North Adams Planners OK Italian Eatery, Winery
 The Planning Board approved a permit for Grazie, an Italian restaurant planned for the redeveloped Mulcare Block. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A new restaurant and winery planned for Marshall Street gained approval from the Planning Board on Monday night.
Grazie is expected to open in the Mulcare Block this fall and the winery in the basement of the building sometime next year.
"What we're looking to do is what I feel has been lacking in North Adams for a long time, from what people have said, and that's just real good Italian, home-cooked meals," building owner David Moresi told the board.
The restaurant will be operated by Matthew and Mackenzie Tatro. Matthew Tatro told the board, "we want to bring some nice Italian to downtown North Adams and hit on Mass MoCA and the local market."
Tatro most recently was the chef at the Adams Alehouse. He began his career at the former La Veranda, working there through high school.
"I'm well versed [in Italian]," he said. "I was at La Veranda, that's my roots, when I was 13 years old. I'm well versed in every cuisine."
An Italian restaurant has been in the plans for the Mulcare Building since Moresi purchased it more than a year ago. He is currently renovating the upper floors of the building into residential units; the Mohawk Tavern reopened there earlier this summer after significant renovations.
The addition of the winery is new. Glen and Cheryl DeMarsico were frequent customers of Tatro's at the Alehouse and they shared some of their homemade fruit wines with him.
That's turned into the development of the winery in conjunction with the restaurant. Glen DeMarsico anticipated much of the wine would be sold through Grazie with some retail distribution.
DeMarsico's Wine Cellar has to go through federal permitting yet but DeMarsico said they planned to focus on about four types of fruit wines and possibly a few grape.
"I've been doing it about three years [at home]," he said. "My father used to do it."
Last year in competition in Hartford, Conn., their tropical wine took a bronze medal and their blueberry a silver.
Tatro said their triberry is particularly good and he anticipated creating a dessert to go with it.
"It's the perfect fit, in the basement of an Italian restaurant with an Italian last name," said Moresi.
The board also approved one more thing for Moresi, the opening a of real estate office for Moresi & Associates in its Wall-Streeter building on Union Street. Moresi said the creation of a real estate arm was "a natural progression of the business."
The board also approved an ambulance wheelchair transport business at 350 State Road to be operated by Village Ambulance Service of Williamstown.
The service's General Manager Shawn Godfrey said the operation would be a new revenue source providing what he sees as a growing need.
"This is simply to house the vans and operate the van service," he said. "It's a business that could grow exponentially."
The venture will start out with five vans and six employees; the building would also house a regular out-of-service ambulance for storage only. It would not cover any emergency services.
The board, however, queried owner William Rose about a used-car business it had approved for that location some time ago. Rose said he had not heard from the applicant since then and did not believe he would be selling any cars there.
The ambulance transport operation was approved on condition that the status of the former applicant's permit be clarified and that Godfrey submit any sign changes. Godfrey had said it was felt the original sign language might be confusing after speaking with North Adams Ambulance Service. He planned to come up with a better way to explain the service.
In other business, the approved:
• A special permit to Barbara J. Gagnon to operate her Tranquil Moments Day Spa at 1111 South State St. Gagnon is moving from 20 Ashland St. to the building currently occupied by Messenger Digital Dentistry.
• A special permit to Micheal Jackson and Obilio Rodriguez to operate a taxicab business at 429 Curran Highway. They plan to have two to three cabs and operate 24 hours a day. Used-car sales will continue at the site and they will have to complete licensing.
• A special permit for Douglas, David and Beverly Merrick to store vending machines and equipment at 54 River St. There will be no signage or extra traffic. The owners said the property had been used for storage in the past.
Two other cases were postponed: the first for the establishment of New Hope United Methodist Church at 192 State St. at the request of the applicant, the second for Ernest Perry to operate a used furniture and item shop at 118 Eagle St. because of questions as to whether the property taxes are current.
Tags: ambulance service, Planning Board, restaurants, wine,
