Shortly after we arrived at the new Mortadella Head restaurant at 263 Washington St. in Wellesley Hills, a guy came in and announced: “7th day in a row!”
I asked him later on the sidewalk what that was all about, and the nearby resident said, “We’ve got to check out everything on the menu,” as he ticked off what he’d ordered in recent days.
Surprisingly, he had never been to the Mortadella Head shop in Somerville’s Davis Square, where this Italian-American eatery made its name. Now it has expanded into the former Pizza Peddler shop on the block with Coconut Thai, Jejes Coffeehouse & Roastery, and Marathon Sports. (We previewed Mortadella’s plans last June.)
Mortadella Head offers thin crust and deep dish Roman pizzas, a wide variety of hot and cold subs (that can be converted to salads), meatballs, mozzarella sticks, and more. It will offer frozen meals and catering, and has various two-for-one, and other specials.
The same menu offered in Somerville is being made available in Wellesley.
Cheese pizzas go for $17 and other varieties range into the $20s; you can grab sizable slices as well. Subs are mainly in the $12-$15 range.
The shop has started with a soft opening to get the employee team acclimated, said owner Chuck Sillari.
Expand your reach & support local journalism by becoming a Swellesley sponsor. Consider sponsoring an intern or a section of The Swellesley Report, as sponsors do on our restaurants and summer camp pages.
The team of at least five that we eyed seemed pretty well acclimated when we swung by last Thursday, though also was backed up on sandwiches during a late lunchtime rush (the staff was friendly and frequently shared updates to those waiting). We overheard a student telling an employee that Mortadella should do a brisk business when the new college school year begins in the fall.
The menu offers many choices. I opted for the pesto chicken sub (minus mayo and tomato… and they got the order correct). The bread was fresh, the chicken cutlets were hand-breaded and firm, and the pesto sauce was flavorful (and I have limited tolerance for too much flavor).
Mrs. Swellesley went with an Italian specialty, pork and broccoli sub, a staff favorite made with slow-cooked pulled porchetta, a bitter broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone. Many hours ahead of opening, Mortadella Head cooks take a full pork butt, rub it with all sorts of delicious herbs and spices, and cook it low and slow in the oven. Out of the oven, they shred the pork and let it sit in the savory juices. Then they pile the porchetta into a sub with garlicky broccoli rabe and the provolone. Amazing.
We grabbed our sandwiches and ate them at Clocktower Park, realizing too late that we should have asked for napkins, especially for pork and rabe sub (“Skip the Stuff” in action…).
We both had enough left over for dinner the next night.
An employee said Mortadella Head plans to seek town approval for some outdoor seating on the wide sidewalk in front of the shop. Inside, there’s limited seating—four stools were available near the front window and were constantly occupied.
Mortadella Head will provide some fresh competition to Subway and Comella’s, both across the street.
More: Where to eat in Wellesley
