Business of the Week: Moscato's Tuscan Trattoria

Five years ago, Moscato’s Trattoria in downtown Easton closed its doors, sold its equipment and building, and was replaced by Sette Luna. Now it’s back, with a new location in Palmer Township.

But really, they never left.

Owner Donna Marie Burdi explains that Moscato’s, formerly of Ferry Street in Easton, relocated to William Penn Highway in Bethlehem and became exclusively for catering and private chef tables.

Then, on March 7 of this year, the new restaurant opened for business at 190 South Greenwood Avenue in Palmer Township, at the location of the former Mangia Italian Restaurant.

The new location boasts a capacity of 80, almost twice the former version, with plenty more parking as well. The entire interior was remodeled; new tile floors were laid throughout the dining room and bathrooms, a textured tin ceiling was installed, the bathrooms were rebuilt and an entirely new kitchen has been designed.

“I didn’t do any new construction. I just gave the place a face-lift,” joked Burdi.

Regarding the menu, Burdi says that she kept about 90 percent of the items from the former Moscato’s restaurant.

“I didn’t duplicate everything,” she explained. “Some things from my menu are still used by Sette Luna, when they bought my previous location and equipment. I didn’t want to duplicate those parts.”

When asked how business has been since the opening of the new restaurant, Burdi said that plenty of former customers are delighted that Moscato’s is back.

“Fridays and Saturdays, if you don’t have a reservation, you can’t get in… I can’t complain,” she said.

Fans of the original Moscato’s will be glad to know that the signature dishes the restaurant became known for are still available; like the Tuscan bean soup, the butternut squash ravioli, and Pappardelle Bolognese, to name a few.

Burdi grew up around the business of food; she comes from a family of restauranteurs and caterers. Her brother owns a restaurant called Moscato’s Bella Cocina in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Burdi explains the restaurant’s namesake thusly: “One of my favorite wines is made from Moscato grapes… when I was thinking of a name, I thought of that wine.”

A trattoria refers to an Italian eatery that is family-owned and operated, appropriate since Burdi employs her daughter and other relatives in her restaurant.

But what makes Moscato’s different from the myriad other Italian restaurants in the Valley?

“We do things that no one else does,” said Richard Ferretti, the executive chef of Moscato’s. “We use the freshest ingredients, we prepare everything fresh, and we don’t use deep fryers.”

Ferretti, a New York-trained chef in Italian cuisine, has been cooking for 30 years. He has worked for Moscato’s since 2001, starting in the downtown location, then in the catering location, and now in the Palmer restaurant.

“What we do is very uncommon,” he said. He gives an example; chicken parmesan is perhaps the most popular item at any Italian restaurant. Most places will use frozen chicken, cook it in a deep fryer, and add sauce and mozzarella. But not at Moscato’s; everything is brought in fresh, handmade, and never deep-fried.

“If you do it that way, you lose the essence of what it’s about,” said Ferretti.

Moscato’s Tuscan Trattoria is located at 190 South Greenwood Avenue in Palmer Township. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed Mondays.

On May 8, Moscato’s will hold a Mother’s Day Buffet. The price is $30 for adults and $12 for children. Sittings are at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Call ahead to reserve a place.

Moscato’s is a BYOB establishment, and invites customers to bring their own selection of wine to store in the restaurant, so they may enjoy them with a meal on their next visits. Visit them on the web and see their full menu at www.moscatos.net.