La Tavernetta: East Boston's New Southern Italian Restaurant

East Boston already does a lot of things well. Cheap flights out of Logan, surprisingly good pupusas, and now, as of April 13, a Southern Italian coastal tavern with a panoramic view of the Boston skyline.

La Tavernetta opens this spring at the waterfront, brought to life by co-owner Seth Gerber and chef and co-owner Douglass Williams, the same team behind the four Mida locations scattered across Greater Boston. One of those Mida spots sits right across the wharf. So these two know their neighborhood.

“It’s a coastal tavern with an Italian kiss,” Gerber said, nodding specifically to the flavors of Southern Italy.

The menu leans hard into what Gerber calls “tavern-style fare,” but don’t let that fool you into thinking bar food in the ordinary sense. Wings are lacquered with Calabrian chile sauce, sticky and genuinely spicy. Fried mozzarella comes with an anchovy dipping sauce. There are oysters, grilled meat skewers, sandwiches, and what Gerber describes as “an amazing grill program.” The whole thing lands somewhere between a Naples beach shack and a proper sit-down spot. Not quite either. Better, really.

Williams, who handles the kitchen side of things, put it plainly. “Seth and I always talked about how we could expand the bar at Mida, and how it’s such a vibe,” he said. La Tavernetta is that idea grown up and given its own address.

The cocktail list borrows from the decorative tiles embedded in some of the counters, which feature Italian sayings and bar game prompts. “Forte e Gentile,” strong and kind, a phrase tied to the Italian region of Abruzzo, shows up as section headers dividing the drink menu. Some of those countertop tiles suggest icebreaker games. First date or thousandth, Gerber said, it’s just another way to keep people engaged and feel welcomed.

The space itself earns its keep. Three sides of the restaurant wrap around an expansive patio shaded by massive teal-and-blood-orange-striped umbrellas. Large windows pull the skyline indoors. And yes, some of the cocktails come in glassware shaped like small decorative purses. That detail sounds gimmicky written out, but this is the team that’s built a serious regional reputation for Italian cooking. They’ve earned the right to have a little fun with a coupe.

“We focus so much on Italy at Mida, and it’s a big part of our inspiration and what we love to eat,” Gerber said, “so we couldn’t help but bring that here with regards to the flavor profiles and ingredient inspirations.” Still, he was careful to point out that La Tavernetta isn’t a twin of its neighbor. Putting identical restaurants next to each other would waste the waterfront setting entirely.

Southern Italian coastal cuisine draws heavily on seafood, chiles, preserved ingredients, and the kind of casual outdoor eating that feels like a specific kind of summer luxury. La Tavernetta is chasing that feeling on Boston Harbor.

Boston Magazine first reported the opening details, including the full scope of the patio design and menu direction.

East Boston has been quietly building a legitimate dining scene for years now, aided in part by its direct water access and cheaper rents than the peninsula. A spot like this, with real culinary muscle behind it and a setting that genuinely earns the views, fits right into where the neighborhood is heading. Worth the ride on the Blue Line.