Small Town Chefs 2021: Paolo Cenni

Tucked away in historic downtown Ponchatoula, on a quiet drizzly Friday afternoon, Paolo’s Restaurant and Wine Bar emits a hazy glow from within the old Gateway Building. Even amid the dull, cloudy weather, it’s hard to miss the large green, neon-lit arrow above the eatery’s sign, pointing toward the entryway alcove nestled within its brick façade, beckoning you inside. Two large bay windows, each etched with gold lettering bearing the restaurant’s name, frame the front door. Inside, the Old World meets the New; white tablecloths drape atop red-checkered ones, each with a tea candle and small cut rose at the center. Little touches like these make Paolo’s feel inarguably authentic, emanating a romantic ambiance that’s both charming and classic, yet without the stuffiness or pretentiousness that tends to hover around some Italian/European eateries.

Chef Paolo Cenni himself has the look of one who has spent years in the fast-paced, high-stakes stainless steel world of “the culinary underbelly,” as fellow Italian and chef Anthony Bourdain would put it. His arms each bearing a colored tattoo sleeve, with a short charcoal beard, he speaks quickly and off the cuff, gesturing with his hands to punctuate certain points in a story (“It’s been twenty-six years in the kitchen, you know, and it’s taken its toll on my ears, the hood, always the ears.”). His menu is undoubtedly influenced by his own culinary upbringing; Paolo’s father, Piero Cenni, owned and operated the Ristorante Da Piero in Ponchatoula, and later in Kenner’s historic Rivertown, for nearly twenty years. Inspired by the Bolognese cuisine of his native Emilia-Romagna, a region in northern Italy known for its richness in regards to gastronomy, the food at Piero’s echoed that of big name Italian chefs downtown, the setting intimate in a century-old shotgun cottage on Williams Boulevard.

When he was just eighteen, Piero sent Paolo back home to Italy to learn from their extended family of restaurateurs and hospitality business owners, and to hone his culinary chops apprenticing in some of the finest kitchens in the world. Over the course of three trips to the peninsula, he cultivated a deep appreciation for fresh, simple food made with the best seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients available. Prior to his sojourns to Italy, Paolo had staged in a few French Quarter kitchens and New Orleans institutions like Commander’s Palace, but upon his return, he continued to hone his skill in the kitchen at his father’s place, where he met chefs like Donald Link, Emeril Lagasse, and Jim Bremer. “When I got back from Italy, I rocked my dad’s kitchen. I had a passion to bring back what I saw and learned, what I thought that my dad might not have already known—but he knew all along, of course, you know, he’s from Faenza.” 

As long as he can remember, Paolowas always interested in cooking; he grew up pretending to pan-fry pine cones in a skillet in the family’s Irish Channel neighborhood backyard. While culinary school didn’t quite work out thanks to a few too many late nights spent at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar, as he tells it, his apprenticeships proved to be even more valuable than a degree. “For me, it was just something that I just had to do. I would just put on my green Crocs and my little bandana and I would just come downstairs like okay, it’s five o’clock, I’m ready for service.” 

[Read about 2020 Small Town Chefs award winner Chef Joey Najolia, here.]

When it came to embarking on his own endeavor, the now forty-two-year-old was drawn back to the small town of Ponchatoula, where his father had originally opened Ristorante da Piero in 1997 before moving it to Jefferson Parish in 2004. The doors of Paolo’s first opened as Ristorante Foodie four years ago, until in early 2020, he teamed up with new owner Coleen Enmon and unveiled the newly renovated and rebranded Paolo’s Restaurant and Wine Bar. 

The menu’s mainstays focus on house-made pasta, from hand-rolled linguine and tagliatelle to seafood-centric dishes like blue crab and blackened shrimp. Even a simple margherita pizza is made using the freshest mozzarella, the crust crafted by an old family recipe. “For me, it’s a passion and something that I really look forward to, sourcing ingredients. But it takes time.” Beloved by the local crowd, Paolo’s has a loyal following on Facebook, where he posts rotating daily and weekly specials. This is where he can be creative, using plates as a canvas to incorporate ingredients based on what’s fresh and available, from fried flounder and yellowfin tuna ponzu, to grilled redfish and even marinated squid, to tender roasted meats like rabbit confit and grilled veal chops. 

“All these little things, it’s normal in Italy, but here it’s something to appreciate. Especially when I send out a house-made pizza. You taste that crust and it’s like, okay, this is something special, or a fresh mozzarella salad the way we do it, it’s something special.” —Chef Paolo Cenni 

Bringing this sort of high-quality, flavor-dense cuisine to a place like Tangipahoa Parish, a largely rural area somewhat far removed from the bon vivant culture of the robust food and drink scene of New Orleans, and making it accessible and affordable, is no small feat. “I’m trying to keep that but at the same time, I like to be prudent to what people want out here,” said Paolo. “All these little things, it’s normal in Italy, but here it’s something to appreciate. Especially when I send out a housemade pizza. You taste that crust and it’s like, okay, this is something special, or a fresh mozzarella salad the way we do it, it’s something special.”

And it is; I can attest to that. Venturing out to Paolo’s for lunch recently, I ordered the fried eggplant bocconcini, caprese salad, and that day’s special, a muffuletta. While all can be considered standard Italian fare, (though the muffuletta is technically considered a New Orleans-Italian creation) I’m of the opinion that you can really judge the caliber of a place based on its most common, customary offerings. And I was blown away.  I’ve always loved a good charcuterie spread, but when it comes to muffulettas, I tend to retreat at the marinated olive salad. For Paolo’s Sicilian sandwich, however, I take it all back; the experience of devouring it—all of the food, in fact—was so sublimely satisfying, so profoundly nourishing, it was overwhelming at first. I remember thinking “This is what real food tastes like.”

The father of eight is now training his oldest son, Dominick, beside him in the kitchen, ensuring this family affair is sustained through the third generation. “I think everything’s perfect. It’s a small little business, and we’re packed,” Paolo said. “We’re not static, and I’m optimistic because the food world is always evolving, and it has to, because it’s an art. I feel like it’s just getting better and better.” 

Visit Paolo’s Restaurant and Wine Bar on Facebook for Chef Paolo’s latest specials.