Phantom Gourmet: La Cantina Italiana In Framingham

FRAMINGHAM - Some come for the pizza, or the pasta, or the salad dressing. Others come for a function or dinner with friends. But everybody who comes to La Cantina Italiana in Framingham leaves feeling like they're a part of the family - the Mencoboni family.

70 years ago, before La Cantina evolved into a big, 300 seat Italian restaurant, it started out as small neighborhood market run by Leo and Fanny Mencoboni, as their son and current owner Lee Mencoboni explains.

"Every corner of this neighborhood, which was known as Tripoli, had a little market. My mother would be cooking in the back for supper because they'd work 15-16 hours a day, and the people would come in and 'Oh, it smells good. What is that?' My mother's sauce. Well, my father - BING! The light went off. He starts thinking well maybe this is a good way to go."

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So the market was transformed into a restaurant, which at time was named the Spaghetti House.

"A salesman who came in one day and my father was going to continue to call it the Spaghetti House. And the salesman said 'You can't call it the Spaghetti House, you need something that sings... like La Cantina!' And honestly that's how it came about."

Fast Forward several decades later, and La Cantina Italiana is still packing them in every night for hearty, homestyle Italian food that fills you up and just makes you feel good: traditional, hand-rolled meatballs; garlic bread smothered in melted mozzarella; indulgent fettuccini carbonara blending butter, eggs, bacon, and peas; and fluffy, jumbo-sized fried ravioli that are crispy around the edges, stuffed with creamy ricotta, and served with a side of their famous marinara sauce for dipping.

It's the kind of food Jennifer Mencoboni grew up eating, cooking, and serving. So, she's happy to keep the family tradition alive.

"I would describe La Cantina as one of the only family restaurants in the area, great Italian. You can get everything from a great steak to a great pizza. And we have a little bit of seafood too."

Like the slow-cooked Seafood Risotto with sautéed shrimp, calamari and clams; or the shrimp scampi served with plenty of garlic and pasta.

"So Shrimp Scampi is just a lemon and butter sauce, little bit of onion and seasonings. We dredge the shrimp in a little bit of flour so the coating sticks. It's over a heaping pile of linguini," described Jennifer. "I always say, 'you're not going to leave hungry'."

The antipasto practically tips the table with mounds of assorted Italian cold cuts, vegetables, and cheeses. Then there's the beautifully plated Caprese Melanzana layering grilled eggplant with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. But the biggest seller, for big eaters, is La Cantina's legendary Chicken Parmigiana.

"Our chicken parm is amazing. It's a huge portion. The majority of people that walk through the door are getting chicken parm or veal parm," said Jennifer. "It's just a thin cutlet. It's fried and then our homemade sauce, cheese, and then whatever side from pasta to potato and vegetable. And then of course you get salad with it too."

It's not just any salad. The sweet, tangy dressing here is one of the restaurant's biggest attractions. It's so popular in fact, these days you can find Fanny's salad dressing sold at supermarkets.

"My mother would be cooking in the back. She made her own salad dressing that was taught to her by her mother. It naturally became part of the restaurant, because it was the only salad dressing we knew," explained Lee. "Fanny is my mother and she's a beautiful lady inside and out. She was a wonderful cook and it's kind of my way of honoring her. It's a great product. People love it."

Customers also love La Cantina's famous pizza, whether they're getting it for takeout or to slice and serve right at the table. "It's a square pizza, and it's eight slices. It's not really thin, but it's really good. People love it. We sell a ton of pizza," Jennifer said.

What they're really selling here is tradition. Even though the building has been completely remodeled with a brand new function room and updated dining room, old photographs of the Mencoboni family still cover the walls, and their family values remain the same as they've always been.

"This business is like a 3-legged stool. You have to have quality, a value, and consistency. If either one of those items is missing that's going to topple the stool," Lee said. "We've been here for 70 years. These are my relatives up on the wall. These people are our friends who have been coming for 30 or 40 years. I'll tell you the truth; I've never worked a day in my life because I love what I do."

You can find La Cantina Italiana at 911 Waverley Street in Framingham, and at golacantina.com.

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