Joanne Kates once said that nothing changes at Romagna Mia restaurant, and until recently, she was right. For the past 13 years, patrons have been packing themselves in for chef Gabriele Paganelli’s famed house-made salumi, decadent risotto and other Italian fare. But sometimes change is necessary – and big changes are on the horizon.
On March 6, Romagna Mia will host a raucous party – complete with a seven-course tasting menu – before closing its doors for good. Then, the renovations take place. “The next day, we’re coming in with a jackhammer and tearing everything down,” says co-owner Alexandre Lussier. The plan is for a “12-day extreme makeover,” after which Romagna Mia will re-emerge as Paganelli’s Enoteca and Osteria, set for a soft opening on March 19.
In addition to new décor and the inclusion of pizza served by the foot, Paganelli’s will feature a new wine bar, where patrons can sample 40-50 wines by the glass, ranging from the affordable to the luxurious, like Amarone and Barolo.
Also added will be a take-out deli counter, stocked with salumi like pancetta, guanciale, salami and bresaola, as well as paninis and prepared pastas. And by this summer, much of that product will be made at new, 3,000 square foot salumi factory near Scarborough, which will produce wholesale artisan, all-natural salumi under Paganelli’s name. Potential retailers of the product could include spots like The Cheese Boutique.
To complete the expansion of the Paganelli brand, it will be franchising. Two new restaurants are in the works – with similar quality, cuisine and atmosphere – one in Woodbridge, and the other in a yet-to-be-disclosed location.
All of this has us wondering if anything will remain of the Romagna Mia we’ve known for so long, and the answer is yes. Romagna Mia’s big menu items will stay put, but will be portioned out for family-style sharing. And yes, that includes the house-made pasta and the risotto from a wheel of parmesan.