Beacon Hill welcomes a new neighborhood restaurant this week with the opening of Willie’s, an American Italian–inspired concept from BCB3 Hospitality. The group, led by James Beard Award-winning chef Jamie Bissonnette alongside restaurateurs Andy Cartin and Babak Bina, has opened five restaurants in less than two years, and Willie’s will officially join the ranks on Thursday, March 12th at 20 Charles Street, right next door to sister spot ZURiTO.
Pizza sits at the center of the menu, with thin-crust pies made from a two-day fermented dough, joined by small plates and housemade pastas that reflect the team’s broader culinary influences, drawing subtle inspiration from Japanese, Korean and Basque cuisines. Dishes range from playful starters like Calabrian karaage and ultra-tender meatballs to pastas like rigatoni amatriciana with gochujang and spaghetti with bottarga and yuzu kosho.
Behind the bar, Spirits Director Oscar Simoza focuses on bright, low-ABV cocktails built around vermouth, sherry and wine-based ingredients, while Wine Director Nader Asgari-Tari has assembled a compact list of grower-driven wines from regions like the Loire Valley, northern Italy and the Finger Lakes that pair easily with pizza and pasta…