By Christine Ordway
For The Patriot Ledger
Posted Dec 03, 2008 @ 04:50 AM
Peppercornz says on its menu that its food is ``made with love and you’ll taste the difference.'' When our formaggio appetizer ($9.99) arrived at ourtable, one thing was certain – we already started to ``feel the love.'' This was a generous plate of fresh gorgonzola, fontina and Swiss cheeses; two types of olives; roasted red peppers; and crostini, lightly drizzled with a tangy balsamic glaze. The grilled crostini was the perfect catalyst for the little tower of cheese, red pepper and cracked green olive I created, making a mouth-watering bite of flavor explosion.
A lunch special that day was the stuffed portabella mushroom ($7.50) filled with tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and melted provolone cheese. It
was very good – a little tangy and simply bursting with diced fresh Roma tomatoes.
tomatoes, smothered with cheddar cheese and baked on a bed of rice pilaf. The lunch portion was so generous, I cannot imagine how enormous the
dinner order might be. It was also delicious and very cheesy.
Do NOT leave without trying a dessert. Very large servings of homemade lemon icebox pie, or the seasonal dessert special – a pumpkin spice
cheesecake – are simply amazing. I went back and ordered a whole cheesecake for Thanksgiving.
Owners Linda Varraso and Taylor Beckett have succeeded in creating a warm, casual dining experience with fabulous food and incredible desserts.
WEYMOUTH —The weekly restaurant review, ``Taste & Tell,'' is written after anonymous visits to area restaurants by Patriot Ledger food critics Christine Ordway, Mimi Claffey and Jen Wagner.
Our First Location......
We had wonderful feedback from our original location on Columbian Street, too! Read the reveiws below, they describe our first location and menus. As you read, do know that many of the menu items have travelled to our new location, but many new ones have been added. You'll have to come test it out for yourself!!
Fresh food is part of the Peppercornz Plan
By Bella English
Globe Staff / February 6, 2008
The kitchen at Peppercornz is larger than the dining area, a testimony to the bustling takeout business at this cafe tucked in a small plaza. One of the owners, Linda Varraso, comes from a large Italian family in the Boston area. Her imprint is on the handmade gnocchi and other pastas, meatballs, pizza, and calzone. The other owner, Taylor Beckett, is from California, hence the abundance of dishes with avocado and names like Catalina, Pasadena, and Laguna.
It's a happy marriage of the two cultures, with dishes that are both creative and fresh. Beckett runs the marketing side; Varraso the kitchen. She and her five siblings grew up in Braintree with working parents who would take meat out of the freezer in the morning, leaving instructions for the children to make dinner that night. "There's a roast on the counter. Salt and pepper it and add a little garlic powder and put it in a 350-degree oven at 20 minutes per pound," a typical note would say. The kids would also open a can of vegetables, prepare some sort of potato dish, and make a salad.
Their parents were always complimentary but added comments such as "maybe a little less salt next time" or "perhaps a little more garlic." And both grandmothers taught the kids how to roll pasta and make gnocchi on a huge wooden cutting board.
Varraso went on to earn an MBA, for which she had to write a business plan for a restaurant. That became Peppercornz. But Varraso knew if she really wanted to open her own place, she needed professional training, so she took classes at the Baltimore International Culinary College.
Peppercornz is compact and bright, with eight tables and a few more seats at the counter, which overlooks an open kitchen. You order at the counter, then a waitress brings the food to your table. Start with artichoke bites ($6.99), soft orbs of chopped artichoke hearts and three cheeses breaded and deep-fried to golden, crispy perfection. Parmesan adds tang, mild cheddar and mozzarella the nice gooey texture. For more kick, drag them through the accompanying cream cheese and salsa dip.
A regular special is portobello salad ($7.50), large grilled mushroom slices, served warm over iceberg lettuce, with freshly grated parmesan, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and onions, drizzled with Varraso's homemade balsamic dressing. It's a colorful and flavorful alternative to a garden or Caesar salad.
Not to be missed is gnocchi ($7.99), which Varasso has been making since she was "in single digits." But she substitutes ricotta for the usual potato, and it shows in the pasta's lightness. ("My father called my grandmother's gnocchi 'lead sinkers,' " says Varraso.) We tried it with a delicate tomato cream sauce; it also comes with marinara. And crunchy, garlicky toast.
A friend whose women's group goes to Peppercornz regularly recommended two pizzas: ranchero ($9.99 small, $14.99 large) or sodona ($8.99 small, $12.99 large). Sodona is loaded with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped garlic, goat cheese, and caramelized onions, with only olive oil. Without a red or white sauce, the homemade crust shines.
After bread, gnocchi, and pizza, we decide to order a "carb-watcher" dish, marked with a "W" on the menu. Grilled shrimp ($10.99) are small and bland, served with grilled, slightly soggy yellow squash and zucchini.
There are two dozen sandwiches, including the Lone Star ($6.99). It's a yummy stack of burger, grilled onions and mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and homemade barbecue sauce - Varraso also did a stint in Texas - with lettuce and tomato, on a French roll. (Probably neither the Texans nor the French would approve, but we did.)
No matter how stuffed you are, try the lemon icebox pie ($3.59). It's incredibly light and very lemony. Next time, though, we'll save room for individual chocolate or apple pie pizza ($5.59).
Varraso's parents, Al and Carmela, are still their daughter's head culinary fans. Al delivers orders for Peppercornz two days a week at lunch, while Carmela handles the bookkeeping. "Proud doesn't begin to describe it," says Varraso.
Great Service Great Food!
Gordon Williamson
The food is quite unique, extremely fresh and reminds me of good with a "gourmet flair"!
Rhonda Manning
The food is fresh and always great.
Susan Buckley
Quality of food- such pleasant owners (also that the owners are so philantropic to local communities) great to see your donated gift certificates so often!
Loreen Koubeck
The food is so good!!! Good taste, good quality, good portions and it seems to be made very healthfully. The hawaiian pizza is our favorite and the cheese sticks are the best. All we've tried have been really good.
Scott and Mary Costa
Casual Setting, varied menu, great food.
Michelle Genua
The food is delicious. I love the spinach/fruit salad and I hold myself to one piece of my husband's pizza and split the chocolate pizza dessert. The head chef also is a great cooking instructor and we have a super time in her classes and also learn a lot.
Gretha Lovejoy
Gourmet style food (fresh ingredients) at a
low cost.
Angela Diaz
Small enterprise, personal service, great food!
Nina Luciano
Pleasant staff and delicious food.
Frances Kearney
The food, the people the ambiance and the attitude,
all great!
Maryanne Healy
The food and the customer service. It simply is
the best!
Pamelia Crooks
The catering is the best, always perfect!
Liz Ciccolo
The staff/food always fresh - hot and served with a customer friendly focused manner.
Paul and Ruth Juster
The naked white pizza and caesar w/grilled steak tips. The service is always friendly, fast and professional.
Carol Kavanaugh
The atmosphere. As soon as you walk in the door you feel comfortable and ready to eat.
Paul Norton
The great sandwiches - the freshness of the food.
The owner and staff are terrific.
Janice Clark
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