First visit to this much-talked-about Italian provisions shop that also does respectable…read moresandwiches. No parking, no rest rooms, and nowhere to sit and eat, but I was impressed by the friendliness of the staff and the speed by which they made the sandwich. -- Italian Sandwich: A heavy beast of a sandwich with a lengthy ciabatta roll stuffed with sopressata, salami, capicola, hot capicola, mortadella with pistachios, asiago cheese, arugula, tomato, onion, seasoned oil, pickles, and hot peppers. --- All of the flavors came through and the meats seemed of very high-quality. The pickles were more noticeable than the hots, but easy to adjust next time. The cheese tasted better as it went along, probably getting closer to room temperature where it really shines. --- The flavors and textures were all impressive with the one exception of the ciabatta-- a little on the firm side, but that could be symptomatic of my late Sunday visit. I give them a pass for that and applaud this VERY good sandwich. --- Incredible value! This had to weigh at least 3 pounds and could easily have fed two people, and for only slightly more than a McDonald's "value" meal. Normally, I would wait and try it again before reviewing, but the city of Lynn isn't easy for me to get to, so now it is and it's an easy 4. The only things holding them back from a 5 are the lack of parking, seating, and toilet.

My quest to find the best local Italian sub may have ended! The large sandwich was more than enough…read moreto eat for two meals and the homemade Ciabatta bread was still incredible even eaten the next day. There are several ready to heat and eat items for sale as well as freshly-made uncooked items. Note that there is no seating to eat inside so you'll need to take your items to-go.

Pastaio Via Corta is a fresh organic homemade pasta, provisions, and natural wine shop in the heart…read moreof Gloucester. My mom and I were visiting Gloucester a week or so ago and, while shopping around town, came across Pastaio. Once we saw that fresh pasta in the window, we had to stop in. They make fresh pasta and they dry pasta in the shop as well. Then there's a bunch of other Italian goods and foods - and the wine! The staff were wonderful, and my mom and I walked out with dried pasta, candied lemon peels, a bottle of wine, and more. If I lived in the area, I'd be here once a month to stock up! It's a special shop, and the staff make it even more special.

DO NOT GO HERE, IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE. You will find…read moreyourself unable to enjoy grocery store pasta, you won't even consider going down the aisle. Instead, you'll be doing weekly fresh pasta nights. Do you like wine? Definitely don't go here, because there's a great assortment, BOOM, you'll buy a bottle with your fresh pasta. I haven't had the raviolis because I'm not full on masochist (everyone says they'll change your life even though the owner insists she is more proud of the spaghetti) Speaking of the owner, I've caught her doing the dishes herself, how many owners do that? How humble, very demure. Not to say the staff isn't helpful and friendly because Tyler will help you pick out a bottle that is tall and skinny so you don't have guilt about finishing it in one night. Like I said, don't go here because you won't leave empty handed. There's also an infamous rumor that Anna Delvey frequents here-- who's to say?

Salvatore's is the only place I go to for fresh pasta! Great food and great prices! They are always…read morefriendly and great service too!! Easy to get to and an awesome spot for all of your special occasions! I highly suggest everyone go there!!

My husband and I attended the pasta making class with Guilio and it was absolutely amazing! Guilio…read morewas both a great host and instructor. I learned more about pasta at this class than at another pasta making class I took in Florence just the month before! It's obvious these guys live and breathe pasta, and it's cool that it's right in downtown Melrose. Now all they need is their liquor license :) Would highly recommend this class.

Every Christmas, we call ahead and order trays for pickup. We ordered chicken parm, eggplant parm,…read morelasagna, and sauce, which never disappoints! When arriving to pick up the order in the morning, there were so many staff ready to help - I was picking up two orders and I had one person per order, which made the process so much quicker! They made sure that the order was correct and retrieved the orders, along with wrapping the containers in plastic. They also had people with trays helping customers to their cars when they had a lot of trays to carry. Everything was super quick and efficient and I would definitely recommend for the holidays, or other occasions!

I have been going here for many years and never had any issues until about fourteen months ago…read more Since then all down hill from there. I have purchased trays of food for parties, take out for my family and I have ordered cakes for special occasions. Let's start with the food. One of our favorite dishes is the chicken Broccoli Alfredo one day I picked up a family size and the cream was so sour it smelled! I called the next day and they refunded me. Several months later again cream was bad they refunded me. I explained to the manager this was the second time and they are not rotating their products enough or they are keeping it way too long. Now the desserts! Last year I purchased a birthday cake for my mom and the entire inside was not what I ordered. It happened to be her last birthday cake ever. Thinking maybe it was an innocent mistake I continue to purchase cakes so a few months later I order a cake and my husband and son go to pick it up two hours after I tell them to have it ready. They get there and the cake was never made so they wait one hour for them to rush it. You would think I would have learned my lesson by now but they do make nice cakes. Four days ago I ordered a graduation cake for my daughter. We were having a surprise after graduation gathering at a restaurant. I spoke to the manager and we talked about what I wanted. My sister-in-law went to pick it up today and they lost the slip and the cake never got made! They rush the order and tell us they will deliver it to the restaurant. What a hot mess this cake was! It was supposed to have a smaller fake hat but instead they made a huge hat with fondant that was so big it looked foolish. The cake was supposed to be a very light tint of pink it was pink but it was a Pepto-Bismol pink! It was screaming pink! It was supposed to have black scroll on the sides but there was non. It was supposed to have her picture scanned onto it but no they handed me back the picture with the cake. We still had half of cake left over so we take it home. It did not survive the short ride home. The graduation hat was so damn heavy and the cake was so soft from being made so quickly that they never refrigerated it so it could get firm and set. Instead it was put into a car and rushed to the restaurant. So the ride home it completely fell apart! Basically it looked like we had a cake fight and threw it back in the box. I am so disappointed with the Pastry Shop and it is a shame because they do make good items. There is no organization at this place! Never again and I will make sure I let all my friends and family know. I would seriously reconsider having an event here. They use the same food. Buyer beware! Two star is because the cake taste good even though it looked terrible.

