In Conversation with La Baracca
That’s especially true for Joe Strazzeri and Lynda McCormack, the creative minds behind La Baracca.
We opened The Commissary—our vibrant food + drink market—in 2024 for the first time. La Baracca joined us as one of our inaugural vendors, and they’re back this year to continue dishing up amazing Italian eats.
Find out what makes La Baracca more than just a place to eat.
From Film Sets to the Kitchen
Lynda + Joe: Our love of family and passion for food brought us to this stage, as we continue to grow. It all seemed right with Base31 being the place to showcase it all. Being in film, we always had departments to lead and hours were extensive. There are many similar traits in running our current business.
Collaborating and developing our business to its best potential is a reflection of then and now. Cooking and being in The Commissary is equally as enjoyable and creative as film. La Baracca has given us a creative freedom to explore foods we always enjoyed together, but now we get to share it with others.
Behind The Revolving Door
L+J: The County’s abundance of seasonal fruits, vegetables and local meat are a must. We’ve always cooked for ourselves by shopping daily for what was in season and what food inspired us on that day. Growing up, ingredients were bought daily with freshness at the forefront. Our rotating menu allows us to have a core, fixed menu with daily and weekly specials that best exemplify what The County offers.
Sundays at La Baracca are all about family and we call that day “Pasta Domenica”. Growing up, Sundays were centered around history, family and pasta. Paying homage to Nonna Giovanna, we carry on this tradition where families gather on Sundays at Base31. You can be guaranteed La Baracca fresh pasta is on the menu with Nonna’s pomodoro sauce that we make daily. We cook food from various regions of Italy, but it is all done with Nonna Giovanna’s Sicilian passion for family first.
What Childhood Dish Still Inspires You Today?
L+J: With both of us growing up in big families—Lynda with 8 siblings and I, Joe, with 7 siblings—meals were an all-day event and planning was a big part of them.
We both recall times where breakfast wasn’t even completed and dinner was the talk at the morning table. Lynda and I continue this embedded tradition where we are still inspired today by the simplicity of ingredients where freshness and quality was most important. We start our day at La Baracca with making Nonna’s tomato sauce. You can smell in the air when you enter The Commissary.
The Senses
L+J: Often people go to the gym, do yoga, take a walk, meditate—whatever it may be to start the day. At La Baracca we make a “Pomodoro Sauce”—the essence of Italian cuisine.
No morning goes by at Base31 where you can’t indulge in the scents of garlic and basil dancing in a bath of sweet tomato passata cascading over The Commissary. Only after the pomodoro sauce is simmering does the prepping of our main menu items begin. Chopping and slicing is mostly done to order as we look to give the best in freshness and quality like your family would.
We cook for families, and we look to give the best experience when you visit.
The Family Table
L+J: Many dishes, especially the pastas, are family recipes. From the start, we’ve taken great pride in crafting fresh pasta under the La Baracca name. It’s something we don’t take lightly and only the best makes it to the table. That care, that love, is in every dish we serve.
Whenever possible, we bring the food out ourselves. It’s part of the experience, part of the hospitality we grew up with. This sense of care started around our own family tables, grew with our children, and now continues with every guest who dines at La Baracca.
JUNE – AUGUST
Wednesday + Thursday | 12pm to 6pm
Friday + Saturday | 12pm to 8pm
Sunday | 12pm to 4pm
Monday | Closed
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER
Friday + Saturday | 12pm to 8pm
Sunday | 12pm to 4pm
Monday + Tuesday | Closed