If you're looking for North End vibes minus the chaos and trash issues, then add Vuolo's to your…read morebucket list. For a little restaurant on a quiet street corner in Winthrop, you'd never expect the vibrant atmosphere just beyond the front door. Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in the Greater Boston Area, but owner Lisa, her family, and her staff have succeeded in making Vuolo's a destination restaurant. You better bring an appetite because their menu demands nothing less. I could fill up on just the crusty bread and roasted garlic oil alone. My top two appetizers are probably the tender meatballs and perfectly crispy mozzarella fritti. If you need some greens, the Caesar salad is perfect for sharing. As for entrees, it's usually a toss-up between the chicken parm and gnocchetti, unless it's October, when I only have eyes for the divine pumpkin ravioli. (That is a reminder to always review their monthly and Monday/Tuesday specials.) While all of their desserts are amazing, the crème brûlée and tiramisu are standouts. For those that imbibe, Vuolo's array of cocktails will truly blow your hair back. Beverage Director Joe is a wizard that knows how to satisfy any palate. Not only do they nail all the classics, but their inventive cocktail creations are not to be missed. Their creamy martinis (espresso, pistachio, and pumpkin in the fall) are the best I've had anywhere. I also really love Ol' Buddy Ol' Pal, their version of an old fashioned. In both taste and presentation, Vuolo's cocktails give any popular cocktail bar in the city a run for its money. The caliber of dining and food options in Winthrop has improved in recent years, and I would say that Vuolo's was the one to kickstart that movement. Needless to say, I feel just a tad spoiled having them so close to home. Nothing beats a satisfying meal in a cozy environment with some of the friendliest customer service around. Whether I'm planning a birthday outing or just want a casual weekday dinner, Vuolo's is always a top contender.

Was in town for a work event and stopped by the bar at Vuolo's for an early dinner. Even at 5pm the…read morebar was already packed and it was a very lively environment. There is ample street parking out front and the space itself is tucked into the corner of a building. The staff were welcoming and served me almost immediately once I sat down. The menu has a number of options and some specials too. I went with the eggplant parm which was cooked perfectly and the sauce was vibrant and delicious. It also came with a side of pasta which is made in-house. Next time I definitely plan to order one of their pasta dishes. Added bonus that they have a few mocktail options if you're not drinking. Definitely a spot to check out if you're in the area.

I ordered the classic D'Parma salad to go and it was delicious! Whenever i'm in the Winthrop area I…read morehave to stop and get this salad. They're always super quick and the takeout process is easy. It's very reasonable as well. I definitely recommend this spot!

Another regular place I visit whenever I am home. I bring everyone here, and I am here multiple…read moretimes a week honestly. Everything here is good from the bread, the appetizers, the drinks, to the main course. I even just love a basic Caesar salad with chicken cutlets from here. Some of my go tos are the 3 cheese pasta, and the chicken salt and boca. I prefer to eat in here, the 4/5 comes from the fact that take out often lacks, but thats not totally unexpected, and sometimes service can be slow, but its usually a perfect experience, and I go there often. The vibes here are also nice, its a smaller place, but pretty. In the summer they also have an outdoor patio.

love this place! the food is always good and the staff is extremely friendly. it's more of a casual…read moreatmosphere, which i like. i've been here a few times as my boyfriend and i now live a few minutes away so it's convenient! we've had quite a few different things on the menu, and they're great everytime. my favorite is the piccata (not pictured in this review, but so good). the vodka fusilli is a close second. i love that the pasta in that dish is homemade, totally makes a difference. it's a little pricey, and i do feel like the portions can be small depending on the meal, but overall a really cute and delicious place.

It's refreshing to see a new spot on Shirley Street. We decided to try them for brunch on a chilly…read moreday. As an up and comer in the area, I was looking to them to bring the flavor. They did, but pulled some punches. I opted for an Italian Wedding soup, which hit right. The soup was well seasoned and the vegetables still had enough texture to signal to me they were fresh. While I had been hoping to enjoy the soup as a first course, the kitchen brought my Sicilian chicken panini at the same time. The chicken was well cooked (and not too pressed) but the flavor of the red pepper was a bit lost in the mayonnaise (which in hindsight was an odd choice of topping for this one). We also had pancakes and eggs -- because breakfast all day almost seems like a good idea. The pancakes were well cooked but was looking for a lot more crispiness from the bacon. Service was a bit spotty and our dishes did take awhile to appear. Fortunately, there were some nice ladies with a few too many martinis to keep us entertained.

So delicious. Highly recommend. Definitely need a reservation. Service was great. Wine was deliciousread more

Service was outstanding, ambiance was a vibe (for couples or a family, food was tasty. Would…read morerecommend!

