North End

I was one of the fortunate ones this past weekend — when all the traffic was coming to the Cape — I was happily heading traffic free to Boston to take over a friend’s North End flat for the weekend.

There really is nothing like the North End around. The atmosphere is more European than anything else around, at least in my book. So, my goal was to get all my friends to come into the North End, to avoid driving (how selfish). Well it worked.

Friday night we attempted the affordable. I picked a place on my street, Salem St. called Dino’s, seeing how my RISD grad. friend and her husband needed to keep within budget. They didn’t however like the look. So, we went to a place with more atmosphere (thank goodness - they do have good taste, though no offense, I am sure the food at Dino’s is great!) called La Familia Giorgio’s (which you can read about on CHOWHOUND), literally across from my weekend house. The host who took our name and seated us relatively promptly, right in the front window, was incredibly helpful and friendly. The meal was very affordable and delicious. I have not had a meatball like that in years!

We had two bottles of a nice basic dry table red from Abruzzo made from the Montepulciano grape. (more on Italian grapes). And since I was not in work mode in any way shape or form, completely forgot to get the name…

After a walk around the neighborhood we settled at the little pastry shop called Napoli Pastry. A nice Romanian girl worked the counter all but on Sunday, when what seemed to be the owner was making the lattes with his Italian speaking friends watching on…. It was heavenly. So great, that I went there each morning for coffee and each evening for coffee and/or Lemoncello. Lemoncello is a sweet lemon liqueur from southern Italy and many islands in the Med. It is usually served after dinner as a digestive. Of course they had other fun things like Ouzo and Grappa too and light Italian desserts…. Nothing like the North End.