Oysters on the half shell and striped bass ceviche from the raw bar at La Tavernetta.

Chef Douglass Williams has slowly but steadily built an Italian restaurant empire in Boston since the opening of the original Mida in the South End in 2016, which would turn out to be one of four locations. The latest jewel in Williams’ crown is La Tavernetta, a more casual waterfront taverna in East Boston dishing out spritzy cocktails and coastal Italian fare.

For the first time in five restaurants, Williams finally has a grill in the kitchen, and it shows in the menu of grilled skewers, scallops, chicken thighs and veggies.

There are a few mains, including a whole grilled branzino, and plenty of snacking options with a raw bar and robust stuzzichini (bite-size small plates) menu.

But it’s not only the food here that differs from Mida, a more traditional pasta and pizza concept; it’s the experience.

“We wanted to do a version of a bar, essentially, that was cocktails forward with food as a nice complement,” said Williams. “To really focus that food and that cuisine and that lifestyle towards the spritz culture of Southern Italy. It always feels like a party; it always feels like something to celebrate.”

That upbeat atmosphere is meant to spill out onto the patio, which doubles the size of the restaurant and provides a picture-perfect view of the city skyline.

The menu also pays homage to its home in East Boston. Several of the restaurant’s sandwiches are served on pan francés, a take on French bread that’s popular in El Salvador. La Tavernetta’s chef Nelson Mendoza grew up eating his grandmother’s recipe for the bread and reinterpreted it for the restaurant.

“In the hospitality business, that’s the gift that we have to offer,” said Williams. “It’s a huge circle of love via food, via cuisine. That’s why we do it, that’s the energy, that’s the reason why we work the hours.”

Mendoza is just one element of the team that Williams says he couldn’t run these restaurants without. Williams’ partner Seth Gerber, co-owner of La Tavernetta and Mida, is the operational yin to Williams’ creative yang, keeping the day-to-day across all five restaurants running smoothly.

Williams loves to feed guests, but at La Tavernetta he hopes they come away with an overall feeling of joy.

“Come expecting to have fun,” Williams said. “We want this to be a place that obviously has delicious food, but that people come to to enjoy life, because you want to see the sunset, and you want others to see it with you, or you want to come solo and try something different and meet people.

We want to be a social hive.”

ON THE WEB

Learn more at latavernettaeastie.com