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Zia Gianna is one of the Greater Ashmont District’s hottest restaurants. Zia makes breakfast and lunch with Italian flavors and flair. Named after the Owner/Chefs Nino Barbalace aunt, Zia Gianna aims to bring the flavors and recipes of Nino’s Homeland of Scilly to Boston. Zia Gianna provides a friendly atmosphere and serves as a neighborhood caffè where people can come with their friends and families, meet other people, share a cup of coffee, and have a sandwich or maybe some dessert.
Zia Gianna offers a growing selection of traditional Italian pastries: pies, cakes, tiramisu and tarts which are all made in house with fresh ingredients by Nino himself. They of course offer espresso, cappuccino, latte, and mocha, but what they are known for is their creative twist on the typical espresso. It’s called the “nutellone” which is a cappuccino with Nutella!
Their breakfast and lunch options are highlighted by a fan favorite which Nino calls Eggs in Purgatory, which consists of 2 eggs poached in tomato sauce & nut-free pesto, topped with melted mozzarella, choice of 2 meats. If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to try the recently added Cannoli Cheesecake, which is made with a chocolate cookie crust, cannoli filling and topped with chocolate & ground pistachios https://www.ziagianna.com/brunch
Nino, Zia’s charismatic owner/chef is always happy to discuss the menu and answer any questions that you may have about the restaurant and of course talk about anything Italy related.
During the peak of COVID Nino was able to keep his doors open by offering dinner options that were directly inspired by Zia Gianna as well as hosting virtual and in person events at the restaurant including online cooking classes. They partnered with Around the Table to host a tour of Sicilian cuisine, He has also hosted Paint Nights and a Dinner and a Show night where classically trained musicians sing for dining guests. Zia also began to host private events at the restaurant, if you would like to host a private event at Zia Gianna info@ziagianna.com
You’ll initially check out Zia Gianna for their great food and end up staying for the great atmosphere and conversations.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1739 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02124
- Website: https://www.ziagianna.com/
- Phone: 617-436-2368
- Email: info@ziagianna.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caffeziagianna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caffeziagianna/
HOURS
Tuesday to Saturday 8am-2pm
Sunday 9am-1pm
Monday Closed
Nino was born in Italy in Messina (Sicily) and lived there until he moved to the USA about in 2011. Nino grew up in a big Italian household, with his father, aunt (Zia) Gianna, uncle, cousin and grandparents. “Sicilians have a strong connection with food,” he said. “We live to eat. Among friends or family, it’s more common to ask ‘Did you eat?’ then it is to say ‘How are you?’ The simple logic is: If you have an appetite, you must be in good health!”
Nino would always have friends stop by, eating and enjoying the food my Zia Gianna had prepared for them. We had such long, crowded, noisy meals that always ended in the living room sipping some caffè.
It was Zia Gianna that introduced Nino to cooking at a young age.
He was particularly inspired by his Zia Gianna, who was “the glue in the family”. She was the primary cook of the household, which, as most Italians know, means she was also the most important person in the home! She cooked for everyone, all the time.
As a kid Nino would watch cooking shows with Zia Gianna and then would recreate their favorite dishes together. They spent many Sundays in the kitchen cooking together, following Zia Gianna’s method of cooking without measurements (“just look and you’ll know,” she would say).
Zia had an innate ability to create community, comfort and love through food, and it is that community, that sense of warmth and nourishing others that Nino brings to caffè Zia Gianna everyday.
Prior to opening Zia Gianna in 2017 Nino’s first love was architecture, and after getting his PhD in the history and conservation of historic heritage, Barbalace wound up in Cambridge for a postdoc. After a while, though, he felt he needed a change. “At some point architecture was no longer enough for me,” he said. “So instead of working on how to assemble buildings, I decided to start assembling cakes, pies, sandwiches, lasagna, and arancini.”
Through Ninos hard work Zia Gianna has become a place for family and friends to assemble, relax, and treat one another as though they were in his homeland, even if just for an afternoon.
Go for the food, stay for the atmosphere and great company.
More about Owner Nino
Nino was born in Italy in Messina (Sicily) and lived there until he moved to the USA about in 2011. Nino grew up in a big Italian household, with his father, aunt (Zia) Gianna, uncle, cousin and grandparents. “Sicilians have a strong connection with food,” he said. “We live to eat. Among friends or family, it’s more common to ask ‘Did you eat?’ then it is to say ‘How are you?’ The simple logic is: If you have an appetite, you must be in good health!”
Nino would always have friends stop by, eating and enjoying the food my Zia Gianna had prepared for them. We had such long, crowded, noisy meals that always ended in the living room sipping some caffè.
It was Zia Gianna that introduced Nino to cooking at a young age.
He was particularly inspired by his Zia Gianna, who was “the glue in the family”. She was the primary cook of the household, which, as most Italians know, means she was also the most important person in the home! She cooked for everyone, all the time.
As a kid Nino would watch cooking shows with Zia Gianna and then would recreate their favorite dishes together. They spent many Sundays in the kitchen cooking together, following Zia Gianna’s method of cooking without measurements (“just look and you’ll know,” she would say).
Zia had an innate ability to create community, comfort and love through food, and it is that community, that sense of warmth and nourishing others that Nino brings to caffè Zia Gianna everyday.
Prior to opening Zia Gianna in 2017 Nino’s first love was architecture, and after getting his PhD in the history and conservation of historic heritage, Barbalace wound up in Cambridge for a postdoc. After a while, though, he felt he needed a change. “At some point architecture was no longer enough for me,” he said. “So instead of working on how to assemble buildings, I decided to start assembling cakes, pies, sandwiches, lasagna, and arancini.”
Through Ninos hard work Zia Gianna has become a place for family and friends to assemble, relax, and treat one another as though they were in his homeland, even if just for an afternoon.
Go for the food, stay for the atmosphere and great company.
