Bahston: Little Italy

So I failed to update on a day to day basis, but I couldn't help the fact that I had so much fun this weekend. Everything went by quickly and I tried to make the most of my trip. Since I had some good eats, I thought about other places I've visited outside California and decided to make this week's blogging about some restaurants I've come across while vacationing.


This past weekend, I was in Boston. The one thing I love about Boston is probably the Italian food. The places in Little Italy, the North End of Boston, is filled with an endless cobblestone pathway of small, adorned Italian restaurants. The atmosphere was quite captivating and pleasant. Not only was there fine Italian food, but the desserts, pastry shops, and gelato looked appetizing. One of these restaurants, based on a couple of recommendations, was Giacomo's Ristorante. Giacomo's Italian food is pretty damn amazing; I've been there twice--the only two trips I've ever taken to Boston. I had no complaints about coming here a second time. All the food tastes legit and the people and service has some Italian charm. I couldn't get over some of the waiters and waitresses Italian/Bostonian accents, which I found quite interesting. This little shop tends to get busy even around 5 pm, where seating can be limited and cramped, but well-worth the wait. It's better to come in smaller groups as sitting is easier to accommodate. If you ever end up eating here, I highly recommend getting the calamari. I hate to admit that my friend was right but I think it's the best calamari I've ever had, with some sweet red peppers that make it extra enjoyable. A small is good for two-three people and a large is probably best for parties bigger than four (see picture on left). Their seafood pastas are tasty as well, and whenever I came here I always got the Giacomo's sauce over linguine, a marinara-based sauce infused with pepper and seafood broth. Their raviolis, both the lobster ravioli with garlic cream sauce and butternut squash (one of their favored dishes photo featured in this blog), are must-gets. The creaminess of the sauce works well with the supplied bread with balsamic vinegar. Just thinking about this place makes me want to come back again and I would if I could. Some things to know ahead of time is the pricing is around $20-$30 a person and cash only. Although it's a bit pricey, it's worth trying.

Giacomo's Restaurant
355 Hanover St
Boston, MA 02113
Yelp Review

A block away from Giacomo's is Mike's Pastry. Both times I went to Giacomo's, I went to this pastry shop to pick up some huge cannolis. The cakes, pastries, desserts are all noteworthy, but they are known for their variety of cannolis. Notable ones are the chocolate chip and yellow cream. This place has a nice cafe along with some gelato. Mike's Pastry tends to be crowded and people are always bustling to the front of the counter to place their orders, but the service is pretty decent considering the mass of customers.

Mike's Pastry
300 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113
Yelp Review

So if you ever need a place to have fine dining in Boston, the North end features plenty of amazing Italian restaurants. Plus, this street has a magical charm worth venturing through. :)