We had dinner at Il Casale in Belmont after a long day of meetings. Our priority was a tall, cold…read morebeverage which, when paired with Italian, can make for a splendid end to the week. Our meetings were at Harvard Business School in Cambridge but finding parking on the other side of the river after 8 pm is an unenviable challenge. We let serendipity guide our search and we happened upon Il Casale in Belmont. Located in a 19th Century converted fire house, Il Casale has high ceilings and brick walls that create a spacious, open interior. Il Casale was busy and, though seated immediately, had to wait a bit for service - understandable on a Friday evening. We started with a 2019 Barone Cornacchia Casanova Montepulciano d'Abruzzo which is an organic, full-bodied red wine with strong nose and hints of black cherry with a spicy finish. We also had an extra dry Hendricks up that, alas, could not be served as a Gibson. The menu is extensive and features the usual cast of characters. The pasta is house made and perfectly al dente. We had the grilled salmon and the chicken parmigiana. Both were solid, if not spectacular. We finished with their version of olive oil cake which was actually very good. Served warm from the grill, the dessert was a very nice end to a pleasant meal. We recommend Il Casale for a well executed Italian dinner.

The food is good, the ambience is fine, service is hit-or miss. The prices here, like elsewhere,…read morehave increased, but $18 for a child's portion of pasta? Do they just not want kids there? Keeping out the riffraff? How Belmontian.

Homemade Pasta dishes 28 to 32 dollars…read more Give me a break Pasta is still very cheap to make Plus the size of his dishes

I am not a huge pasta eater BUT since visiting Boston and being turned on to Bistro 5's Spaghetti…read moreChittara, I have been obsessed! I have to travel to Boston on my annual pilgrimage to eat at Bistro 5! Not only is the food amazing, the service is top notch and they always make me feel so welcome. The last 2 times I've gone, they were serving specialty menus BUT when they find out I've traveled from Austin just to eat the Spaghetti Chittara, they have made the dish especially for me (plus an extra one to take home!) Our waiter this time was Aaron, originally from Austin! He was incredible and made a point by calling us by our names and going above and beyond!! The only problem I have (well, 2 problems) are that I can't get it in Austin and I can't figure out how to reverse engineer it so it makes for an expensive dinner counting the travel expenses but well worth it!!

Did someone say pasta? I had the pleasure of going to the Fat Hen located on 126 Broadway St,…read moreSomerville, MA this week. They serve a wide variety of wine and delicious pasta dishes that seriously rival some of my favorite italian spots in the Boston area. For appetizers we had their yellowfin tuna crudo and the beef tartare. The tuna crudo was my favorite of the two and had delightful notes of ginger and serrano pepper. For pasta dishes we had the wild mushroom gemelli, the duck confit tortellini and the goat cheese gnocchi. The pastas all individually tasted amazing! We were blown away by the flavors and will be back to try the other pasta dishes on the menu. Finally, for dessert we had their tres leches cake when you dig deep into this cake you will be blown away Be sure to check out this spot next time you are in Somerville! Also, right next door is the Fat Hen's sister restaurant La Brasa which serves up more great dishes and cocktails. Rating: Food: 9/10 Affordability: 5/10 Note I was unable to sit inside Fat Hen due to a private event they were having. I was served the Fat Hen while seated in La Brasa so I can only rate the ambiance of La Brasa which was a solid 7/10.

One of the most underrated spots in the area!…read more Everything was prepared so delicately and with so much thought.

Their calzones are the star of the show! They also have a really kind delivery guy, who waited for…read moreme to come down and pick up the food once while it was raining so it wouldn't get soggy, which was really nice. I once ordered a buffalo chicken ceasar, and it was basically a house salad with tons of blue cheese/blue cheese dressing, so that was sad, but otherwise they never disappoint - a good, classic and relatively inexpensive option in Camberville.

Mike's should not be 3 stars... no idea why it is. Is it the best food you ever had? No, of course…read morenot. It suits the need, which is a fast grab or cheap eats after a night out on the town. The pizza slice deal as of Jan 2026 is $4 for a slice and a soda. Where else can you get that? Lunch and a drink for under $5 is unheard of. The slices are also crisp when they come out- not soggy or limp. Don't expect gourmet or the best ambiance/service- it is what it is, but Mike's does it well.

