North End chef brings his culinary skills to Sagra in Davis Square

By Auditi Guha
Thursday, February 01, 2007 - Updated: 04:40 PM EST

Have you had fried stuffed olives or milk fritters?

Have you had them for under $10?

Now, have you had it in Davis Square?

A chef from the North End's upscale Bricco -- one of those restaurants that charge if you want to split an entrée - is opening up a lounge restaurant that serves great Italian food but at regular prices at 400 Highland Ave.

"This is Italian food that I experienced in Italy," said chef and owner Rob DeSimone, 35, who came from Le Marche in Italy three years ago and worked his way up from the kitchen to the cooking pot. "We're going to have some things that I've never seen in menus in the area."

Expected to open soon, Sagra will offer Somervillians good food at a great price in a fun restaurant DeSimone said.

Why Davis Square?

"It's a good location and the busiest part of Somerville," he said. "It's like Harvard Square without all the pretense and commercialism."

Aren't there enough American-Italian restaurants around? Not like his, DeSimone said. He tried the brick oven pizza they have on the menu this week and said he challenges any one to find a comparable pizza in the area under $10.

Consulting chef Marisa Iocco, who has 20 years of experience in the industry and has worked at several North End restaurants, said she believes the secret to success is healthy and flavorful food.

She expects people will come to Sabra for the food and make it a destination for meals more than once a week.

The restaurant and lounge bar will also serve regular stuff like pasta, veal chops and fried calamari but with the special culinary skills DeSimone believes his team will bring to the Square. The appetizers will only have items under $10 and entrees will run from $15-23.

But will a new Italian eatery make it with so many well-established eateries already embedded in the community?

"Everything is competition but it will depend on where people go. I certainly don't want to steal anyone's customers and I certainly hope they will overlap," DeSimone said. "I've seen lots of Italian places here too. It feels a little like the North End to me."

Original article: http://www.townonline.com/somerville/homepage/8998961871532851199