Monday, September 25, 2023
Meet: Talya Pessolano, Owner of The Dirty Italian
Meet: Talya Pessolano, Owner of The Dirty Italian
The Dirty Italian, located at 144 Old Colony Ave. in South Boston, opened its doors in July. We were thrilled to head over and get a taste of the environment, the food, and most importantly, meet owner Talya Pessolano! We loved learning about her experience opening her very own brick-and-mortar store this year, her background, and her favorite parts of owning The Dirty Italian.
Talya grew up in Springfield, MA, and worked for years downtown at Frigo’s Foods, which was owned by a family friend. She learned the ropes behind the counter and upon graduating from Springfield College, received an impressive gift from Frigo’s. As she told us, “When it was time to graduate, one of the parting gifts that I received was to have a sandwich named after me. We called it Talya’s Dirty Italian.” Needless to say, this inside joke stuck, and when she opened her own company, there’s no doubt this would be the name. Their Dirty Italian sandwich is their most popular, as Talya and her team put their own spin on a delicious classic, and we can attest it is a must-try!
Although The Dirty Italian is new on the scene, Talya has been mastering her craft since she was a teenager. She started at Frigo’s at age 14, became manager at age 19, and took on the role of catering events coordinator while in college. “I always had a passion for this industry and never lost touch with my roots from Frigo’s,” she recalls.
After working in software sales for 10 years, Talya knew she would always go back to her true passion. In 2020, she began posting her charcuterie boards and grazing tables on social media to get the word out about her event catering. One of her videos went viral via Caught in Southie, and she received 60 orders in a single night! From there, Tayla’s dream of pursuing her passion as a career in Southie took flight.
This neighborhood is important to Talya, having lived here for a decade, and was exactly where she wanted to open her first store. She knew she could provide something new and sought after on this side of town. Her storefront features everything from homemade sandwiches to authentic pasta, freshly made treats and meals, and all the meats and cheese you could desire! As Talya said, “The Southie community has been extremely supportive during this entire process and has been absolutely amazing and super excited about the items in the store, so that makes me feel like I actually did something right.” From perfectly crafted charcuterie boards to limited edition grab-and-go treats, Talya can do it all!
Tayla was excited to give us some insight into future offerings at The Dirty Italian, including specialty classes! Class topics will include cooking, charcuterie, and wine pairings, so be on the lookout. If you haven’t had the chance to head over for a bite, be sure to check them out. See below for Talya’s full interview, and check out their website for their menu and hours: The Dirty Italian.
The Dirty Italian, located at 144 Old Colony Ave. in South Boston, opened its doors in July. We were thrilled to head over and get a taste of the environment, the food, and most importantly, meet owner Talya Pessolano! We loved learning about her experience opening her very own brick-and-mortar store this year, her background, and her favorite parts of owning The Dirty Italian.
Talya grew up in Springfield, MA, and worked for years downtown at Frigo’s Foods, which was owned by a family friend. She learned the ropes behind the counter and upon graduating from Springfield College, received an impressive gift from Frigo’s. As she told us, “When it was time to graduate, one of the parting gifts that I received was to have a sandwich named after me. We called it Talya’s Dirty Italian.” Needless to say, this inside joke stuck, and when she opened her own company, there’s no doubt this would be the name. Their Dirty Italian sandwich is their most popular, as Talya and her team put their own spin on a delicious classic, and we can attest it is a must-try!
Although The Dirty Italian is new on the scene, Talya has been mastering her craft since she was a teenager. She started at Frigo’s at age 14, became manager at age 19, and took on the role of catering events coordinator while in college. “I always had a passion for this industry and never lost touch with my roots from Frigo’s,” she recalls.
After working in software sales for 10 years, Talya knew she would always go back to her true passion. In 2020, she began posting her charcuterie boards and grazing tables on social media to get the word out about her event catering. One of her videos went viral via Caught in Southie, and she received 60 orders in a single night! From there, Tayla’s dream of pursuing her passion as a career in Southie took flight.
This neighborhood is important to Talya, having lived here for a decade, and was exactly where she wanted to open her first store. She knew she could provide something new and sought after on this side of town. Her storefront features everything from homemade sandwiches to authentic pasta, freshly made treats and meals, and all the meats and cheese you could desire! As Talya said, “The Southie community has been extremely supportive during this entire process and has been absolutely amazing and super excited about the items in the store, so that makes me feel like I actually did something right.” From perfectly crafted charcuterie boards to limited edition grab-and-go treats, Talya can do it all!
Tayla was excited to give us some insight into future offerings at The Dirty Italian, including specialty classes! Class topics will include cooking, charcuterie, and wine pairings, so be on the lookout. If you haven’t had the chance to head over for a bite, be sure to check them out. See below for Talya’s full interview, and check out their website for their menu and hours: The Dirty Italian.
︎All rights reserved™ ︎Designed by Greenspace