Within the first sentence or two, Anthony’s Bostonian roots immediately shine through in the form of an accent Hollywood is constantly on the hunt to master. Having grown up in Everett (due just northeast of Cambridge for those who may be unfamiliar with the surrounding area), Anthony’s upbringing and adulthood shared two common threads: family and pizza.
Anthony’s passion for food flourished after his first stint in a restaurant kitchen at just 13 years old and he was quickly entranced by the local pizza scene. A happy marriage of sauce and cheese, pizza obviously has an undeniable allure on its own, but Anthony took the food’s desirability into his own hands. Over the years, he worked in a variety of pizza places, learning new techniques and earning his right to fervently protected recipes along the way. But more was on the culinary horizon for Anthony. By 2011, he took his hands-on education one step further by enrolling in Le Cordon Bleu’s Cambridge location (later to close in 2016).
With his manicured skillset in tow, in 2014, Anthony finally made his way to Bon Appétit. He began by manning the sauté and grill station at Next House, later spent three years making the pizza over at Maseeh, and recently landed at New Vassar, ready to take on a new challenge. Students have taken to the consistency and friendly interactions of the staff at New Vassar, a comforting relationship that Anthony would compare to “your local corner store clerk.” With the same faces frequenting New Vassar on a daily basis, Anthony has enjoyed to watch as each student grows into their skin and identity here at MIT. “It’s a really transformational phase,” he added, simply happy to be a part of it all.
Pro Tip: For those of you with access to a car and willing to put in the extra effort for a memorable slice of pie (pizza pie of course), Anthony highly recommends Santarpio’s. With locations in both Peabody and Eastie (East Boston), the menu is minimalistic so prepare yourself accordingly. Back as early as 1933, the original location was meant to cater to the growing Italian immigrant population, but today, the pizza joint now happily pops out pies for the common New Englander. Santarpio’s is still proudly owned and operated by the Santarpio family and Anthony suggests ordering the sausage and onion – well done.