We had many fine dining experiences during our NE visit, and choosing Cafe Valenciano for our last…read moreNE dinner was perfecto. My local friends suggested we dine here as our first choice was closed on Sundays. I did previously dine here when it was Cafe Rosetti's, and was told that it's the same chefs and a similar menu. This is a local joint that is located right on Winthrop Beach. Parking is a challenge, and this is a cozy restaurant, so reservations are best. The food is fabulous, portions are large, and you will most likely be taking leftovers home. They are also BYOB, and they will keep your cocktails chilled and uncork your wine for you. I could have ordered many of their apps, but we decided on the eggplant rolletinni and eggplant topped with ricotta and mozzarella. Oh my, both were cooked perfectly tender and topped with their delicious sauce. I opted for the homemade fusilli pasta option with my veal entree. The pasta was cooked al dente, perfect. I could go into much more detail regarding how tender my veal was or how Plus 1's bolognese was one of the best I ever experienced, but to summarize everything on the menu is 5-star old-school Italian.

Best pizza in the area by far!! Food is ready very quickly. Highly recommend for dinnerread more

Came here to meet up a friend! She recommended a cute coffee spot! We both had omelets it was…read moredelicious and so were their cappuccinos! The vibe is quaint + inviting. I would definitely give it a try if you're looking to have a cup of coffee and some light breakfast! They also have an outside little patio!

Mi prometido y yo amábamos Pomona hasta el día de hoy, amábamos su servicio y su comida. La comida…read morenunca cambia y es excelente pero el servicio y eso que si se puede llamar servicio fue pésimo, al Principio nos atendió un hombre aparentemente amable de unos 24 años aproximándamente, nos tomó la orden de la comida y la bebida y fue solo hasta el momento en el que llegaron las entradas que tuvimos servicio, en ningún momento ni hubo de los meseros que habían en el lugar o mujer o el hombre se acercaron a verificar cómo estábamos de comida o si queríamos agregar algo más, cuando en un momento la mesera Valentina ( se que se llama así por el cheque) se acercó de una forma grosera y nos dice "ustedes no van a a ordenar plato fuerte, les voy a retirar las cartas" en ningún momento nos preguntó si queríamos ordenar algo más una bebida extra o algo tan simple como si queríamos ordenar postre o hasta hacernos el refill de agua... ella se llevó las cartas y fue como si se olvidaran de nosotros siento nosotros la única mesa que tenían en el restaurante, cuando pasaron unos 30 minutos después de ella retirar las cartas y ver que nadie fue a seguirnos atendiendo (aún sin menús! ) me paré a la caja y Valentina se estaba despidiendo de su compañero mesero pues ya había sido su hora de salida me acerqué y pregunté por la cuenta y le conté al mesero la situación de que literalmente se habían olvidado de nosotros y que ella nos había quitado las cartas cuando nosotros íbamos en plan de almorzar y tardear, que es como siempre lo hacemos, el dijo que lo sentía pero no dio ni fuma explicación cuando estaba solo pegado del celular en la estación de café todo el tiempo y sin ninguna atención de atendernos, esta conversación la tuvimos creo que era delante del chef o del sub chef que llegó a esa misma hora y el estaba tan entretenido en su celular que cuando me acerqué a pedir la cuenta no se había dado cuenta que yo estaba detrás de él y el chef tuvo que decirle que estaba detrás, este chico me ofrece un supuesto descuento que adjuntaré en las fotos de 25 % en cada plato o bebida que pudimos ordenar antes de quedarnos literalmente sin servio porque ellos al parecer no tenían ganas de trabajar y ella tenía al parecer prisa para irse para su casa a las 3pm, el descuento no me lo dio en las bebidas, no había ninguna encargado o supervisor con quien pudiera hablar solo estaba aquel mesero y la mesera Valentina que justo había acabado de salir por eso nos retiró las cartas, es muy triste como un buen Resturnate de tantos años fracase por mal servicio como este, cuando una cuenta pudo ser de $400 dólares solo Fue de $55 solo porque ellos no quisieron trabajar más, siempre recomendé Pomona para toda ocasión, iba a celebrar mi matrimonio con ellos pero ya decidí no hacerlo no quiero pagar por un mal servicio en el mejor día de mi vida, de Pomona solo rescato la comida, hoy fue el peor servicio que he recibido en mi vida es más no es ni un servicio porque simplemente no fuimos atendidos

