New Restaurant May Open in the North End

On Tuesday night, November 27, the North End Waterfront Resident Association gathered at Mariners House for its monthly Zoning, Licensing and Construction Committee meeting.

Co-chairs David Kubiak and Victor Brogna explained the agenda items.

The first scheduled application for zoning relief at 50 Snowhill Street was postponed.

Massimo Tiberi, accompanied by an attorney, was next in line.

A resident of the North End for the past 10 years, Mr. Tiberi plans to purchase Marco’s located at 253 Hanover Street, above Cafe Paradiso, and change the name to Aria Trattoria (which is his daughter’s name). He hopes to open the restaurant soon after this year ends and applied to the Licensing Board for the transfer of the existing Malt and Wine with Cordials license with no change to hours of operation, capacity or seating.

Tiberi’s attorney explained that his client has been the manager of a restaurant further up Hanover Street for seven years.

The attorney said Tiberi will not be making any substantial changes to the restaurant other than sprucing up the dining area and the kitchen.

The hours of operation for dinner will be 5:30 p.m. to midnight. At this time, Tiberi has no plans to serve lunch.

“My client is working on a new menu,” the attorney said. “It will be Italian food and customers can come for fine dining as well as moderately-priced food.”

In addition, Tiberi will keep the fireplace but wants it to be electric or gas operated so that the space does not fill up with smoke. Often, customers have felt so hot that they did not want to sit near the fireplace, Tiberi’s attorney said.

Tiberi wants to keep the same ambiance.

“I have been living in the North End for 10 years,” Tiberi said. “My father moved here from Abbruzzi (Italy) 35-40 years ago and my grandparents (now deceased) lived in the North End for 30 years.”

The co-chairmen discussed the issue and will send a letter to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission in City Hall stating the NEWRA has no objections to the transfer of the license.