There is an understated elegance, a simple European sensibility, to Pasta Beach’s new Boston location on Rowes Wharf. From the Italian marble to the Italian chefs, the authenticity was obvious from the moment we walked in the door. On our first visit we sat towards the back of the restaurant, and when I returned a second time I requested the same table, as the view was magnificent. Watching beautiful Italian men create beautiful Italian food – is there anything better? The fiery pizza oven and open kitchen provide not only entertainment, but also connection. Connection to the food, to the kitchen, to the chefs.

by Katie Pelczar — Photographed by Jazz Martin

On my first visit, pizzaioli Luca Russo welcomed us with a fragrant pizza Margherita. The fresh basil scent wafted across the table and the restrained scatter of mozzarella called to me. But one bite and I knew the real magic of this pizza was in the crust. The pizza Verace Napoletana is like nothing else, with its crisp airy edges and thin chewy center. Luca prepares the pizza dough daily and each pie is cooked to order, spending no more than 90 seconds in the oven, as he dances back and forth in front of the fire, turning the pizza, watching the flames. Next, Luca sent over his special focaccia, wedges of airy crust topped with garlicky radicchio and olives and crowned with a ball of cold fresh mozzarella. The temperature contrast of the cool cheese and hot focaccia was as lovely a juxtaposition as the bitter radicchio and sweet garlic.

On our first visit we sat towards the back of the restaurant, and when I returned a second time I requested the same table, as the view was magnificent. Watching beautiful Italian men create beautiful Italian food – is there anything better? The fiery pizza oven and open kitchen provide not only entertainment, but also connection. Connection to the food, to the kitchen, to the chefs.

Our palates primed with pizza and focaccia, chef Marco Minieri moved on to a massive bowl of frutti di mare. The clams, mussels and shrimp swim in a tomato broth, accented with a bit of parsley. Not overpowered by garlic or any other aromatic, this broth showcases Marco’s innate Italian respect for ingredients and restraint in creating balance among them. And with slices of Luca’s fresh bread (baked just minutes earlier!) for mopping up the broth, we devoured the mussels and clams, along with a platter of grilled vegetables.

Marco visited our table as we were snatching up the last of the mussels, and trying to decide among the multitude of pasta options. But Marco, who hails from Bologna, made the decision simple. “You can’t leave until you eat my Bolognese,” declared the young and charming chef. How could we argue? Marco’s Bolognese is like none I have ever eaten. In fact, when I returned to Pasta Beach and encouraged my friend to taste the dish, his eyes bulged and he declared, “Every Bolognese I have tasted until now has been a lie!” Marco’s traditional meat sauce, made with beef, veal and pork, is just that – meat. Well seasoned and wonderfully hearty, the meat is tossed with fresh tagliatelle. But the dish is shocking in its simplicity, in the absence of sauce or even bits of tomato. As in all of his dishes, Marco allows the ingredients here to shine, making his Bolognese all about the richness of the meat and the texture of the pasta.

We feasted, as well, on the bucatini all’amatriciana, smoky tomato sauce coating the thick, chewy strands of pasta. Not pretty to eat, but certainly authentically Roman. Messy, slurpy and real, this is a dish with fantastic texture and bite. More delicate, the linguine ai gamberetti is bright and flavorful. The pasta, tossed with cherry tomatoes and strands of zucchini that twirl with the linguini, is topped with succulent shrimp and fresh arugula. As the arugula wilts into the pasta, the peppery aroma of the greens pervades the dish.

We finished our meal with light and lovely chocolate profiteroles as well as tiramisu, individually plated and intensely flavored with rich, dark coffee. Pasta Beach imports Costadoro espresso from Italy, and it not only provides the basis for a unique tiramisu, it makes for a wonderful cappuccino. Thankfully, Pasta Beach is open in the morning and is a great place to stop for a cappuccino and brioche.

So from now on, if you’re looking for me, I can probably be found at the end of the long curving marble bar, enjoying simple, honest dishes, sipping wine and soaking up the warmth of the atmosphere.