Porano is back. After closing the restaurant’s downtown location in 2018, acclaimed chef Gerard Craft is reviving the quick-service Italian dining concept in the former First Watch location in Des Peres (13323 Manchester). The much-anticipated restaurant is slated to open on Monday, July 29. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
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Porano’s menu has four categories: salads, pasta and grain bowls, pizzas, and a build-your-own section, from which customers choose a base, sauce or dressing, protein or vegetables, and additional toppings.
In keeping with the humble Italian hospitality that Craft intends to recreate at Porano, the menu is filled with such favorites as Caesar salad, an Alfredo pasta bowl, and deep-dish, Detroit-style pizzas, which were a favorite at the flagship Porano and still are at Pastaria Deli & Wine (on weekends) and at CITYPARK (during soccer matches).
In keeping with the creativity for which the James Beard Award-winning chef is known at Niche Food Group’s other concepts, there are also such dishes as the Suzie Salad (made from a base of mixed greens and farro, dressed with pumpkin seed pesto and red wine vinaigrette, spicy tofu, seasonal vegetables, green olives, crispy garlic, and spicy honey).
“There is something for everyone at Porano,” says chief operating officer Ryan Hux, who has a background at such national fast-casual brands as Shake Shack and Raising Cane’s. “We know that families and groups don’t always agree about what or where to eat, and we’re giving you the options and flexibility to get something for everyone in your group.”
This flexibility is most evident on the build-your-own menu. Guests first select a base of house-made pasta, rice, farro, or a mixed salad of romaine and kale. Next, they choose a sauce or dressing, from traditional Italian vinaigrette to creamy anchovy to Smoky Sunday Sugo. Protein options include slow-roasted pork, beef meatballs, marinated chicken thighs, seasonal vegetables, or spicy tofu. And the crowning touches are the toppings: fresh herbs, toasted almonds, various cheeses, sweet peppers or giardiniera.
Among the sides are risotto balls with red sauce, a dish that longtime fans of Niche Food Group may recognize from Pastaria in Clayton. Desserts will also feel familiar to anyone who’s tasted Pastaria’s gelato; at Porano, the light Italian ice cream will be served as a gelato pop in a rotating array of flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel, and fudgesicle.
A couple of beverages will also rotate seasonally; the initial offering is Meyer lemonade. A selection of soft drinks, beers, wines, nonalcoholic cocktails, and boozy slushies round out the beverage menu.
The Atmosphere
Porano’s colorful 3,200-square-foot location is situated in Des Peres Pointe, next to Trader Joe’s, Chipotle, and Tiger Soup Dumplings. “Being in Des Peres is a good fit with lots of families nearby,” Craft says. There’s also plenty of parking and easy access to major thoroughfares, all of which the original downtown location lacked.
Mademan Designs planned the 64-seat dining room, where guests seat themselves after ordering at the counter via digital kiosks. A “noodle lane” expedites pickup for to-go orders that are placed in advance.
Craft says Porano’s style was inspired by popular chains that incorporate visual design decisions from the start. For example, customers who remember dining at the downtown location may remember the large mural of Italian landmarks superimposed on notable St. Louis buildings. (Porano is inspired by a small town in the Italian region of Umbria.) A similar mural reappears at the Des Peres location, along with an artistic rendering of Porano amid nearby businesses. Even the takeout bags—with playful designs by Atomicdust—are synced to the concept.
Craft’s goal is to connect the place that inspired this eatery—the real-life town of Porano, where life moves at a slow, relaxed pace—with the modern world. Even though many years have passed since the concept launched, the Italian way of life continues to be top of mind for Craft. “I still spend a ton of time in Italy,” he says. “I was there in the winter for a wedding, and I’ll be there in September to help lead a food tour.”
The Future
Following Porano’s initial run in downtown from 2016 to 2018, Craft patiently awaited the right time to relaunch the chef-driven concept. After announcing plans to reopen the concept, he reintroduced Porano’s menu at a series of pop-ups earlier this year.
Now, after much anticipation, the restaurant is set to reopen, with company veteran Hannah Rehmer (who started in the deli and wine department) serving as the general manager and Matt Masek managing the kitchen. The restaurant’s also planning to add catering options soon—and two more Porano locations are slated to open in the next 18 months.
“One of the things that surprised me the most is that the market has not become flooded with really great fast casual options,” Craft says. That may be because it’s challenging to do pasta well in this format, something that Craft and his team have mastered. Everything is made by the Niche Food Group, either at Porano or at the Pastaria kitchen.
“We were very sad to close the original location,” says Craft, “and are thrilled to bring the concept back after six years.”
The neighborhoods for the new locations are still to be determined, but one thing is for sure: Each new Porano location will have a foosball table. It might just be Craft’s favorite detail in the whole restaurant.
