Boston’s North End neighborhood is well-known for its abundance of authentic Italian eateries. While you can always find excellent pasta dishes and Italian food in this cozy Italian-influenced neighborhood, you can also find great Italian food in other parts of the city. From the North End to the South End, and to the Back Bay, here are some of the best Italian restaurants in Boston.
- Gran Gusto
Gran Gusto in Cambridge serves up Italian dishes inspired by several different regions of Italy. Not only can you get delicious pasta dishes such as paccheri with short rib ragu, but you can also get some of the best pizza in the city at this Italian restaurant. Other menu items that you can’t go wrong with include the ravioli made with stracciatella and cherry tomatoes topped with eggplant sauce or the Zupa di Pesce. If you want to try the pizza, the capriccioso has tomato sauce, bufala mozzarella, hot salami, mushroom, and sheep ricotta. The salsiccia e friarielli is also another great choice. This pizza comes with bufala mozzarella, pork sausage, and broccoli rabe.
- Terramia
Terramia first opened in 1993, and since then has provided diners in the North End with elevated Italian food. The extensive menu includes the classics, but with a unique twist. Locals love the spaghetti con Pomodoro and the open-faced ravioli that comes with sea scallops, fresh zucchini, shrimp, and lobster Mascarpone reduction. Like most restaurants in the North End, Terramia is small and cozy, with paintings of Italy on the walls. If you want to get in on a weekend, make sure to call for reservations ahead of time.
- Giacomo’s – North End
Giacomo’s is arguably the most popular restaurants in the North End of Boston. You can expect to see a line out the door and down the sidewalk on any night of the week, but if you are willing to wait, you’ll be treated to large portions of authentic Italian food that costs very little. The owner keeps the prices low by staying cash-only and offering little in the way of extra frills. The signature Fruitti Di Mare comes with a generous serving of seafood that includes shrimp, scallops, clams, and other fresh fish. It’s served with a large portion of linguini and a delicious, spicy sauce.
- Rino’s Place
Head to East Boston and Rino’s Place to get some of the best Italian food in Boston. Diners flock to this restaurant for its wonderful red sauce and the huge ravioli that the staff in the kitchen makes to order. Other entree options include pollo marsala, which is a chicken dish made with sauteed mushrooms and ham. It’s finished in a marsala white wine lemon butter sauce. The Bolognese is also a local favorite. This dish has homemade pasta tossed with ground veal, pork, and beef, which is then slowly cooked in a fresh plum tomato sauce.
Boston has many excellent Italian restaurants. You can head to the North End for authentic family recipes or other parts of the city for fresh, made-to-order dishes in a relaxed atmosphere.
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