Mario LaPosta, with over two decades of experience learning and working in top pizzerias across Rome, Campania, New York, and Boston, now leads his own establishment, da LaPosta, in Newton, Massachusetts. The menu at this wood-fired pizzeria and restaurant is a testament to Mario’s extensive culinary journey, deeply influenced by the tastes of his childhood and the premium ingredients found in New England.

At the core of da LaPosta is its pizza, Neapolitan-inspired but crafted with local, domestic ingredients. Mario’s pizzas are born from a seven-year-old, naturally leavened sourdough starter, using an exclusive blend of organic, whole-wheat flour known as Farina da LaPosta. This special blend was developed alongside Keith Giusto of the esteemed Central Milling Company in Utah and Petaluma, California. Mario shares, “My quest has always been to craft a superior pizza. Working with Keith and his Central Milling team, who share this relentless pursuit of excellence, has allowed me to elevate my dough to unprecedented heights.”

Mario’s journey to becoming a pizzaiolo began at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut. While studying, he worked at Bricco, a renowned wood-fired pizza restaurant, where he deepened his culinary expertise and fueled his passion for pizza and Italian cuisine. Post-graduation, Mario ventured to Rome for an apprenticeship that solidified his pizza-making foundation. He then traveled to Campania, his family’s ancestral city, for further apprenticeship. There, he perfected his craft, notably mastering the art of cooking with a 1,000-degree wood-fired oven, sometimes producing 300 pizzas in just three hours. Reflecting on those times, Mario recalls, “Francesco and I would spend hours post-shift discussing pizza and our aspirations, delving deep into the craft and our future ambitions.”   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.