This past Friday afternoon, chef Valentino Pagliari was handling the phone, turning a dozen would-be customers away. By then, Saturday night’s prime dining hours were already booked solid at West Stockbridge’s hopping new Italian addition, Acqua al 2. That’s par for the course. Valentino says Wednesday night, a day after the presidential election when so many stayed up late to follow the results, was the first truly quiet one he’s had since opening in early August.
The “reinterpreted trattoria” (per the website) has brought brightly colored life back to what was, until 2020, the French bistro Rouge, and is creating buzz among aficionados of la cucina italiana. Among the reservation inquiries, Valentino is fielding calls from some savvy world travelers phoning from far afield, who are familiar with the original Acqua al 2’s location in Italy.
That restaurant has been a staple of the Florence culinary scene since 1978, when owner Stefano Innocenti, then only seventeen years old, set out to distinguish his place from the city’s hundreds of traditional trattorie and ristoranti. “He didn’t want to follow the classic Tuscan cuisine of ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, bistecca alla Fiorentina,” Valentino explains.
Instead, Innocenti went to the dusty old libraries of the city and studied recipes people used in the Renaissance era. The large selection of pastas, meats, and desserts he came up with has not changed much in the nearly half-century since then. His filetto al mirtillo nero (filet mignon with blueberry sauce), inspired by a favorite dish of Catherine de Medici, has become so popular that the Florence restaurant sells the blueberry sauce by the jar. “I have a copy of the menu we had in the 1980s,” says Valentino, “and it’s very similar to what we still have in Florence. That’s our menu.”
Acknowledging the well-known Berkshire challenges related to staffing, and the fact that a relatively small kitchen can only produce so much food in so little time, Valentino has been pleasantly surprised by the extensive local support he’s received. “The community and town were very eager to see me open. The select board came to welcome me, which was very encouraging. I’m not an American; I’m not from here.”
So how did Valentino and famed Florentine eatery Acqua al 2 wind up in this tiny Berkshire hamlet? His parents are both from Parma, but he grew up in London and moved to Italy to study architecture in college. When that didn’t resonate, he eventually moved to Florence and found his calling in the hospitality industry, opening Blob Club, a nightclub that’s still going strong. While working there, he became a regular at Acqua al 2 to become friends with Innocenti and his fellow owners and, long story short, Valentino is now a stakeholder in the original restaurant and also this franchise.
The Berkshires outpost is thanks to Valentino’s American wife, Liza, who was raised in Ithaca and had a longstanding family connection in the area. More recently, her parents had also moved to Housatonic. The couple was living in Florence when Liza, who was searching for meaningful work, discovered that the space vacated by Rouge during the pandemic was available. They jumped at the chance to expand the Acqua al 2 franchises, arriving in March. And after several months of frenetic activity—deep cleaning, carpentry, new windows, painting—the restaurant opened to the public, albeit a couple of months later than expected but still in time to make a splash in the summer season. (Besides helping manage the restaurant, Liza is pursuing a degree in art therapy.)
As in Florence, where Acqua al 2’s “assaggi” (tasting menus) of various courses, notably a cross-regional selection of pasta, attracted locals and tourists alike, the West Stockbridge outpost is starting to make a unique name for itself with its own samplers. There are three assagi options—primi (pasta), secondi (main courses), and dolci (desserts). Anyone is also welcome to order a full portion of any of the menu items.
“These offerings are becoming popular again because of so many vegetarians,” Valentino says, pointing as well to the modified palate. “Our flavors are not particularly difficult. Some cuisines—for example, in southern Italy—are full of pepperoncino (hot pepper). I have trouble eating when I’m in Italy because there’s a lot of strong flavors.”
While the regular menu in Florence includes a long page devoted entirely to a variety of fresh pasta, the upstart menu is following suit, with thirteen current options. On a recent visit with a group of advanced Italian students, the Assaggio di Primi included fusilli with mascarpone and porcini mushrooms, farfalle with pumpkin, and pasta with spinach pesto, among other pasta options. That night’s Assaggio di Dolci featured tiramisu, chocolate mousse cake, and biscotti with Vin Santo. All are cheerfully served in the vibrant dining rooms or at the spacious bar. A curated wine list is also available, as are craft cocktails.
Acqua al 2 Berkshires is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; reservations are highly recommended.
