Friday the 13th turned out to be a fortuitous day for Bob Brewer. That’s the day in June 2014 when he opened Nucci’s Pasta House in Pittsfield.
“A few people told me, ‘You’re never going to make it here,’” he says with a chuckle. “We’ll see.”
Nine years later, Nucci’s remains a remarkable local success serving as a springboard for expansion.
Location: 231 N. Madison St., Pittsfield Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; closed Sundays Phone: (217) 285-1336 Website: nuccispastahouseil.comMore Info
Nucci’s Pasta House
The family recipes passed down over several generations inspire Brewer. They form the foundation of Nucci’s mouth-watering menu. He explains how one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes came to be.
“My mom loved to make chicken parmigiana,” he recalls. “But one day, she didn’t have any red sauce, so she made an Alfredo sauce instead. Everybody loved it.”
Nucci’s has taken that approach applying it to other favorites. Alongside more traditional offerings, the menu features a white Alfredo lasagna and a chicken Alfredo flatbread. And while the restaurant focuses primarily on Italian cuisine, Nucci’s offers local flavor with its take on horseshoes, the popular open-faced sandwiches originating in Springfield, the state capital.
Nucci’s also features steaks, seafood, pizzas and an inventive array of appetizers. But his restaurant’s signature dish consists of an old standard: a generous serving of classic spaghetti and meatballs. And though they try, “most of our guests can’t even finish the whole plate,” Brewer says with pride.
If You Go
Brewed Coffee House & Eatery
Location: 109 N. Madison St., Pittsfield
Hours: Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: (217) 922-0036
Website: brewedcoffeehouseandeatery.com
The interior of Nucci’s feels equally expansive and cozy. A restored farmhouse with a welcoming patio and additional outdoor seating, Nucci’s evokes a dining experience at the home of a dear friend. A full bar and, on select nights, live music add to the convivial atmosphere.
In 2021, Brewer recognized and responded to what he felt was an important need.
“My daughter asked me for a $20 bill to go get coffee,” he exclaims.
Brewer thought that was too expensive and launched Brewed Coffee House and Eatery to provide a quality alternative to pricey megabrew coffee places. Brewed’s downtown Pittsfield location is a two-minute walk from Nucci’s, and Bob expects to have two additional locations open by year’s end.
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