B-Side Group will unveil modern pasta bar and caffè Lady Funari in South End this spring, according to a release. It will open in a 1,600-square-foot space at 222 E. Bland St., with seating for 40 inside and 40 outside.
The concept is a nod to B-Side culinary director Vince Giancarlo’s grandmother, Claire Theresa Funari. Giancarlo, who has led kitchens including Supperland, Haberdish, Angeline’s, BAKU and The Jimmy, joined B-Side in 2025. He also helped launch the kitchen at B-Side’s The Story of Mi Cariño.
“Lady Funari was my father’s mother, my Mommom,” Giancarlo said in the release. “She was the matriarch of a very strong Italian family, a true madrina. She’s the reason I fell in love with food, cooking and pasta.”
The space will feature a pasta counter alongside an open kitchen, where customers will be able to watch the chefs cook and plate. Key menu items will include handmade pastas, locally sourced vegetables and shareables. Many dishes will draw inspiration from Funari’s cooking, including Spaghetti & Blue Crab.
“She started gravy at six in the morning for a five o’clock dinner,” Giancarlo said in the release. “Often driving to Jersey and back herself to pick up fresh blue crabs, then spending the rest of the afternoon simmering them in the sauce. We’d start with a plate of blue crabs coated in that gravy, then finish with spaghetti smothered in it, flecks of crab throughout. It was messy, it was perfect and it’s a memory we’re bringing to life here.”
The beverage program will feature Italian vermouth, amaro, wine, spirits and espresso.
“We want to stay as true as possible to Italian tradition in honor of Claire,” B-Side Group beverage director Henry Schmulling said in the release. “We also have a few things up our sleeve that Grandma Claire may not have thought of, but would absolutely approve of.”
Design elements will include detailed wood and marble features, as well as a European-style outdoor patio.
