By
November 2, 2025 / 10:40 AM EST / CBS Boston
Boston’s North End is getting a new look thanks to a restaurateur’s commitment.
Frank Depasquale, owner of more than a dozen restaurants like Trattoria Il Panino and Umbria, has long dreamed of transforming the entrance at Cross Street and Salem Street into something more authentically Italian.
“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a little kid when I first came here,” Depasquale said. “I basically come here every single morning and I stare at it. I don’t sleep at night, trying to think of how I can make it really Italy.”
The area is currently covered in scaffolding, but is set to host a string of Italian stores, including jewelry, men’s clothing, Italian hangbangs, shoes, and a baby clothing store. He also plans to have a caf…
By
November 2, 2025 / 10:40 AM EST / CBS Boston
Boston’s North End is getting a new look thanks to a restaurateur’s commitment.
Frank Depasquale, owner of more than a dozen restaurants like Trattoria Il Panino and Umbria, has long dreamed of transforming the entrance at Cross Street and Salem Street into something more authentically Italian.
“I’ve been thinking about this since I was a little kid when I first came here,” Depasquale said. “I basically come here every single morning and I stare at it. I don’t sleep at night, trying to think of how I can make it really Italy.”
The area is currently covered in scaffolding, but is set to host a string of Italian stores, including jewelry, men’s clothing, Italian hangbangs, shoes, and a baby clothing store. He also plans to have a cafe, a travel agency from Rome, and a new Italian fusion restaurant that will overlook the Greenway area. He said that these are all the things he think have been missing from the neighborhood.
A plan for the new building shows the rooftop restaurant and storefronts. Depasquale Ventures
“There will be umbrellas and trees, and it will be like a beautiful piazza that you might see in Florence, Italy, or you might see in Verona,” he said. “The neighborhood is great as it is, but honestly, it’s only going to get better.”
New Italian cooking classes
Depasquale will also open a new culinary school in the new area so that people of all ages can learn the art of Italian cooking.
“This is affiliated with a company out of Italy, which is called Dolce Solata. We’re going to have culinary classes every single day here,” Despasquale explained. “So we’re going to start them off very, very young to know what our traditions are, the food that we eat, and how to prepare it.”
The goal is to have the entire project completed by June 2026, just in time for the FIFA World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“There will be so many people in this city,” Depasquale finished, “The first word I want them to say is ‘Wow,’ what a great entrance to an inner city Italian community.”