Many North End restaurants seem to be well staffed and have new outdoor seating on the street. This is a definite improvement to the area and very similar to the Italian way of dining! The street is now one lane in each direction instead of two, so avoid driving here if you can. Parking is in private garages or on other streets.
The interior is quite dark. There is a long bar along the wall to the left of the entrance. A hostess station is about half way in to the restaurant. The menus are heavy bound, almost book like in their appearance with just the two pages plus a small insert for steak options. The drinks menu is similarly bound with many pages of beers, wines and cocktails.
Tables are covered in white cloth, with cloth napkins and nice, heavy flatware. Water glasses, and bread plate round out the setting. We were seated at a table for two inside the restaurant next to large open windows giving the feel of being on a porch.
The kitchen, located at the back of the dining area is open. You pass by on your way to be seated and wow is there a lot of heat coming out of there. They have what appears to be a brick fire oven, but I don't remember pizza being on the menu. Tables are set as two and four tops. Along the wall on your right is a full length mirror allowing diners facing the wall to see what is happening behind them. Restrooms are past the bar.
Shortly after being seated we were asked if we wanted still, sparkling or tap water. Along with water, bread was delivered with a roasted garlic oil, pesto that tastes of anise and a white bean spread which is very mild. This staff member kept an eye on all diners bringing new diners water and bread. Bottled water is left in a metal wine cooler by the table while tap water is refilled by another member of staff.
We ordered a glass of beer, a glass of wine, two appetizers and one pasta dish. The wine, Rosso di Montelcino, is from a vineyard in Tuscany, and one I keep on hand at home. The glass I received was from a bottle opened the previous night based on the taste. There are systems available to preserve wine in open bottles, and for the price of the 6oz pour I received, they should absolutely be using one. There is zero reason why any customer should get an 'old' glass of wine.
The meatball appetizer comes with three meat balls about the size of a ping pong ball, covered in tomato sauce, a large dollop of soft cheese and a grilled piece of bread It is a tasty meatball and would be a nice starter for two or three people. The sauce is light, the cheese mild.
The burrata appetizer consists of one small asparagus, sliced lengthwise, grilled and then set, flat side down, on the platter. This is covered in a generous serving of arugula, a few slivers of roasted red pepper and two cherry tomatoes cut in half. On top is placed an individual sized burrata, with a sprinkle of black pepper and a drizzle of balsamic on the side of the platter taking up the other half of the dish. The asparagus is cooked firm, the arugula is fresh, the roasted red peppers mild and a nice addition to the dish. The Burrata has a thin, outer mozzarella like 'shell' that when cut through reveals a creamy curd inside. The first taste was tart which leads me believe it is made with buffalo milk which is very popular in Italy just now. A drizzle of high quality olive oil would have benefited this dish. The balsamic was in line with what is available in American grocery stores, not the smoother quality vinegar found in Italy.
In many American-Italian restaurants, you get a heaping bowl of pasta. Not here. Instead it is presented as it would be in Italy as a primo corso, consumed before your secondo corso. The pasta was an extruded style like a spaghetti, but as thick as ziti, only solid, instead of hollow and about three times as long. Due to the density of this pasta, in order to cook through to the center, the exterior is a bit soft, while the center more al dente. Flavor of the sauce was good, with bits of pancetta throughout.
We finished with espresso and the serving size is generous. An espresso in Italy is about 2 to 3 sips. Here is was a good 6 or more. A 'Doppio' if you will. The coffee is served with sugar on the side and one cookie.
From my experiences of dining in Italy for a number of years while a resident, it is not possible to recreate the food experience in the U.S. This location comes close to replicating the dining experience and of course Italian foods shipped to the U.S. cost more (like the wine) than when consumed in the country of origin. Every dish was tasty and simple with a nice presentation. The quality was good and ingredients fresh. The wait staff are well trained and professional and the ambiance refined while still relaxed. Plenty of guests were in their shorts and tank tops and all were treated equally well. Your final bill will reflect the combination of presentation, waitstaff, and ambiance. read more