Marco- report

[cannedmilkandfruitypebbles]

I typically avoid the North End but was staying in the area and decided to try Marco. Overall, i found this restaurant to be pretty excellent.

The space is very small so make a reservation. It's quaint and though small, there is good spacing between tables.

We started with a few app specials. I had stuffed zucchini blossoms that were filled with an herbed ricotta and deep fried. An arugula salad garnished. The filling was smooth and flavorful but didn't over power the delicate zucchini blossoms.DC had a special of roasted figs stuffed with gorgonzola, wrapped in proscutto, and drizzled with balsamic. Lots of strong flavors but all of them were enjoyable.

Next was a beet salad with goat cheese and a hazelnut vinagrette. Frizee salade on top. This was one of the better beet salads I've had. all the flavors were nicely balanced and worked in harmony with one another. The crunch from the nuts, and the chewiness from the frizee were nice contrasts to the smoother texture of the beets and cheese.

I had a half order of oreccehti with homeade sausage, green garlic, and lima beans for my main. Pasta was cooked perfectly and the sausage was meaty and not heavily spiced. It was very fresh tasting.The half order was generous. And I really wish more restaurants offered half order mains. DC had the full order of baked eggplant parm and it was solid.

Wine pours by the glass are HUGE. Who doesn't like that? and the price was very reasonable. I will certainally make my way here again. Seems like it would be very cozy in the winter.

[Beachowolfe]

What are those handful of restaurants?

[MC Slim JB]

Excellent: Neptune Oyster, Taranta, Prezza, Pizzeria Regina. Good to very good: Massimino's, Galleria Umberto, Mangia Mangia, Volle Nolle, The Daily Catch, Carmen, Terramia, Lucca, Mamma Maria. Two handfuls, I guess.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Volle Nolle
351 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St Ste 1, Boston, MA 02113

Prezza
24 Fleet St., Boston, MA 02113

Lucca Restaurant
226 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113

Massimino's
207 Endicott St, Boston, MA

Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Terramia
98 Salem St., North End, Boston, MA 02113

Mangia Mangia
147 Endicott St, Boston, MA 02113

Daily Catch
2 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210

[Beachowolfe]

Good list, though I'd trade Monica's and Waterfront Cafe for Massimino's. Neptune and Prezza stand above all others, IMO. I've always kind of thought Terramia was just another tourist-y place but have now seen it mentioned more than a few times. What sets it apart from the L'Osteria, AF, etc?

/thread highjack

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Prezza
24 Fleet St., Boston, MA 02113

Massimino's
207 Endicott St, Boston, MA

L'Osteria
104 Salem St, Boston, MA 02113

Terramia
98 Salem St., North End, Boston, MA 02113

[MC Slim JB]

I like Waterfront Cafe, too. I haven't actually dined at Terramia in a while, but I always liked their lobster donuts and simpler pasta dishes.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Terramia
98 Salem St., North End, Boston, MA 02113

[cambridgedoctpr]

do you think that Pizzeria Regina pizza is as good as Coppa?

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[MC Slim JB]

I like them both a lot, but those are pretty different styles: gas vs. wood oven; very traditional vs. quite creative toppings; big difference in price (those are pretty small pies at Coppa for $15); North End vs. South End crowds and atmosphere; cheap beer/plonk to drink vs. interesting wines and cocktails; etc. Note that my admiration for Regina begins and ends at the North End original.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[cambridgedoctpr]

thank you; i will try Regina again. i liked the Coppa pizza though thought it seemed traditional to me.

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[MC Slim JB]

The current Coppa pizza lineup is less weird than it has been: no more oxtail / roasted bone marrow / fresh horseradish pizza at the moment. Still: fried calamari, fried squash blossoms, morels, Castelrosso, burrata. Those still seem unusual on pizza to me, and that you'll never catch them using such toppings at Regina.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[cambridgedoctpr]

i had the clam pizza, Pepe Bianco and the margherita, both very good and traditional. But i have only been there twice.

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Bianco's Inc.
375 Revere St, Revere, MA 02151

[MC Slim JB]

I like Marco a lot, had a really enjoyable dinner there a couple of months back. One of a handful of North End places I have any use for.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Northender]

It has always been a favorite of mine and I regularly recommend to folks who are coming in to the neighborhood for dinner.