When he opened his LA PORTA in Northport Village this summer, owner Rob Simmons didn’t need to do any advertising. Just the aroma of burning wood mixed with Italian flavors wafting onto Main Street had people pouring in. They were “flooded” right out of the gate, he said.

“Our storefront has folding windows, so it opens up completely,” Simmons explained. “People would tell us they were walking somewhere else but the wood fires and Italian sauces and flavors they could smell in the air drew them in.” “They came in because they really love that smell.”