There’s a lot to like about the new offerings…
If you’ve eaten at Bar Pazzo in downtown Scranton, you already know the playbook: a wood-fired oven, good dough, incredible pasta, and Italian cooking that doesn’t mind a little American fun. The newly announced seasonal menu (here through September) doesn’t reinvent the place; it refines it for the closing months of NEPA Summer.
A handful of new dishes—spread across salads, pizza, and the cucina—quietly shift the balance toward seasonal produce, straightforward technique, and clear flavors. In other words: exactly what you want from a neighborhood favorite (and one of 570+DOWN’s Top 10 Best Scranton Restaurants).
What’s New (and Why It Works)
Insalata di Capri
A new, peak-produce salad replaces the old iceberg-and-ranch number. This one reads like late-summer Italy: heirloom tomatoes and fresh burrata with charred peaches, fig vincotto, and spiced pepitas. It’s sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy—the kind of salad that can start a meal or be the meal. It also tells you where the kitchen’s head is: few gimmicks, more ingredients speaking for themselves.
Tomato, Tomàto (Wood-Fired Pizza)
CBR is gone; in its place is a minimalist pie that bets on tomatoes. Fresh local tomatoes, oregano, brick cheese, sea salt, and olive oil—nothing you can’t pronounce, everything you actually want. In a wood-fired oven, that combination gives you concentrated tomato flavor, gentle sweetness, and a crust that stays the star. If you like Margherita but want more fruit-forward punch, this is it.
Farm Stand Chili
A vegetarian bowl with fire-roasted depth, harissa heat, red beans for body, and a spoon of sumac yogurt to cool things down. It’s not an afterthought; it’s a complete dish. And it fills a gap—something hearty and plant-forward that plays well year-round.
BBQ’d Organic Chicken Thighs
Where some restaurants reach for boneless breast, Bar Pazzo doubles down on flavorful thighs. They’re anchored by smoked chorizo, fried potatoes, and poblano peppers; roasted peaches and lime do the balancing act. This is rustic cooking done right: crispy, smoky, a little sweet, and generous.
Gnocchi alla Zazzona
Out with Roman semolina gnocchi, in with an Amatriciana-meets-Carbonara riff built around ricotta gnocchi, sausage, and guanciale. The result is plush dumplings in a sauce that’s both tomato-bright and pork-savory, with just enough richness to feel celebratory. It’s comfort food with technique behind it.
The Backbone Remains
Plenty of favorites stick around: Rigatoni Vodka with a blush sauce and burrata; Pasta Brunata, that bubbling, crusty pan of baked bucatini; Cascatelli Pesto with green-goddess notes and toasted almonds; and the Three Sisters Fillet of Salmon with runner beans, zucchini, and charred corn. On the small-plates side, you’ll still find the Honey Whipped Ricotta, Polpette, and the wood-oven Spanish Octopus. All of it plays well with the new additions.
How to Order Now
- Start fresh: Share the Insalata di Capri. It’s seasonal and balanced, and it sets up everything else.
- Split a pie: Make it the Tomato, Tomàto. Add nothing; you won’t miss a thing. If you want contrast, pair it with the chili for a tomato-two-ways theme.
- Choose your centerpiece:
- Craving smoky-savory? Go BBQ’d Organic Chicken Thighs.
- Leaning rich and pasta-forward? Gnocchi alla Zazzona.
- Don’t skip the staples: A side of Polpette is never wrong. And if you’ve got room, the Sicilian Pistachio gelato is still the cleanest finish in the house.
A Word on Bar Pazzo
Bar Pazzo has earned its reputation the slow way—by making dough, feeding the fire, and letting good ingredients do the heavy lifting. The newest menu changes stay true to that idea. There’s more produce, more restraint, and smarter use of heat and fat. Nothing feels trendy for trend’s sake; everything feels designed to make dinner taste better.
If you haven’t been in a while, this is a good moment to go back. Order simply, share generously, and let the oven do the talking. The updates aren’t loud—but they’re exactly the kind that keep a restaurant essential.
