389106 Fri Apr 06 12:03:58 -0700 2007 20 12 Boston Area 0 2457579 I've been to: Cibo Al Dente Monica's Pagliuca L'Osteria Antico Forno Rabia's Piccolo Venezia Il Panino Cantina Italiana Dom's Francesa's Mother Anna's La Summa Giacomo's Lucia Massimino Assaggio Have I run out of casual, reasonably priced Italian restaurants in the North End, or are there any I still haven't hit yet? If there are still a few, are they any good? Thanks! Fri Apr 06 12:03:59 -0700 2007 14771 hiddenboston 1 2457622 I don't see LaGalleria 33 on that list. Give them a try, the owners try so hard and are very welcoming, the food is good, and the tables are nicley spaced. I believe they have a website now. Prices range from $15 to around $36. Fri Apr 06 12:23:54 -0700 2007 2457579 26213 Pegmeister 1 2457624 You've hit most of the places I might suggest (I've been to Massimino, Pagliuca, Mother Anna, and Rabia recently for lunch, with Massimino the clear favorite -- the eggplant, garlic and oil antipasto was stunning). Not extraordinary but decent, and new to me, was Emedio's, at the far end of Hanover St. Mangia Mangia is just a counter-service lunch spot, but quite worthwhile for its soups and Parmigiana subs (veal, chicken, eggplant). One entry on my list of places that my native North End buddy recommends for casual Italian-American is Ricardo's on North Street. I haven't been yet. Fri Apr 06 12:24:17 -0700 2007 2457579 10143 MC Slim JB 2 2457630 Carmen and Jeff of carmen's just opened a casual eatery (in the former space of Dimio's on North Street) called Hot Tomatoes. They offer a wide variety of pizzas, calzones, sandwiches and pastas. They also have beer & wine! Fri Apr 06 12:36:11 -0700 2007 2457624 58577 Maribel98 1 2457730 Artu is not on your list. Fri Apr 06 13:28:10 -0700 2007 2457579 11172 Bob Dobalina 1 2457749 Pomodoro Euno (not that casual) Giacomo's Daily Catch Fri Apr 06 13:36:32 -0700 2007 2457579 17187 Grita 1 2457966 Lo Conte's on Salem Street; try the chicken, broccoli and ziti. Maribel98, Hot Tomatoes is so expensive (especially considering that the space is so small that business will have to be mostly takeout) that it'll be verrry interesting to see whether they can make a go of it. Fri Apr 06 15:13:53 -0700 2007 2457579 74801 North Ender 2 2462879 Must be our similar posting names but I agree with you about Hot Tomatoes. I live nearby and stopped by to try it out but when I saw their prices I smiled and left. With Artu and Volle Nolle and other s in the neighborhood, i don't see the point. Mon Apr 09 07:22:48 -0700 2007 2457966 12990 Northender 1 2458207 I'm a big fan of Pomodoro on Hanover Street (esp anything that has their wonderful fried risotto cakes as a side!) and Daily Catch next door (only to be tried if your idea of calamari is perfectly fried and killed off by being smothered in garlic). I used to be a really big fan of Artu on Charles Street, but they've changed owners and chefs quite a few times and I don't think either place is at the level they had reached a decade ago. Now to turn the tables, hiddenboston -- are any of those casual places you listed places that you'd keep going back to over and over again? Fri Apr 06 17:19:42 -0700 2007 2457579 14650 Dr.Jimbob 1 2460361 Has anyone been to Il Piccolo Nido lately? Was good a few years ago, haven't been since. I second the Daily Catch, it's a great place. What about sandwiches at Tutto Italiano on Fleet street? I remmeber liking them a lot, but haven't been in a while. Sat Apr 07 21:35:32 -0700 2007 2457579 10076 limster 2 2461364 Went to Piccolo Nido last year. Food was OK if nothing special. What irritated me about them most is that their opening times are very erratic; if you call them, they say they open for dinner at 4 PM, but they never have as far as I know. 5:30-ish to 6-ish seems to be the norm, depending on their whim. Dom's was the same way if not quite as bad. Sun Apr 08 12:40:55 -0700 2007 2460361 76251 bachslunch 1 2461358 No one has mentioned Maurizio's or Saraceno's, so I will. I very much liked both for lunch when I went for pasta. Also not on your list are 5 North Square, Limoncello, and Villa Francesca, which were varying degrees of OK, but secondary choices -- probably about the level of L'Osteria. Sun Apr 08 12:37:52 -0700 2007 2457579 76251 bachslunch 2 2461410 i've been twice to limoncello and really thought it was awful. Sun Apr 08 13:09:17 -0700 2007 2461358 30273 hotoynoodle 3 2461454 I agree. Limoncello is terrible. Sun Apr 08 13:34:57 -0700 2007 2461410 15351 catspercapita 4 2461612 The one lunch I had at Limoncello was perfectly fine, if middle of the road for the North End -- got a pasta dish of long, medium wide noodles spun in little bird's nest shapes in a limoncello sauce, which is apparently a signature item of theirs. Haven't had anything else there, though, so I can't claim to broad expertise at the place. It's certainly better than such places as Bella Vista, Dolce Vita, Piccolo Venezia, Ida's, Famiglia Giorgio, Famiglia Spagnuolo, and Joe Tecce's, which are for my taste the bottom of the North End's barrel. And there are a few North End places that get a lot of love on this board where I've had poor experiences, notably Cibo and Mother Anna's. Maybe it depends on what you get there. It does at some places. Sun Apr 08 14:49:27 -0700 2007 2461454 76251 bachslunch 1 2461408 not true italian, but i don't see neptune oyster on your list, nor taranta. 2 of my faves down there. Sun Apr 08 13:08:43 -0700 2007 2457579 30273 hotoynoodle 1 2461515 Euno on Salem St. is very nice. Sun Apr 08 14:07:22 -0700 2007 2457579 63181 ShelT54 1 2461556 What about Dino's - YUM!!! (and cheap) Sun Apr 08 14:26:43 -0700 2007 2457579 61905 rachelfromatlanta 2 2461582 If you go to Dino's, be prepared to eat like a trencherman or share with someone. Their subs are good, but beyond huge. And they're pricier than your standard sub shop, though probably not out of line with the neighborhood and the size of the sandwich. Sun Apr 08 14:36:09 -0700 2007 2461556 76251 bachslunch 3 2464477 What about Ida's? Mon Apr 09 14:09:43 -0700 2007 2461582 89308 abbij 4 2464526 Ida's has extremely short hours (Thursday through Saturday evenings only), and I was not impressed the time I went not long ago: crummy iceberg lettuce salad, overcooked pasta, and veal roast that was like really fatty prime rib but a little gamy. Nice cozy home-style feel and friendly casual service, but just didn't like the food. Mon Apr 09 14:18:22 -0700 2007 2464477 76251 bachslunch