More from our interview with Michael Del Pietro

In this month’s Five Questions column, Sauce contributor Byron Kerman spoke with Michael Del Pietro, owner of Sugo's Spaghetteria, Babbo's Spaghetteria, the Via Vino wine bar and, come summer, Trattoria Spezie. In the first part of his interview, available in the January issue of Sauce, Kerman asked Del Pietro about the burgeoning local Italian restaurant scene, the Del Pietro house salad and his ultimate goal. Now, in the second half, Del Pietro shared details about the highly vegetarian menu at Trattoria Spezie, his favorite pizza and how his kids help out in the kitchen. The menu at your new place, Trattoria Spezie, will include a lot of vegetarian dishes, but also a little chicken here, a little shrimp there … It’s not a vegetarian restaurant, but I am going to put high emphasis on vegetarian items, like the appetizer that’s roasted asparagus and portabella mushrooms in a balsamic glaze, and the roasted cauliflower. I just really think it’s a cuisine that’s the way of the future – vegetables and eating healthy. And The Loop is definitely an area that’s more eccentric and earthy and will support it. How will the vibe at Trattoria Spezie compare to the vibe at your other restaurants? It’s definitely going to be different – a little more bohemian, a little more fun, a little younger. Twenty-one to 30 is our main age group there, probably, What’s your favorite pizza? My dad had a pizza at Del Pietro’s on Hampton Avenue named after me, Michael’s Pride. It’s a meat-lover’s pizza with sausage, hamburger, pepperoni and bacon. Do your kids like to run around the restaurants? My middle one, Mario, always wants to come in and make a pizza. So I bring a chair back for him to the kitchen and he makes a pizza. What is your kids’ favorite take-out from one of your restaurants? They like the real simple things – spaghetti and meatballs and chicken speidini. They’re not venturing too far out of the box – they’re 8, 5 and 3. More on Trattoria Spezie, opening this summer in The Loop.