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A look at Orfano, a “subversive Italian” concept in Boston

Next up for Tiffani Faison and Kelly Walsh: two outlets in a food hall

Lisa Jennings, Executive Editor

August 27, 2019

5 Slides
Orfano dining room 1.jpg

Boston restaurateurs Tiffani Faison and Kelly Walsh opened the new Orfano on Monday, a “subversive” but elevated red-sauce-Italian concept they hope in some ways will “be like a boy’s club for the girls.”

Faison said the goal was to create a concept that is welcoming to all. “We found ourselves less than welcome in some dining rooms,” she said, “with the idea that we’d spend less money and not get the big steak or the big wine, and we were a little irritated about it. You can feel when people have made assumptions about you.”

The 96-seat Orfano, however, was designed to “feel lovely,” she said.

“We want it in some cases to feel like a boy’s club for the girls. Not literally,” she added, but the idea was to eliminate the cues that could make people feel not welcome.

Orfano joins sister concepts Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama and Fool’s Errand under the umbrella management company Big Heart Hospitality, which they co-own. All of Faison and Walsh’s restaurants so far are in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood.

But the partners, who are also married, have two more concepts coming this year, this time in downtown Boston at a soon-to-open food hall called High Street Place. There, Faison and Walsh will develop a raw bar concept called Dive Bar, as well as a pizza-and-grinder spot called Tenderonis.

Here’s a look at the new Orfano:

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]

Follow her on Twitter: @livetodineout

About the Author

Lisa Jennings

Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality

Lisa Jennings is executive editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She joined the NRN staff as West Coast editor in 2004 as a veteran journalist. Before joining NRN, she spent 11 years at The Commercial Appeal, the daily newspaper in Memphis, Tenn., most recently as editor of the Food and Health & Wellness sections. Prior experience includes staff reporting for the Washington Business Journal and United Press International.

Lisa’s areas of expertise include coverage of both large public restaurant chains and small independents, the regulatory and legal landscapes impacting the industry overall, as well as helping operators find solutions to run their business better.

Lisa Jennings’ experience:

Executive editor, NRN (March 2020 to present)

Executive editor, Restaurant Hospitality (January 2018 to present)

Senior editor, NRN (September 2004 to March 2020)

Reporter/editor, The Commercial Appeal (1990-2001)

Reporter, Washington Business Journal (1985-1987)

Contact Lisa Jennings at:

[email protected]

@livetodineout

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-jennings-83202510/

 

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