a loving (and delicious) culinary tribute to his grandmother recreating her authentic Calabrian cuisine.

The unassuming spot on North Main Street has a warm, familial, old world feel, pictures of Nonna abound and the exposed brick walls are adorned with cooking utensils that could have come straight from Nonna’s kitchen – just like the food.

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Ken DeFazio

Chef at Trattoria della Nonna

Chef Ken DeFazio's love of cooking was initially ignited when he discovered just how much he loved to eat. Hogging his sisters E-Z Bake oven, DeFazio spent afternoons as a youngster baking brownies and cooking hot dogs and frittatas.

Ultimately outgrowing his E-Z Bake oven, DeFazio moved into the real kitchen, working alongside and learning volumes from his grandmother. Grandma DeFazio, a Calabrian native who spoke no English, communicated most effectively through her ability to create a perfect dinner. At the age of ten, DeFazio left his Nonna behind to move to Boston, where he continued his culinary education bouncing from kitchen to kitchen, working for free, anywhere anyone would allow him.

By age fifteen, DeFazio was ready for the real deal. He took on as many different jobs as he could, working for two or three restaurants at a time, in order to glean as much knowledge as possible. By the age of twenty one, DeFazio was creating menus and running the show in restaurants and hotels from Boston to California. None, however, could teach him to make food taste the way his grandmother's had.

After eighteen years in the kitchen, DeFazio put his culinary development in the hands of Roberta Dowling, owner of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. After graduating, he landed in the kitchen of rising culinary star Barbara Lynch who was an inspiration as well as a mentor.

For the next seven years DeFazio worked all over the city in the kitchens of Italian restaurants. DeFazio's cooking at Trattoria Pulcinella was awarded Best of Boston by Boston Magazine in 1997 and Pulcinella was voted number one authentic Italian Restaurant in all of New England, by Zagat Survey.

While working at Ristorante Marcellino's in Waltham, DeFazio traveled with his employer Salvatore Torcasio to meet his extended family and learn to cook like a true Calabrese. Welcomed in thirty-five homes, DeFazio studied the ingredients and how to use them the way they're used in Italy. It was this trip to his ancestral homeland that helped DeFazio figure out what it would take to duplicate the true Mediterranean cuisine of his Nonna.

A long way from an E-Z Bake oven, DeFazio's first solo venture, Trattoria della Nonna, is a tribute his grandmother and her cooking. DeFazio uses only the highest quality farm fresh dairy, produce, meat, game and seafood to recreate her traditional, straightforward Calabrese cuisine. Though being in Mansfield allows DeFazio to spend more time with his family, his cuisine hasn't gone unnoticed - Alison Arnett of The Boston Globe nominated DeFazio as one of the area's ten rising stars and Paul Kendarian wrote that DeFazio "is ready to take his place among the area's finer creators of Italian cuisine. Nonna would be so proud.

Dinner

Antipasti

Olive mix in herbed oil 9
A mixture of olives, served with grilled garlic parsley flatbread and wood roasted mushrooms

Artisan Cheeses 16
A variety of imported and domestic cheeses, fresh made marmalada and balsamic glaze with crackers

Charcutterie dried meat plate 13 add cheese 19
Various cuts of Italian salami, prosciutto, mortadella and Capicola

Tomato Caprese 12
Tomatoes layered with buffalo milk mozzarella, basil and EVO

Tuna Carpaccio and Artichoke 15
Thin sliced # 1 Tuna, roasted ½ Artichoke, crispy shallots, capers, and lemon prosecco vinaigrette

3 Way Bruschetta 12
Toasted artisan bread, meatball and provolone, tomato basil mozzarella, and shrimp salad

Stuffed Eggplant 12
Lightly battered eggplant layered with prosciutto, spinach and goat on a pool of tomato puree

Grilled Margarita Pizza 12
Flame grilled on hard wood, crushed plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, EVO and chopped basil

Pasta

Rigatoni Bolognese 12 - 20
Slow cooked coarse ground veal and pork in red sauce with fresh basil and reggiano parmigiano

Linguini and Clams 11 - 18
Small clams steamed in EVO, garlic, diced tomatoes and parsley with a slice of bruschetta

Pappardelle and Steak 15 - 23
Sautéed aged Angus beef rib-eye tips with walnuts in a creamy gorgonzola sauce

Ricotta Gnocchi & Rabbit Bolognese 13- 22
Ground rabbit with mirepoix veggies, red sauce and a touch of cream

Potato Gnocchi and Lobster 18 - 28
Fresh shucked Maine Lobster, roasted corn and pancetta in creamy corn broth and crispy pasta nest

Scampi with Capellini 15 - 23
Sautéed shrimp, shitake mushrooms and peas in garlic and EVO

Risotto Seafood Pescatore 16 - 26
Mixed seafood slow cooked with risotto in a fresh oregano scented red sauce

Main

Chicken Croquette Impanata 17
Breaded chicken patty baked with tomato sauce and provolone cheese and Parmesan risotto

Wood grilled Rib eye Steak 18 oz cut 28 22 oz cut 36
Angus bone-in rib eye, cheesy delmonico potato, roasted mushroom ajus and green beans

Duck and Sweet Sausage 24
Pan roasted breast, duck sausage, pear puree, roasted sweet potato mash, mustarda and greens

Grilled Veal Loin Chop
T-Bone cut veal grilled on hard wood, black truffle garlic & oil, caramelized mash potato and greens

Insalata

Simple Greens 7
Mixed greens with pancetta croutons and tomatoes with shallot, oregano and red wine vinaigrette

Hearts of Romaine 8
Tender whole leafs, hard-boiled eggs, crispy beef sticks, tomato, shaved Parmigiano, balsamic and EVO

Baby Arugula 9
Organic arugula, imported goat cheese, roasted butternut squash, and dried fruit mixed in sweet vinaigrette

PLEASE NOTE: The items, ingredients and prices on all menus are subject to change. It is recommended that if you are interested in a particular dish you contact the restaurant directly to determine its availability.

Dictionary

Beurre blanc: 1. noun A thick sauce of butter, white wine and vinegar.

Carpaccio: 1. noun Wafer-thin slices of raw beef served cold; named after the Renaissance Venetian painter.

Chorizo: 1. noun Crumbly, spiced pork sausage.

Gazpacho: 1. noun A Spanish soup served chilled, originally a puree of cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper, celery, vinegar, breadcrumbs, olive oil and garlic.

Jus: 1. noun French for juice, jus also refers to the unthickened juices from a piece of roasted meat.

Mascarpone: 1. noun Ultra-rich, soft cheese known best for its role in tiramisu.

Mirepoix: 1. noun A combination of diced carrots, onions, celery and herbs cooked in butter; used to flavor a wide range of dishes.

Pancetta: 1. noun Cured Italian bacon.

Panna cotta: 1. noun Italian egg custard.

Ragu: 1. noun Tomato and meat sauce from Bologna.

Risotto: 1. noun Italian dish made from rice cooked by intermittently adding small amounts of stock or broth. Other ingredients are added as required.

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