Wahlberg: A Household Name in Hollywood and in Hingham

Paul Wahlberg comes from a family of big names – brothers Mark and Donnie are both singers and actors and some of the hottest names in the entertainment industry - but the talent doesn’t stop there.

Paul has always been a chef to watch going back to his days in the kitchen at Bridgeman’s in Hull so we knew it would be just a matter of time before he opened his own restaurant.

Located in the Hingham Shipyard, last year Wahlberg opened Alma Nove, aptly named after the Wahlberg matriarch, Alma, which also pays homage to her nine (“nove” in Italian) children.

Opening a restaurant in the same town in which he lives was an easy decision for Wahlberg.

“I wanted to be a part of the fabric of the community,” he said. “The shipyard area is a great location and the people in this town have been fantastic. We have a great support system.”

 Why did Wahlberg pick Hingham as a town to settle down and raise two young children?

“They have a great school system here and it’s right on the water,” he said. “My daughter, Madison, is in and my son, Ethan, attends . Hingham really had everything we were looking for when we were buying a house. They also have some great sports programs for my son, who plays football and does wrestling.”

In the summer, being next to the water, Alma Nove will feature a variety of seafood items on its seasonal menu, which will be coming out in a couple of weeks.

“We’ll have sautéed Prince Edward Island mussels with cannellini beans and chorizo as well as local Island Creek Oysters from Duxbury available on the half shell,” Wahlberg said.  “The patio is hugely popular because it’s right on the water and at the front there is a waiting area with sofas to sit around. People love to be outdoors during the warm weather.”

Having two brothers in show business quickly garnered publicity for the restaurant. “We had two screenings for "The Fighter" that my brother Mark was in,” he said. “We also had an event for the Oscars and the Golden Globes because the movie was nominated for both. Mark is doing some more filming in Boston this summer so I am sure we will do something more with that and we’ll also do something for New Kids on the Block playing at Fenway this summer.”

Wahlberg has also developed the concept for a new burger restaurant slated to open in the across the street from Alma Nove at the end of June.

“It’s a fast casual burger concept but also has a full liquor license. Everything is going to be made in-house,” he said. “We haven’t determined the name for it yet though.”

When he is not in the kitchen at Alma Nove, Wahlberg can be spotted around town at some of his favorite places.

“I love the and shop at frequently,” he said. “We buy a lot of our plates from them. You can really get whatever you need right here in town. I get my hair cut at and flowers from At the shipyard, we shop at BG Galleries for antiques and SIX for clothing. For dinner, there is so much to choose from in town – The , , , Summer Shack, Typhoon and Pizzapalooza. We also love for ice cream.”

To find out for about Alma Nove, visit http://www.almanovehingham.com/.