Pizza steals the show at Agoro's
By Dan Medeiros On a cold and rainy night, my wife, daughter and I were craving some hearty Italian food. I'm saying we. I mean me. I did. I wanted Italian. My 4-year-old just wanted french fries and didn't care where they came from. The three of us ventured to Somerset to visit Agoro's Pizza Bar and Grill on County Street. The dining roo...
Toscano brings Italian food to Harvard Square
by Devra First Toscano opened in Harvard Square at the end of March, a second branch of the Beacon Hill restaurant with which it shares a name. The Brattle Street spot was for years scented with garlic naan and tandoori chicken as Cafe of India; now pasta and grilled meats take their place. And a restaurant that was previously often empty...
Limoncello – Not Just for Drinking!
Did you know that limoncello isn't just for drinking? You can cook with it too. In this class, we will learn how to make a three course meal using limoncello in each course. Of course, we will eat and drink too! The menu includes watermelon salad with limoncello and feta, shrimp over linguine in a limoncello sauce and grated Asiago. For desser...
An Evening Of World Cuisine: A night in Tuscany
We welcome author Sarah Fioroni and the Consul General of Italy Mr. Giuseppe Pastorelli for an evening of wonderful food, Ms. Fioroni's Tuscan wines and Italian music. Copies of the author's book will be available for her to sign.In A Family Farm in Tuscany, Sarah Fioroni, chef, cooking instructor, sommelier, and manager of her family's organic far...
Anzio's does pizza and a whole lot more
By Bill Clapper Don't dismiss Anzio's Brick Oven Pizza as another neighborhood pizza palace. It is all that but so much more. The inauspicious restaurant along Route 30 in Grafton serves up exceptional pizza and paninis from its brick-oven operation and adds an upgraded dining experience with multi-course, Italian-American favorites from...
Oysters, wine, fresh bread and seafood in Boston's Little Italy
As you walk down Hanover St. in Boston, the smells of just-baked focaccia meld with freshly pulled shots of espresso. Outside Mike's Pastry, there's a line of cannoli-craving people reminiscent of Schwartz's. And friends outside Italian restaurant The Daily Catch greet each other with buongiorno instead of hello. Boston's North End is the...
A southern Italian grape shines at Il Capriccio Ristorante e Bar
by Ellen Bhang At Waltham's beloved Il Capriccio Ristorante e Bar, wine director Jan Novak curates pours made from grapes that are tried and true, even if their names may not be familiar. The veteran professional loves to recommend a 2012 southern Italian unoaked red that hails from Puglia. Crafted by Tenute Rubino on a 125-acre e...
Honoring culinary traditions at Caffe Paolina in Swampscott
by Elise Balzotti In the eyes of a passerby, the small Caffè Paolina, tucked discreetly in the corner of a quaint strip mall on Swampscott's main road, does not beckon customers in. Once inside, however, diners feel an unusual sense of comfort and welcome. Greeted by the proprietor, herself, in a true Calabrese fashion, with open...
Italian dessert shop coming to Massachusetts Street
by Chad Lawhorn Gelato. Sorbet. Cannoli. Am I showing off my bilingual skills here? Of course. Am I pointing to stains on my tie? Well, yes, but neither of those are really the point. I'm mainly working up to tell you that a new dessert shop — with a specialty in Italian dishes — is coming to downtown Lawrence. Lawrence businessman Dan Bl...
Monica’s Mercato & Salumeria: Boston’s Home for Italian Specialties and Incredible Sandwiches
"You can't take a bad thing and turn it into a good thing, but you can take a good thing and turn it into something delicious," says Jorge Mendoza. Jorge is one-third of the team that runs Monica's restaurant group, which includes Vinoteca di Monica, Monica's Mercato Pizza, Trattoria di Monica, and Monica's Mercato & Salumeria in the North End....
Sonsini family keeps Italian traditions alive in the Berkshires
For centuries, immigrants have been seeking a home in the Berkshires. Though the landscape of immigration has changed considerably over the last century, the Berkshires continues to welcome people from many parts of the world. The Italian family of Sonsinis look back to an earlier wave of European immigrants. Joe and Theresa (nee Troiano)...
Farm To Fork: Cheesemaking Tradition Born In Italy, Thriving In Somerville
For our occasional food series, Farm to Fork, we went to a small Somerville office park near a junk car lot. Inside, behind a red door there's a kitchen and a little piece of Italy. According to Tremont 647 chef and owner Andy Husbands, this kitchen has some of the best mozzarella around. The company is called Fiore de Nonno — or "gra...