A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

We arrive at 7 and it’s pretty crowded with after work-ers. They had run out of specials for the night because of all the people there. It was crowded but not overwhelmingly loud. The decor is stylish and simple. We sit in a booth near the front and they have to take our jackets because there simply isn’t enough room for two on each side plus jackets.

Our waiter is quite personable. We order 2 of the crispy shrimp appetizers (normally $16 for 3 but they add an extra one for us and charge $22). They are crispy shrimp with Italian slaw and cherry pepper aioli. The shrimps are large and come with the head on. They are wrapped in these crispy, skinny noodles and plated on a mound of slaw. They are out of this world. Cripsy and flavorful with a spicy kick from the aioli. There’s just this great mix of textures and flavors that blend so well together.

Next we move on to entrees. We get the mushroom risotto with fontina and parmigiano ($16), the potato gnocchi ‘a la bolognese’ rustic meat ragout, tomato, porcini cream and pecorino cheese ($28), the pear and cheese ravioli that was not on the online menu, and the homemade meatballs, sausage, ribs, tomato and creamy polenta ($25). The risotto was an appetizer but it was so rich and creamy that it was filling enough to be a main meal. The raviolis were served in a white cream sauce, perfectly cooked al dente. The meatballs were wonderful-large, flavorful, light and savory. The polenta was smooth and creamy. The gnocchi was different than how I’ve seen it served before-it was shaped almost like cavatelli, not the usual pillowy dumplings. They were a little more dense but wonderfully prepared to hold up against the sauce. The bolognese was out of this world. It was more like a gravy than a sauce, thick and flavorful. If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life it could be that! One of the top 5 bolognese sauces I’ve ever had. Everything here is so rich and flavorful, there’s no skimping on fat or calories here!

We passed on dessert, hoping to catch a cupcake at Lyndell’s but they were closed. We had to settle on a cannoli….poor us!

The meal was on the pricey side, with 3 alcoholic drinks, two appetizers, and 4 entrees, the bill came to $200. But I would go there again in a heartbeat-the food is worth it!

Prezza

24 Fleet Street Boston MA

www.prezza.com

617-227-1577

Monday-Thursday 5:30pm-10pm; Friday and Saturday 5pm-10:30pm; Sunday 5:30pm-10pm; Bar open at 4:30 daily

Valet Parking available

Tags: italian, north end, restaurant