It seems everyone has several favorite Boston North End restaurants. I am no different.  Most Italian-American restaurants that I have tried in this popular neighborhood serve excellent food.  With this post I will not rate restaurants in the manner of Tripadvisor, Yelp, etc., but, rather, I will explain why the restaurants below are my current “go-to” restaurants. What I look for is:  (1) does the restaurant serve an array of quality dishes representative of Southern Italy cuisine?  (2) is there a broad representation of wines from Southern Italy?  (3) what is the restaurant’s commitment to the promotion of sustainable agriculture and viticulture? and (4) what is my personal connection to the restaurant?  In light of these biases, here are my current “go-to” restaurants in Boston’s North End.

Ristorante Fiore http://www.ristorantefiore.com

During one of my trips to Italy I toured La Rustichella, a pasta-making company in Montemiletto, Avelino, Campania,  http://www.larustichella.it. The owner, Vincenzo Scala, is a friend of Fiore Colella, the owner of Ristorante Fiore. Vincenzo and Fiore were raised in the town of Torre le Nocello, which is adjacent to Montemiletto. The manager of Ristorante Fiore, Alfonso De Lucia, who immigrated from the Province of Caserta, has a son who went to school with one of my sons.  Ristorante Fiore serves an array of dishes representative of Southern Italy cuisine. My favorite is bombolotti al forno; a tube shape pasta whose ends are shaped like wagon wheels (similar to “wagon wheel” pasta that you may remember from your youth; but longer), with tomato sauce, sausage, onion, basil and reggiano and goat cheese. Ristorante Fiore features an outside patio and roof deck dining.

Taranta http://www.tarantarist.com

Per the website, Taranta is a “marriage between Southern Italian cuisine and Peruvian cuisine”.  Jose’ Duarte, the owner, was born in Peru. His wife, Anna, is from Boston’s North End.  Taranta is a green-certified restaurant.  It offers a wide selection of wines from Southern Italy wineries that abide by sustainable viticulture, including several wines from my friend Nick Mucci, owner of Mucci Imports, http://mucciimports.com.  My favorite dishes are fusilli avellinesi al cartoccio (fusilli baked in parchment paper with a sauce of onions, pancetta Abbruzzese, roasted tomatoes and smoked sweet peppers) and pappardelle con funghi porcini (free form cut pappardelle pasta with wild mushrooms, porcini and white truffle oil).

Trattoria Il Panino http://www.trattoriailpanino.com

Trattoria Il Panino – “Mediterranean Cuisine of the Amalfi Coast” – is the first of the many food establishments started by Frank DePasquale in the Boston area http://www.depasqualeventures.com.  The menu is representative of Southern Italy cuisine. (Do not let the tagline confuse you; many of the items on the menu are representative of areas other than the Amalfi Coast.) My favorite dishes are paccheri al ragu (signature Neapolitan rigatoni, slowed cook lamb, beef, veal and pork ragu) and paccheri con aragosto (signature Neapolitan rigatoni, 1 and 1/4 Maine lobster in tomato sauce).

Limoncello http://www.ristorantelimoncello.com

Friends encouraged my wife and me to try this restaurant. We are glad they did. Per the website, the owners of Limoncello are from Calabria. The restaurant’s wine expert, Sabino DeLuca, who is from Montefalcione, Avellino, Campania (an area where many Italians and Italian-Americans in Greater Boston come from) includes several wines from Southern Italy on the menu.  I had a stuffed artichoke for an appetizer and a main course of zuppa di crostacei e pesce fresco (fresh 1/2 baked lobster with mussels, clams,calamari, shrimp and catch of the day).

All four are great places to relax and enjoy Southern Italy cuisine. If you have a favorite or two, send in a comment!

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