La Parrilla has closed, but Genovese will soon take its place on Mass

La Parrilla has closed permanently, but Italian restaurant Genovese is reopening in its place. 

“Lots of our past customers, friends and family always commented how they all missed Genovese,” co-owner Subarna Bhattachan said. “They wanted us to reopen, and we heard them loud and clear.” 

Bhattachan said he and his chefs will be using fresh ingredients, and everything will be made from scratch. 

Located at 712 Massachusetts St., the new Genovese location is much smaller than the space it occupied from 2007 through 2019 at 941 Massachusetts St., which is now home to Molcajete’s.

“This restaurant is much smaller than the original one so we won’t have a pizza oven, so we won’t be serving any pizzas and oven roasted items,” Bhattachan said. “The menu will reflect the seasons.” 

The menu will feature appetizers such as zucchini chips, bruschetta, and skillet roasted mussels. Popular pastas include seafood spaghetti, fresh spinach fettuccine alfredo and house-made gnocchi. 

Then there’s the handmade pappardelle with Italian sausage, the salads and paninis, wines, and American and Italian craft beer and cocktails. 

Bhattachan said business at La Parrilla was decent, but he and his partners had wanted to switch cuisines to fill a community need. 

“Prices will be affordable so that anyone can come enjoy our food and drinks whether they are students, visitors or residents of Lawrence,” Bhattachan said. “We want our restaurant to be accessible to people of all walks of life.” 

In addition, the city has seen a number of Mexican and Latin eateries, plus a panadería, open fairly recently or working to open soon. Local options for Italian cuisine are fewer, though two of Genovese’s biggest competitors — Basil Leaf Cafe and 715 — will be within a block on Mass.

With fresh paint and new furniture, Genovese will open around May 10. “Old world meets the new” is how Bhattachan described it. 

For those who lament the loss of La Parrilla, its food will still be available at KU Athletics events, and they still have a food truck. 

Bhattachan and Alejandro Lule founded La Parrilla in 1999.

“It is sad because La Parrilla was our first restaurant in Lawrence,” Bhattachan said.

“It can be a little sentimental, obviously. We want to thank our loyal customers and friends for their support of La Parrilla. We hope to see their continued support of Genovese, also a locally owned restaurant.”

Follow Genovese’s new Facebook page for updates. See its website at genoveseitalianks.com. The restaurant is currently hiring servers and cooks.

Chansi Long (she/her) reported for The Lawrence Times from July 2022 through August 2023. Read more of her work for the Times here.

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