Authentic Italian street food has arrived, and it involves 2 chefs, 1 pig and endless possibilities... Committed to offering the city a taste of Italy's favorite dish, Chefs Erik Mandracchia and Johnathan Agnello have created their very own authentic Italian experience, topped with a touch of Montreal attitude and served with undeniable street appeal. Whether it be in and out, or for a few hours, Porchetta promises one thing; a single bite of our sandwich will bring you to the streets of Italy and back!more...See more text
Montreal's Little Italy has plenty of gourmet eateries with a great reputation: staple pizzerias, family restaurants and practically mythical coffee shops. But when Porchetta opened on Saint-Laurent Street in November 2015, many people realized the spot had always been missing from their lives – even if they didn't know it. Success came fast.
Chef Jonathan Agnello works as the co-owner of Porchetta with Erik Mandracchia, who's also a chef, and two other partners. He remembers the day the restaurant came into being: “I hurt my knee in a sports accident and my partner, who was working in a restaurant, called me up one day while I was on the couch healing and said, ‘How about opening a porchetta?’”
Jonathan, who'd worked in Rome, knew exactly what a porchetta was, and it became the restaurant's signature sandwich. “I said, ‘Yes, sounds good!’ The next day we did some tests and didn't like the first attempt," he recalls. But the following day they hit upon the recipe. As he tells the story, he laughs at the simplicity of the process. Seven months later, Porchetta was born.