Came in last night to celebrate my best friend's birthday and Rino's confirmed what I have already…read moreknown for a long time: you will not get a better dining experience anywhere in the city of Boston! Every single bite of food from the appetizers to dessert was a religious experience. Our server was amazing! Every time she left the table, we couldn't help but say to each other, "she's the best kind of server to have!" Everyone is so kind and welcoming that we felt right at home. If you're in the mood for Italian food, you are wasting your time going anywhere else! 10/10

I'm going to give this place the benefit of the doubt and hope it was an off day but the experience…read moreI had here wasn't what I was expecting unfortunately. This place was recommended by a local and they raved about how this was a must eat spot if we were in Boston, how celebrities would go here, etc. We were staying near the area, so we decided to check it out! Before coming here and checking reviews, we've already seen how big the portions were already and initially decided to do family style and share dishes. When ordering, the server told us that each person needed to get an entree. So keep that in mind when coming here. All of our utensils and glassware were noticeably dirty so we asked for replacements. They grabbed the dishes from the table next to us. Once the food came, the Bolognese pasta was extremelyyyy salty. I wanted to think that maybe my taste palette was different or not adjusted to the seasonings here but I wasn't the only one who felt this way. We got leftovers to-go and even trying the food at home it still felt overly salty for what pasta flavors should be. A bit disappointed since we were excited about this place and reading other good reviews prior to coming.

The food was excellent, Service was attentive and non-intrusive. Menu is complete and the wine…read morelist is limited but has some good selections.

We chose to eat an early dinner at Mario's for its proximity to Logan airport ( 7" drive ) and the…read moregood reviews we had read. We were able to get a reservation earlier in the day, actually arrived early and were seated immediately. We enjoyed the pleasant wait staff but found it to be a bit slow on the service. We both enjoyed an ample portion appetizer of fried Calamari served with homemade marinara. Quite good. Our meals of Veal Parmagiana and a pasta dish with white sauce and shrimp were also very good. The shrimp done perfectly! Meals included a traditional Italian salad and bread. The dessert choices were amazing. Best cannoli we have ever had and Pistachio Gelato. Mario's is a good choice for a casual solid very good Italian meal but not outstanding.

Everything about Ciao! was awesome but honestly the staff were above and beyond. So friendly and…read morevested in the food and the restaurant. I had the Salsiccia which was amazing. The peppers weren't spicy but added perfect acid to the whole pizza. The dough was amazing and it was flawlessly cooked (which for a true Napolitano pizza is a challenge) which is a good sign for any pizza from here. The wife had the Gnochetti which had the important trick of knowing to mix the gnocchi and the short rib into one amazing concoction. Trust me on this one. We closed with the Nutella pizza which I've had at numerous other restaurants and Ciao's was hands down the best ever. Make sure to save room for this... seriously. We really fell in love with Ciao! and will 100% be coming back the next time we're in town.

We chose Ciao! in Chelsea for its proximity to the airport as we were doing a drop off for an…read moreevening flight. We found the folks here to be so welcoming and genuine in their desire to provide a delicious meal and experience. This is a small casual cafe with takeout service and a small eat in space and in good weather, outdoor seating, though limited. Excellent prompt service by the charming staffers. Four of us shared the Fungi pizza and the Margherita pizza. Both were delicious with a crisp thin crust and so fresh tasting. In addition we tried a plate of their Short Ribs which tasted homemade for sure. The menu also offered several pasta choices. The desserts shared were cannoli, tiramisu and a mousse. All delicious. This is a definite "return to" pizzeria.

Tidbit!!! Get a reservation…read more Onto the review -- We expected the food to be touristy, since it's in the North End. While the bread initially felt like that tourist vibe (cold, served with... little cups of oil... weird), the main dishes were outstanding. We enjoyed the caprese, the lobster ravioli, and the clam linguini -- all really good. If you're looking for dessert, while my boyfriend would've preferred a sweeter cannoli, I was a big fan of the tiramisu, both for its size and taste. I would recommend getting a reservation, as the spot is cozy and can get a little cramped. We did see people leave after being late to their reservation. Lastly the service was very attentive. Our initial server may have been new. She didn't chat much, but she checked on us often. The second server was super chatty and really listened to what we wanted.

Good food, friendly service and a small by cozy dining room!…read more This was a solid meal! They work around a hour and a half table rotation so keep that in mind. I won't lie. It kind of felt rushed but it's doable. Myself, when I am out spending a good amount of money, the rushed feeling is the one I don't want to have. But our server was awesome. Knew the menu and wine list well. Did his best to not make us feel rushed. So apps were Bruschetta, antipasto, clams. All were awesome and very well proportioned! Entries were amazing and again well proportioned. Their homemade pasta was yummy!!! And Finally I got my Tiramisu!!' Inside joke with my friends. All in all this was a great dinner, two thumbs up and definitely on my list to visit again!