At Scorpacciata in Larchmere, Chef Peter Reuter’s Pasta and Pizza Rise to New Heights

The pastas at Scorpacciata are something to behold Credit: Photo by Doug Trattner

There was a point in the evening when the conversation – which admittedly had been rowdy and not at all age-appropriate – turned to the food. It’s not that we hadn’t been enjoying what we were eating up to that point, just that it didn’t command our attention the way the pasta course did. But as the four of us passed around three different bowls, the discussion had nowhere else to go but down to the plates.

On paper, Scorpacciata is a casual pizza and pasta joint, dishing up a familiar collection of Italian classics. But on the plate, those chestnuts soar to new heights thanks to killer technique, clever construction and confident execution. The line between a good plate of pasta and an exceptional one is so tenuous that most kitchens fail to make the leap. Peter Reuter does not fail.

Perhaps it was the fact that many homes still were without power, or maybe it was a dogged attempt to wring every last drop of glee out of summer, but on a warm Wednesday evening, Scorpacciata was thrumming with energy. Both the dining room and the sidewalk patio out front were operating near capacity, with staffers scrambling to keep pace. And keep pace they did, from those golden twilight hours until we tumbled out into the dusk hours later, fat and happy.

Reuter, a Fire Food and Drink alum, launched Scorpacciata Pasta in the Market Hall at Van Aken District in 2018. A couple years later he opened a second stall, Scorpacciata Pizza. The two businesses thrived until late last year, when the owner closed them to focus on a new brick-and-mortar restaurant. That restaurant, set in the formerly fusty Larchmere Tavern, is a buzzy bistro that brings something different and desirable to the neighborhood. Casual enough for a family pizza party, yet chic enough for a date-night dinner at the bar, this newcomer has nudged Larchmere ever closer to the tipping point.

As wonderful as Reuter’s pizza and pasta is, it could never reach its potential when eaten out of cardboard boxes and disposable bowls, as it was at Van Aken. Here, preceded by appetizers and salads, accompanied with wine, and served on attractive plateware, it shines. Reuter wisely trimmed the dimensions of his pizzas to 12 inches, making them ideal starters or sharable sides. The Mortadella ($20), built atop a golden brown, airy and flexible crust, illustrates the chef’s knack for composition. The arrangement weaves mozzarella, feta, lemon zest, pickled shallots, dollops of pesto and crisp-edged slices of mortadella into edible art. Others star meatballs and sauce, pepperonis and mozz, and Killbuck Valley mushrooms and cream sauce.

When I write this year’s Best Things I Ate column, Reuter’s orecchiette pasta ($20) will be on it. Not only is it the best pasta I’ve eaten all year, it’s one of the best dishes I’ve eaten in ages. Big, bold and brash, the dish features chewy al dente pasta, punchy broccoli rabe, kalamata olives and thumb-size chunks of sausage. It’s all tossed with chilies, breadcrumbs and pecorino cheese. A tangle of linguine ($19) is ringed by Little Neck clams, their shells open and inviting. Buttery, briny and bright with lemon, the pasta sets the bar for this enduring favorite. Likewise, the fettuccini carbonara ($20) is silky, rich and indulgent – studded with pancetta and crisp-tender snap peas – without going overboard. Reuter makes the naturally fermented pizza dough and all pasta in-house.

Arancini ($14) arrive crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, with rice that still feels like rice. Each of the three balls sits in a different sauce: marinara, garlicky aioli and herby gremolata – the colors of the Italian flag. When eaten together, the mild house-made sausage and the hot Hungarian peppers meld into a perfectly spiced bite. The stuffed peppers ($16) are topped with summery tomato sauce.

Reuter breathes new life into the typically dull beet and goat cheese salad ($13) by going easy on the cheese, adding crunchy chickpeas and tossing the greens in a savory gorgonzola vinaigrette. The Caesar ($13) benefits from spotless greens, quality parm and toasted croutons made from house-baked focaccia.

Beverage prices are below average, with $11 negronis and Manhattans, $6 Head Hunters and many wines by the glass between $9 and $12. Because we too were endeavoring to squeeze every last drop out of summer, we popped a bottle of Don Rodolfo Brut ($53) and toasted the night.

Down the road, Reuter plans to add a few entrees like steak, fish and chicken, but it might be difficult to pry me away from those pitch-perfect pies and pastas.

Scorpacciata Pasta Co.
13051 Larchmere Blvd., Shaker Heights
216-279-9800
scorpacciatapastaco.com

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