A local chef and restaurateur is cooking up a new concept in Dorchester.
Stefano Quaresima, the chef-owner behind Via Cannuccia, is preparing to open Bottega Cannuccia in the former home.stead bakery & café space at 1448 Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner. The intimate, 30-seat bakery-café and wine bar is currently in the early stages of construction, with demolition underway, and is expected to debut in January 2027.
The idea for Bottega Cannuccia comes in part from the owner’s longstanding passion for bread. A chef by trade, Quaresima has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe, but he developed an interest in bread and laminated dough while working as a private chef for a wealthy family. When they asked him to make croissants, he realized it was a skill he hadn’t yet learned.
“They asked me to do croissants and I was not prepared,” Quaresima told What Now Boston. “I hate when I am not prepared… So I developed that skill going to San Francisco Baking Institute, where I learned from a French teacher. They taught me how to start from scratch—from all the sourdough, fermentation, working with different kinds of flour. And then it became a passion.”
That passion is already reflected at Via Cannuccia, where the team makes its own bread and sourdough croissants. At Bottega Cannuccia, however, Quaresima wants to make bread even more central to the experience, with fresh loaves baked daily alongside a variety of pastries and other baked goods.
Bottega Cannuccia is designed as a day-to-night neighborhood gathering place, opening at 7 a.m. with a daytime bakery and café menu. From 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., guests can expect fresh-baked bread and pastries, biscuits, Italian-style coffee and espresso drinks, tea, salads, sandwiches, and other prepared foods.
From 3 to 5 p.m., the café will settle in for an upscale afternoon tea program, with a curated selection of premium loose-leaf teas served alongside scones, cookies, and savory snacks. Quaresima said he’s inspired by the more traditional tea experiences he’s encountered, including the tea service at the Mandarin Oriental in New York.
Then, at 5 p.m., Bottega Cannuccia will transition into a wine bar. The evening menu will focus on smaller bites and plates rather than heavy meals, with Italian and French cheeses and charcuterie, as well as other cold plates and snacks. Because the space doesn’t have gas, the dinner menu is being developed around what the kitchen can accommodate.
One planned addition is pizza al padellino, a small, round pan-baked pizza from Turin in Italy’s Piedmont region. The style features a thicker, airy crust with a crisp bottom and is traditionally served in a small pan.
Wine and champagne will be at the heart of the evening beverage program, with selections from Italy, France, California, and Africa. The team is also pursuing a full liquor license, which would allow the bar to add cocktails, spirits, amari, and other drinks to the lineup.
Quaresima is working with a designer on the space, which he envisions as distinctly European. “I really want to make it like a French Parisian bistro, but obviously with an Italian touch,” he explained. “Very cozy, quirky. But a little dramatic as well.” The space will also feature seasonal outdoor seating during the warmer months.
Beyond the café itself, the broader Bottega Cannuccia concept includes a small specialty market featuring products from Via Cannuccia, as well as plans for hands-on classes, private dining experiences, catering, and a wine club featuring food-and-wine events. Those elements are part of the developing concept and may evolve as the project progresses.
“My dream has always been to open a bakery where I can bake my own bread,” Quaresima said. With Bottega Cannuccia now taking shape, he’s finally getting the chance to bring that dream to life.
