Chef-owner
With over 20 years learning and working in some of the best pizzerias in Rome, Campania, New York, and Boston, Mario LaPosta helms the kitchen of his first restaurant, da LaPosta, in Newton, Mass. The wood-fired pizzeria and restaurant’s menu is a cumulation of Mario’s culinary experience, with heavy influences of his childhood, as well as the quality ingredients available in New England.
Pizza is at the heart of da LaPosta. Neapolitan in style, but prepared with local, domestic ingredients, Mario’s pizzas are created with his seven-year old, naturally leavened sourdough starter, madewithaproprietary blend of organic, whole wheat flour. Coined Farina da LaPosta, the flour blend was created in partnership with Keith Giusto, owner of the artisanal and renowned Central Milling Company based in Utah and Petaluma, Calif. “I’ve always searched for ways to make better pizza, to improve the product. Keith and his team at Central Milling have the same philosophy and are always looking for ways to refine and improve their products. Collaborating with them and using their flour enabled me to take my dough to the next level,” says Mario.
Mario began working towards his pizzaiolo goals while attending Central Connecticut State University. During this time, he worked at Bricco, a popular wood-fired pizza restaurant, which expanded his culinary knowledge, further igniting his passion for pizza and Italian food. Following graduation, Mario moved to Rome for an apprenticeship, where his foundational pizza knowledge grew. After Rome, Mario set off to Campania—the region where his family originated from—for a second apprenticeship. It was in Campania that he was able to hone his pizza making and culinary skills under famed pizzaiolo Francisco San Pietro, notably cooking with a 1,000-degree wood-fired oven, some nights making 300 pizzas in three hours. “After work, Francesco and I would sit and talk for hours about pizza and my goals for the future. We’d discuss different doughs, ingredients, techniques, ovens, and more. You name it, we discussed it. These conversations helped inform the pizza I’m creating today,” Mario reflects.
Once his apprenticeships in Italy ended, Mario returned to the States and began his 11-year tenure working with the B&B Hospitality Group. His first role with the group was as the opening pizza chef of Tarry Lodge in Port Chester, N.Y. In this role, he was tasked to develop the restaurant’s now-highly lauded pizza program. One year after the restaurant opened, GQ food critic Alan Richman named Mario’s pizza at Tarry Lodge as the 11th best “American Pie” in the country. Three years later, Mario was tapped to open Tarry Lodge’s second location in Westport, Conn. as executive chef. He successfully built the new restaurant’s pizza program, eventually receiving the Snail of Approval by Slow Food USA, a designation given to restaurants contributing to the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of local food. During this time, Mario also participated in the World Pizza Championships, placing 10th in the competition. In 2015, with his sights set on Boston, Mario opened Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in the Seaport District as the restaurant’s executive chef. With much acclaim, Mario created a robust culinary and pizza program, establishing the restaurant as one of the finest in the city.
Mario opened da LaPosta in November 2021, fulfilling his childhood dream of opening his own pizza restaurant. Affectionately named after and for his family, da LaPosta is a culmination of Mario’s life passions and represents his love for bringing people together over food.
ABOUT CALIN DAN
General Manager
With almost two decades of experience bartending in Europe and across the United States, Dan Calin brings a commitment to quality in every drink on da LaPosta’s bar menu. Marrying his fine dining background with Chef Mario LaPosta’s menu of nostalgic dishes made with the highest quality ingredients, Dan provides guests with a fresh take on the traditional Italian cocktail.
Dan first cut his teeth as a bartender for ten years in his home country of Romania. In 2016, he moved to Palm Beach, Fla., where he worked at The Everglades Club and Renato’s, two of the city’s finest establishments. It was at Renato’s that he developed his passion for wine, inspiring his consequent sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. He then relocated to the Northeast, spending a season at the historic 5-star resort, Ocean House, in Westerly, R.I., and later taking over the bar program at The Backroom at Moody’s in Waltham, Mass.
Dan met Mario after stopping in for a pie at da LaPosta and immediately fell in love with Chef’s wood-fired pizzas. After a few discussions with the team, Dan joined da LaPosta as a bartender and quickly rose to the position of beverage director, and later, general manager. He fully revitalized the bar program, infusing much of Mario’s Italian pantry into the cocktail menu. In fact, the first cocktail Dan created at da LaPosta is a direct play on the house-made ricotta that’s served with orange honey, Sicilian oregano, sea salt and olive oil. Dubbed the Sicilian Sour—and best described as a play on a pisco sour meets a margarita if it was born and raised in Italy—the drink fully brings the kitchen into the cocktail and features Mi Campo tequila, Italicus, Sicilian orange honey, Sicilian oregano, lemon, egg white, and a dried bud of Sicilian oregano as garnish.
The bar menu now features a rotating selection of spritzes and creative takes on classic cocktails, such as the Reserve Martini made with olive oil-washed Sacred Spring vodka or the Oaxacan Old Fashioned made with tequila, mezcal and elote. Dan’s most significant contribution, however, can be seen in the restaurant’s negroni menu, which includes a flight of three distinct takes on the classic Italian libation: Classico (made with Poli gin and vermouth); Cherry Blossom (made with Aqualuce gin and Mancino Sakura vermouth); and Olivetto (made with olive oil-washed Elana gin). Together with Mario, they’ve created an equally exciting wine list, which includes a curated selection of wines almost exclusively sourced from Italy, offered both by-the-glass and by-the-bottle.
Outside of da LaPosta, Dan’s creativity extends to his entrepreneurial pursuits as well. Believing that bartending is more than just booze in a glass, he looked to provide a more custom, intimate beverage catering experience. Dan launched Perfect Pour—a mobile craft cocktail and espresso bar service— in 2019, allowing hosts to book a one-of-a-kind bar service to uplevel any event with stylish beverages. When he’s not making drinks, Dan takes advantage of the Northeast’s four seasons, exploring the region through hiking, camping, and snowboarding.