Great little date night spot in Somerville!…read more Get the Mozzarella Sicks, Get a Pizza, Get a Bottle of Lambrusco and you've got yourself a great night. Don't mind any review below 4 stars -- go and have yourself a night!

beautiful place with large tvs if you wanna watch a game. I tried their steak pizza, it was too…read moresalty and burnt for me . the server was slow and inattentive. there were only 5-6 mozzarella sticks . I would not return or recommend this place.

This is the quintessential neighborhood Italian restaurant. Family-owned and operated, cooking…read moredelicious food with love and care. Outdoor dining was a hit during the pandemic, but inside is a perfect cozy Italian dinning vibe. If you're looking for good food, friendly staff, and a classic Italian dinning experience in Arlington, this is your place.

Yummy yummy pasta night!…read more My bf surprised me by bringing me to this nice and cozy Italian restaurant in Arlington heights on Saturday night. It wasn't too busy so we were lucky to get a table. They only have a few tables so making a reservation would be a good idea. Soon after we were seated people started showing up and the tables were starting to fill up. We were served complimentary bread and olive oil which was very good while we decided on our dish. They had a few specials that were not on the menu and sounded delicious but we decided to try their shrimp pasta and their chicken cacciatore. We also ordered the house Nina salad which had delicious pears and a light and tangy vinaigrette dressing. The waiter was very nice and I also think he was the cook since you could see into the kitchen and there were only two people behind the counter. Our pasta dishes came out nice and hot and we quickly devoured them. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the shrimp were nice and juicy and fully peeled. The shrimp pasta had a nice lemony and tangy flavor and there was plenty of sauce. The chicken cacciatore was also very good. The chicken was nice and tender and the pasta was super flavorful. They were even kind enough to bring us more bread so we could finish our sauces! We will definitely be back!

We just recently came here for dinner and I got the penne arriabata and the garlic bread. It was…read moredelicious and so affordable! The staff at the pasta stand was so nice but the bar tender was even friendlier. All in all, an awesome crew over there. It's a very causal vibe so you can definitely come here after a workout class or after work.

This place is tucked away by the The Graphic apartment building on the edge of Charlestown. It's…read morepart of the Foundation Kitchen food hall and shared kitchen space, and you heard it here first, it's only a matter of time until this place blows up. It's soooo delicious I can't believe more people aren't raving about it already!! First off the the food hall itself is really cute. It's pretty cozy with a handful of tables to dine in at, several food stalls, and a bar courtesy of Fermenta where you can grab a drink from their great beer, wine, and cocktail menu while you wait for your food. Rita's is the first stall you see when you walk in the space, and the smell is so intoxicating I knew that was my choice as soon as I walked in. While we were there chatting with the staff (including Rita herself) we learned that it's a family run business, and that they had a restaurant in Rome for years before coming to the U.S.--so you know the food is going to be delicious and authentic. There's lots of pastas, pizzas, and entrees to choose from. I thought the prices were fair and the portion sizes were huuuuge, so you'll definitely walk away with leftovers. We tried the Carbonara, which rivals or even exceeds anything you'll find in the North End, and the Cappricciosa pizza which was equally delicious and pretty unique. We finished it off with two cannolis to go, and those didn't disappoint either. Highly recommend this spot for dine in or take out--I think I'll be a regular myself before long!

Stopped in at Ciao today after grocery shopping. We were seated quickly and comfortably, the staff…read morewere quite welcoming and attentive. Picked the Salsiccia pizza to split between us (and a poached pear and cannoli for dessert). First, the atmosphere is great! Inviting, with great views of Ball Square and the amazing pizza oven. The pizza arrived at the perfect temperature and quickly (we learned later that a pizza spends less than couple minutes in the oven due to how blisteringly hot it gets). Great flavor and composition to the pizza -- the sausage was extremely flavorful and there was just enough cheese. The dough is top notch, with just the right amount of chew! The poached pear and cannoli were excellent. Not too sweet with sufficient complexity. Very, very nice. My fiancé chatted with the staff and learned more about the location and the pizza oven (I mean, it's just too cool to not ask to see more closely). Great service, fantastic food. Will certainly return and I now feel remiss that we hadn't yet been.

Nice little spot! There are only about eight tables inside, so it has a cozy feel. We ordered…read moretakeout and simply called our order in. The spicy sausage pizza was excellent, the dough is homemade and tastes incredibly fresh. The toppings are fresh as well, which really comes through in the flavor. It's a bit pricey, but that's fairly typical for the Boston area. Overall, we'd definitely recommend it. I believe they offer delivery, too.