Q+A: Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer
Photos by Michael Piazza
It was one of those spectacular, only-in-New-England October evenings—an even blend of summer and fall. As my friend and I confirmed, if there was a perfect night to be out in Boston, this was it. Turning onto Newbury Street, hundreds of people crowded the sidewalks, pressing together as they waited for tables, social distancing a faded memory. Even though I remained masked, I noticed fragrances marking my path, with Newbury Street’s chefs enticing each block with their own culinary delights.
I was ready to dine and discover what made Faccia a Faccia—Italian for “face to face”—one of Newbury Street’s most anticipated additions. I turned up the volume on my hearing device as I didn’t want to miss a thing. Opened in May as Faccia Brutta, and rebranded in October, Faccia a Faccia is another success story for Boston restaurateurs Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer.
With a bright blue door marking the entrance, we wiggled our way past the long line of people vying for one of the tables or coveted spots at the bar; the place was packed. As soon as we glanced at the menu we understood why. Grilled Scituate lobster and black garlic hanger steak hold their own on a menu featuring many housemade pastas, like squid ink trottole with Maine uni, melted leeks, corn and Calabrian chili; and paccheri with Gulf shrimp, crab, saffron tomato sauce and pine nuts. There was a tuna tartare with uni and aïoli, “grandma bread” with tomato and whipped ricotta with roasted local squash. And Faccia a Faccia’s gluten-free pasta is being highlighted in dining guides across town as the best “celiac safe gluten-free pasta” in the city. It’s even available for sale to take home and try cooking yourself.
My friend and I toasted with È! Orange Bianco (a white wine from Piemonte) and agreed that a return visit was in order. To this I say, “Mazel tov to Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer!”
EDIBLE BOSTON: This is Faccia a Faccia’s first winter. How would you describe its cuisine and ambience?
JAMIE + KEN: The cuisine at Faccia a Faccia is coastal Italian from regions such as Liguria, Sicily, Sardinia and more. Not only do we look to source ingredients commonly used in these seaside areas, we also look to the mountainous regions from the coast for inspiration for our dishes. The cuisine is flavorful and fun. We are also inspired by local farms, seafood purveyors and fishermen. The ambience of Faccia a Faccia is cozy, bright and energetic. We’ve created a convivial space with a busy bar right in the center. We are using a mix of local ingredients and cooking through the lens of our collective experiences in Italy and the surrounding islands, especially places we have loved that are a bit off the beaten path.
EB: You built a restaurant during an unprecedented time—pandemic, supply shortages, labor shortages, to name a few. How did you do it and what were your major challenges?
JB + KO: We did it with a lot of patience! Getting through all of the new variables was wild. Things took longer, and cost more all around. Being flexible was the key to our success. Also, working with a stellar team along with extra money, meditation and prayer is how we got it done. The major challenge for us was supply chain, supply chain and supply chain. We used the word “pivot” a lot. We had to adapt and give in to the pressures of availability in equipment, materials and labor. We were very lucky to work with teams that were adept at adapting and overcoming. We hired people who were passionate and eager to have fun and get this project finished with us.
EB: Can you tell us how the pandemic influenced decisions surrounding Faccia a Faccia?
JB + KO: The pandemic was a huge influence. We started working on the idea in 2019. As things changed for all of us in early 2020, we slowed down. As we designed [the restaurant], we wanted to be sure we had space to make changes for some of the COVID restrictions and protocols that were in place, but as things got delayed, and the project dragged on, a lot of the ideas and plans morphed. Since we have opened, we are looking ahead using the experiences to better our systems but not dwelling on the challenges we faced during the pandemic.
EB: Winter brings us indoors, so if it should happen, how would you handle another wave of COVID?
JB: We will take it as it comes. Adapt and overcome!
KO: If it happens, then I will be putting a lock on the door and going to a beach until further notice! Just kidding—we will take on the challenge again and adapt over time, just like at the beginning of the pandemic.
EB: If you were to embark on another restaurant, would you bring any post-pandemic lessons to the drawing board?
