Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1301686
116 Pazzo Pizza Co. in mid-February, right on Main Street in Andover. Its sleek curved bar, sculptural communal table, and big open kitchen—starring a pizza oven imported from Italy—were all designed to invite casual gatherings over great food. "Italian family sports bar is the concept we were going for," Jeff Malloy says. He adds, "We opened to really great reviews. It was a family atmosphere from five o'clock to seven, and then we started building a nice bar business in the evening." en they closed. Just four weeks after opening, Governor Charlie Baker shuttered Pazzo, and every other nonessential business in Massachusetts, in an attempt to stifle one of the earliest outbreaks of coronavirus in the country. After three months of only offering takeout, the Malloys gratefully set out tables in an area the city provided for outdoor dining in June, and have steadily seen takeout customers return to dine in. "We're building back up, with more clientele every day," as rules allow increased indoor dining, Jeff says. Since he has previous experience co- founding and heading up the kitchen at Carmen's and Hot Tomatoes, restaurants in Boston's North End that drew numerous accolades, it's no wonder people keep coming back for Malloy's food. e menu runs the gamut from slow-roasted chicken wings marinated in balsamic vinegar and lemon zest to an impressive array of salads and overstuffed sandwiches, and, of course, gourmet pizzas topped with everything from spicy soppressata to shrimp scampi. Andover residents are strong supporters of area small businesses—and this isn't the first time they've been tested in recent memory. In 2018, gas was shut off to many restaurants for weeks—and in some cases months—after over-pressurized lines caused a series of explosions. But the town's long history of local loyalty helped mainstays survive and thrive: Palmer's Restaurant, with its classic American fare, Yella Grill, with its Mediterranean regional food, La Rosa's, with casual Italian, and Elm Square Bistro, where chef Michael Sherman crafts New American cuisine, have all marked more than a decade in business, despite the challenges. at's an important milestone in an industry where more than half close within the first year, and 80 percent within the first five. And a credit to the Andover community, which puts an emphasis on supporting local. e community was a big draw for Marcus Palmer, who opened the soaring steakhouse Smythe & Dove last fall, with a menu much broader than in a classic beef palace. "I love being part of a community," says Palmer, who built a replica 1800s-era barn, complete with a loft and a cathedral ceiling, to house his new venture. But while Palmer's resume includes Pazzo Pizza serves a variety of dishes from mussels to pizzas. Co-owner Jeff Malloy of Pazzo Pizza