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Focaccia pizza squares at Panciuto in Austin, Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chad Wadsworth\/Courtesy of Mo Pittle<\/p>\n
The owner of a popular burger joint in Central Texas is now aiming to make Italian American comfort food just as approachable. JewBoy Burgers<\/a> owner Mo Pittle recently opened a new spot\u00a0called\u00a0Panciuto in Austin’s Hyde Park neighborhood.<\/p>\n The concept for Panciuto, which Pittle named after the Spanish word for “panzon”\u00a0in Italian, is an American twist on family-size, hearty dishes like pasta, hoagies and more. Pittle told MySA he wanted to create a welcoming\u00a0space where people can come hungry and leave happy in a part of town he says still feels like old Austin.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “This neighborhood has continued to become desirable place. But it’s still a neighborhood, and I still want to make sure that things are reasonable,” Pittle said. “I like the fact that with all the change in Austin, this neighborhood hasn’t changed a whole lot. You’re going to find a lot of the same businesses, a lot of the same people living here, and so we wanted something that felt somewhat timeless.”<\/p>\n Provolone stuffed arancini balls at Panciuto.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chad Wadsworth\/Courtesy of Mo Pittle<\/p>\n Panciuto is located in a former Italian restaurant,\u00a0Umarell,<\/a> where Pittle was a majority partner and investor. Umarell started in February, but changed to Panciuto last week.\u00a0Pittle explained in a statement<\/a> he made a difficult business decision to close the concept, but wanted to continue offering Italian food to the community in his own way, leaning into the casual vibes of other Austin eateries he’s known for such as\u00a0JewBoy Burgers<\/a>, JewBoy Sliders<\/a> and JewBoy Cantina<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n “The previous partner is a wonderful chef who has a lot of experience in fine dining. I think philosophically maybe had a difference of opinion, and so with him being more fine dining, me being more comfort in the neighborhood-driven food,” Pittle said. “The feedback was generally very positive about having an Italian spot here. I wanted to be very conscious about making it a different, more accurate version of my vision, which is why the name changed. Which is why the menu has been rewritten and refocused.”<\/p>\n Inspired by the big meals he grew up eating with his family,\u00a0Pittle wanted to make family-style meals a focus at Panciuto just like the generous portions of home-cooked Italian meals so that people can enjoy anything from a date night to a casual lunch or dinner for two.\u00a0<\/p>\n Chicken parm alla vodka at Panciuto in Hyde Park Austin, Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cristela Jones\/Cristela Jones\/MySA Zucchini fries at Panciuto in Austin, Texas.<\/p>\n Chad Wadsworth\/Courtesy of Mo Pittle<\/p>\n “I know that the whole family meal has been romanticized a little bit, but I still like the idea that you could go somewhere and share something, or everybody can have a little bit of something else, and that’s very typical in Italian food,” he said. “This is Italian American, it’s taken from the experiences that I’ve had, that my team has had. Everything we do is very collaborative.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n At Panciuto, customers can expect Italian-inspired menu items like a house-made square focaccia pizza topped with four sauces \u2014 marina, vodka and\u00a0pesto on an Alfredo base and classics like spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parm alla vodka or bolognese lasagna.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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