Have walked by a million times and finally stopped in today. Picked up a pound of pacceri and a…read morepound of bucatini. We also got a block of guanculi and some fresh grated reggiano. They also had other meats, cheeses, olives, and sauces. Total was $44.44 which I thought was reasonable for the high quality ingredients. If you are lucky enough to find street parking in the North End-most spots are free for 2 hours.

I was on the hunt for a great fresh pasta shop in Boston to gather some treats to take home on our…read moreflight to Indianapolis and Monica's popped up on Yelp. The staff was incredibly friendly in this cozy little pasta shop in the north end neighborhood. We selected a pasta nest for each family member and bagged them up for the road. The next day we thoroughly enjoyed our fresh spinach paparadelle and bucatini. Chef's kiss The store also offers a variety of classic Italian items like cheese, risotto, and Moore. Definitely worth a pitstop as you work your way through this tasty neighborhood.

Had my daughter's birthday party at Savy Little Playhouse, and got Frankie Slice for food since it…read morewas in the same building. Pizza was very good and they cut it into 16 slices, which was perfect for the kids. Will use these guys again in the future when we have another party at Savy. Highly recommend!

We have heard sooo many good things about Frankie Slice and finally gave it a try tonight. I have…read moreto say - it exceeded expectations! The service was super fast and friendly - our pizza was ready within 10 minutes which is insanely fast for a Saturday night. After trying many pizza places around the North Shore, my husband and I both agree this is our favorite yet (by a LOT). It was cooked to perfection and we nearly polished off the whole thing ourselves (we got the jumbo pizza size which had nice big slices!). We can't wait to come back again soon!

Fantastic Italian specialty store! Fresh cold cuts, cheeses, dry goods, and fresh-cooked foods. I…read morehad a fresh-filled canollo that was as good as any in the North End! Very friendly people!

Omg - this is just like traveling to Italy. I can't believe that I haven't been here before. We…read morewound up buying a ton of pasta and cookies, things that I haven't seen since I was in Bologna.

If you consider yourself a fan and an avid lover of the Italian delicatessen genre, this is it…read more This is the place you need to try if you're in the area. If you're in the Boston area, I would consider it a sin NOT to try Bricco's Salumeria. Not joking when I say that my favorite bite experienced during my entire trip to Massachusetts, came from one of the focaccia sandwiches I ordered from Bricco's. I have already made it a point in my mind to hit this spot in the North End of Boston any and EVERY-time I find myself in the Boston area. It truly is an Italian staple and a Boston Classic! I am a sucker for the majority of places that promote and sell to the public the local or imported ingredients and produce that are used in the making of the speciality menu items that make the spot a household name. Truly a traditional and classic Italian spot that speaks to the inner Paisan inside. It's like stepping into a part of Italy when you walk in here. The place is oozing with class and history, along with a mouthful of delicious stories to hear and sample from the staff that breathe life Into this place. The only bad thing is the limited seating. Thankfully though, there's a local park down the road that you can sit at while you enjoy this wonderful Boston Gem.

Down the mysterious looking alley hides a charming deli and bakery!! As we were on a food tour, we…read moredidn't have time to wait in line to buy sandwiches from the cute deli, but after watching the ladies making pasta through the window, I did manage to make my way down the stairs to the bakery for a look and got talked into buying a sfogliatelle from the lady standing behind me. The bakery is cash only and sells a variety of breads: baguettes, ciabatta, sourdough, & olive bread. In addition to the sfogliatelle, they sell muffins, croissants, and focaccia and muffins. The sfogliatelle was pretty good, the pastry was crispy and flaky and the lemon ricotta filling was very rich and creamy. I would've loved to have a couple loaves of the bread, but there was no way I was going to be able to bring it home as I was already maxed out with my carry ons!

Piccolo Piatti is finally open in Salem after waiting a few years with the "Coming Soon" banner…read morehanging on the green painted house at the corner of Webb St & Collins St. This small house was formerly Amazing Pizza & More which is relocated to the Wharf. Operated by Antique Table, Piccolo Piatti of Salem is strictly a takeout eatery (no table seating) which serves up a variety of paninis/subs/wraps with fries, chicken wings, pizza, grain bowls, salads, smoothies, acai bowls, juices, and can soda. The menu here is different than Antique Table and Piccolo Piatti Winthrop, which offers full service dining with mostly Italian food. I stopped by Piccolo Piatti mid-afternoon and the place was fairly busy with people hanging out waiting for their orders. I ordered a Salmon Bowl ($16 plus tax) which was ready in about 25 minutes after ordering since there were already large orders before mine. I watched the two cooks prepare food in the kitchen as I waited. The Salmon Bowl was really good with nice flavors, which had white rice, mixed greens, red onions, pico de gallo, hot tender honey glazed salmon smoothed with a pesto mayo. I will definitely have to drop in again for a hot sandwich with a smoothie!

Got take out pasta dishes....food was delicious, however, for $20.99, both dishes were kids size…read moreportions. Seems like a couple more spoonful's pasta and more than 2 meatballs would at least begin to look like an adult's size portion. $50 for 2 very small meals.