JB: Faccia was [our] first new restaurant in six years. In six more years, things will have changed a lot. We hope to be ready for anything.
KO: While I’m trying to put the COVID days behind us, one thing I would put in place is a large prep kitchen in the space. At the moment, we do not do delivery or takeout orders at Faccia a Faccia, simply because the kitchen space is too small, and it would be impossible to execute. If we did a seventh restaurant, I would make sure there’s a huge prep kitchen, so when we start takeout orders, it wouldn’t interfere with the line for diners at the restaurant.
EB: Ken, combined you and Jamie now have six restaurants. What was the drive behind the opening of Faccia a Faccia?
JB + KO: As we grew, we realized we wanted to spend more time in Boston. As the pandemic winds down, we are Toro, Coppa, Little Donkey and Faccia. Four restaurants, one state and more focus! Additionally what drove us to open Faccia was the amazing people we’ve worked with for years. With Faccia a Faccia we want to spotlight these staff members and share their stories on how they make our restaurants great.
EB: How do you prioritize the demands of so many restaurants?
JB: The squeaky wheels gets the grease.
KO: Luckily, Boston is a small city and I’m able to walk from each of our restaurants to the next on a daily basis. I like the unpredictability of my schedule and going where I feel I’m needed that day. It’s refreshing to pop into our different restaurants at any time.
EB: Are you hands-on in any of them?
JB: I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and on the line at Little Donkey. KO and I are both very hands on when we are in the restaurants, but also have such great chefs running them, which makes collaboration fun and easy.
KO: Absolutely! Hands on, at all our restaurants. We work with amazing people and chefs at our restaurants, so we often lean on them for support from day to day.
EB: Of all the countries you’ve traveled to, which one has provided the greatest influence choosing a cuisine? JB: San Sebastian in Spain, Mexico and Thailand!
EB: You are both big advocates of locally sourced food. Can you tell us how that's reflected in Faccia a Faccia’s menu?
JB: We spend a lot of time at the farmers market, in season. Between KO, Chef Brian Rae, Beverage Director Jodie Battles and me, we are always thinking about how to support local growers and makers.
KO: We work with a ton of local producers and purveyors in and around Massachusetts and New England. We source oysters from Island Creek in Duxbury, uni from a purveyor in Maine, lobster from a lobsterman in Scituate and we source meat from Hettie Belle Farm in Warwick, Massachusetts.
EB: What distinguishes Faccia a Faccia from Coppa, your other Italian restaurant?
JB + KO: Coppa is more charcuterie driven, it’s smaller and has a wood-burning pizza oven inspired by a hole-in-the-wall pizza spot on a dead-end street in Rome. Faccia is a bigger restaurant, perfect for gathering with a big group and with a more stylized and curated vibe throughout the space. It was a great opportunity to fill this [former retail] space, which is an old townhouse on Newbury Street.
EB: What is your favorite dish on the menu?
JB: I love the squid ink trottole pasta. What’s not to love about squid ink and sea urchin?!
KO: I love the fried stuffed olives filled with pork sausage, smoked eel, Calabrian red pepper and then breaded and fried to order. It’s my favorite dish because they are an umami bomb, super crunchy, gluten free and addictive!
EB: What would we find in your refrigerator?
JB: A lot of kimchi, Polar seltzer, champagne, hot sauce, American cheese and house-made chai tea.
KO: A million condiments from all over the world and lots of pickles.
EB: What is the signature dish you prepare at home?
JB: I make a great rotisserie chicken. My wife, Song, loves it and the potatoes cooking in the fat beneath the bird are always to die for.
KO: I make so much at home. My signature dish is any dish I make with my children at home! Next year, I have a cookbook coming out called Cooking with My Dad the Chef, which I wrote with my daughter showcasing our favorite recipes to cook at home. And our gluten-free pasta program stems from years of experimenting with a newly diagnosed celiac child. We have an amazing team that has been able to execute it flawlessly.
EB: If someone asked how you would describe your life in three words, what would you say?
JB: Travel, food, music.
KO: Gratitude, family, fun.
This interview was edited for length and clarity and appeared in the Winter 2023 issue.