Menu at work!
Star chef Alain Allegretti joins forces with Nick Varano at Strega North End
An unlikely friendship between Nick Varano and Alain Allegretti is ushering in changes for Strega North End.
The local restaurateur and the New York chef, whose resume ranges from his early Manhattan days at Le Cirque to his own NYC ventures like La Promenade Des Anglais, are making their relationship menu-official, bringing new food to the Hanover Street spot this summer.
“I find Nick very fascinating at every level,” Allegretti said. “Because of the crisis, (his) restaurant was closed for a few months and he had this opportunity of reopening with an outdoor area, which he never had before.
“For him, it was important to come back with something a little bit stronger than he had before,” he added.
Back in January, Varano had sold several of his restaurants, including STRIP by Strega and Strega Waterfront, to the Irish investment group Danu Partners. Now, with his remaining North End establishments, he’s looking to take them into the next chapter, with Allegretti’s assistance.
“He asked me for my help to create dishes that were really Italian staples, just to offer something different than what they’re currently offering and also to make a splash,” Allegretti said. “I didn’t even blink an eye and said, ‘Absolutely, I will be there.’ ”
For Varano, this project comes now that his plate is finally free enough to focus on his original restaurant and revamp it for the next course.
“It’s like being a father who has another kid late in life,” Varano said. “You were so busy growing up with your first child and second child that you were there, but you were just working so hard. Then, you get to a point when you can slow down, relax and spend all of your quality time with your new child that’s growing up.”
“You want to make sure you do everything with them and that’s what I’m trying to do, to make the North End unbelievable,” he added. “I want to bring it back to the allure of what it was and put a whole new, fresh spin on it. That’s why having somebody like Alain is unbelievable.”
Part of this process includes bringing in a resource like Allegretti, who can make no-fuss dishes with finesse. Among the initial items he’s introduced to Strega North End: panzanella salad; prosciutto with grilled summer peaches and burrata; and ricotta-stuffed fried zucchini flowers.
“I tried to stay as close as possible to the identity of Strega because I think his audience comes here for a specific reason,” Allegretti said. “I want to get close to that but just elevate that a little bit. … Let the product shine.”
This culinary collaboration appears to be greatly amicable. However, there might be a single point of contention between the two hospitality forces, and it has nothing to do with food.
“The only thing I don’t like is he thinks he’s better looking than me,” Varano said jokingly. “A little taller, more hair — that might become an issue. Hopefully, we can get past that.”
“I think I’m chunky, but funky,” he added, laughing.
“Standing next to him sometimes feels awkward. I’ve come to the realization that there are two guys I really don’t want to be in a picture with: Tom Brady, one, and Alain Allegretti, two.”