Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/491440
206 ment and not become stagnant but preserve the old feel," Nichelmann says. That isn't always easy when it comes to the décor—tables and chairs break, and none of the draw- ers work on the host stand, but you can't just replace them with new and still maintain that scruffy charm. "I am constantly repairing and replacing things, but we can't use brand-new wood," Nichelmann says. "It's difficult to replace things and still have the feeling people expect at The Grog." Preserving a certain feeling is critical when it means pleasing generations of customers. Win- chester natives can't imagine the town without Lucia. Since opening in 1986, the Italian spot has hosted family dinners, christenings, bridal showers, and locals who are just seeking a consistently delicious meal. At well-spaced tables in the main dining room, smartly dressed patrons enjoy trays of pre-dinner martinis under a vaulted ceiling painted like the Sistine Chapel. Do- nato Frattaroli, who also owns the storied North End spot by the same name and two Artu restaurants in Boston, has invested his heart and soul into his family's business, and it shows. Frattaroli presides over the large dining room, greeting customers and waving to passersby on the sidewalk, but he is not afraid to get his hands dirty. "If I lose a cook or a pizza guy, I know I can jump in and replace them," he says simply. After all, Frattaroli has done every job in the restaurant. He and his brothers, Filippo and Tonino, found work in the North End after emigrating from Italy, and opened Lucia in Boston in 1977. "It was quite literally a family affair," Frattaroli says. "My entire family throughout the years has worked there, from my mother,