Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Go Straight to the Source
The tiramisu at many North End restaurants comes from
Modern Pastry,
257
Hanover St. (
&
617/523-3783
). The surreally good concoction ($3.50 a slice at
the shop) makes an excellent picnic dessert in the summer—head 4 blocks
down Richmond Street to eat in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, off
Atlantic Avenue.
Finds
Unlike some neighborhood places, it's friendly to outsiders—you'll feel welcome even
if your server doesn't greet you by name. La Summa is worth seeking out just for the
wonderful homemade pasta and desserts, and the more elaborate entrees are scrump-
tious, too. You might start with salad, ravioli, or soup (our waitress one night didn't
know exactly what was in the excellent butternut squash soup because, and I quote,
“My mother made it”).
Try any seafood special,
pappardelle e melanzane
(strips of eggplant tossed with ethe-
real fresh pasta in a light marinara sauce), shrimp in light marinara sauce over linguini,
or the house special—veal, chicken, sausage, shrimp, artichokes,
pepperoncini
(pickled
hot peppers), olives, and mushrooms in white-wine sauce. Desserts, especially tiramisu,
are terrific.
30 Fleet St.
&
617/523-9503.
Reservations recommended on weekends. Main courses $11-$24. AE, DC, DISC, MC,
V. Sun-Fri 4:30-10:30pm; Sat 4:30-11pm. T: Green or Orange Line to Haymarket.
Piccola Venezia
ITALIAN The glass front wall of Piccola Venezia (“little Venice”)
shows off the exposed-brick dining room, decorated with photos and posters and
filled with happy locals and out-of-towners. Portions are large, and the homey food
tends to be heavy on red sauce. You might begin with the appetizer sampler, an artery-
clogging delight featuring fried calamari, garlic bread with cheese, mozzarella sticks,
and sautéed shrimp; a more traditional starter is tasty
pasta e fagioli
(bean and pasta
soup). Then dig into a big plate of chicken parmigiana, eggplant rolatini, or grilled
pork chops with vinegar peppers. This is a good place to try traditional Italian-Ameri-
can favorites such as polenta (home-style, not the yuppie croutons available at so
many other places) and
baccala
(reconstituted salt cod).
263 Hanover St.
&
617/523-3888.
Reservations recommended at dinner. Main courses $13-$26; lunch specialties
$5-$10. AE, DISC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11:30am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm (lunch Mon-Sat until 3pm). Vali-
dated parking available. T: Green or Orange Line to Haymarket.
INEXPENSIVE
Galleria Umberto Rosticceria
ITALIAN The long, fast-moving line snaking
toward the door is your first clue that this cafeteria-style spot just off the Freedom Trail
is a bargain. Then you notice that most of the customers are locals and businesspeople.
The food is worth the wait. You can fill up on a couple of slices of pizza, but for the
true experience, try
arancini
(a deep-fried rice ball filled with ground beef, peas, and
cheese). Calzones—ham and cheese; spinach; spinach and cheese; or spinach, sausage,
and cheese—and mozzarella-stuffed potato croquettes
(panzarotti)
are also tasty. Study
the cases of food while you wait and be ready to order at once when you reach the head
of the line. Pause for a quick lunch and get on with your sightseeing.
289 Hanover St.
&
617/227-5709.
All items less than $4. No credit cards. Mon-Sat 10:45am-2:30pm. Closed July.
T: Green or Orange Line to Haymarket.
Value
