I was tasked with laying out a day of relaxed fun in one of Boston’s most beloved and unique neighborhoods, the North End. I have lived here on and off for the past 9 years, and it is hard to see it through fresh visitor eyes, but although the new has worn off, it is still one of my favorite places in the city. It is the quintessential Italian neighborhood, which satisfies all the stereotypes you think belong in such a place: the overweight jumpsuit wearing, flashy men who popped straight out of “Donnie Brasco,” the loud Italian grandmas yelling at each other, their grandkids, or their husbands, the grandpas lining up the store fronts catching up and gossiping, the endless lines of visitors outside of Mike’s Pastry and Giacomo’s … if you are looking for good “people watching,” this is the place to be.
My category/stereotype – Due to it’s proximity to the Financial District and the Back Bay, the North End is also home to a high percentage of young professionals, especially women who find the area safe, central, yet still affordable. WE have great busy jobs, are active, well-dressed, highly stressed and we love our wine. But overall, we have very good lives. You know you’ve spotted one of us if you see individuality mixed with one of the following staple items: Lululemon gear, LL Bean boots, Longchamp purses…
Itinerary:
1. Morning: Coffee @ Thinking cup, Mani/Pedi @ Ashasie Nails & Spa
2. Afternoon: Lunch @ Antico Forno, Dessert @ Mike’s Pastry
3. Evening: Wine pick up @ The Wine Bottega
A good Saturday morning starts with choosing the Thinking cup 5 minutes away over the Starbucks across the street. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Starbucks, but this other place is in a league of its own. What got me addicted was their hazelnut latte, and if you’re thinking, “Well, how special can a hazelnut latte get?”, let me explain: the quality of the coffee alone is enough to turn anyone into a believer, but then they use a hazelnut homemade paste instead of syrup, mildly sweetened – perfection in a cup, with foam in the shape of hearts = coffee art. Their food and pastries are all made in house with high quality ingredients, the atmosphere and music just fill you with happiness. Most weekends I sit down and eat as well but this time I am in a hurry and on a mission to meet my friend for mani/pedis.
As mentioned in the opening, there are lots of young professional ladies in the North End, which means there is enough clientele to keep approximately 5 nail salons busy at all times. Depending on my mood, time constraints and outside temperature, I gravitate between two main ones. On this day my friend happened to be blessed with a much needed parking spot right on Hanover street, so Ashasie was our choice. There isn’t much to say about a nail place, especially when they get everything right and do a great job. Often times they are packed, but when they aren’t, you can sit in a massage chair as long as you like, while your nails are drying. And if you’re there for any celebrations they let you bring your own champagne.
Moving on to lunch, since I knew I was going to write about the North end, I wanted lunch to be relevant, and happened to be in the mood for pizza. Now, there are many types of pizza places in the neighborhood: you have your Sicilian cheese only, worth your 15 minutes in line at Umberto’s, there are the huge delicious slices at Ernesto’s, and the celebrity status pizzeria turned into a chain at Regina’s. But if you want brick oven pizza, the best place to go is Antico Forno on Salem street.
They are constantly busy, and usually I’ve had to wait at least 15-20 minutes, and way more in the summer, but this time we get lucky and get seated 5 minutes later. The food is as expected, amazing … the arancini appetizer comes perfectly sharable for 2. We follow that up with our own individual pizzas, which although neither could finish, made for great leftover dinner. As mentioned, it is busy, so don’t expect the service to blow your mind, they just take the order and deliver your food/drinks as fast as possible while still being attentive to your needs. But they definitely don’t make you feel uncomfortable if you’re just sitting there finishing your drink like Giacomos servers do, that’s all.
Although we were at capacity for food intake, it was unanimously decided we couldn’t end this perfect outing without dessert, so we headed towards Mike’s Pastry, a North End fixture. This place is constantly busy and the line outside their door gets in the way of locals, so here is a little tip, which might get me in trouble if this blog actually reaches the masses and too many people find out that… no matter how long and thick the line, you can bypass all of it, and go straight up to the counters and you will be taken care of. Please don’t misinterpret this as rudeness (although I can see it is a special form of it), but really this the way of the locals, who are not on vacation and don’t have the time, nor the patience to stand in a 30 minute line for cannolis (the Florentine is my favorite along with the red velvet cupcake). Insert another opinion, hope it does not offend or ruin it for anyone: Mike’s is more about the experience than about the delicious desserts, if you want quality I would again send you to Thinking cup or for an Italian type place, Modern Pastry down the street has less options but makes up for it in yummyness.
I said goodbye to my friend and decided I was going to take a nap, to let all this food settle. But on my way home I hit up one of my favorite wine stores in the city, The Wine Bottega. This is the kind of shop whose owners have traveled the world drinking and tasting wine. You will not find a single mainstream bottle in here, not even for the rare or expensive ones. You can ask for anything, and they will give you knowledgeable options. I usually go for interesting barnyard/farm like, funky wines, lots of gamays and biodynamic types, and they have never disappointed me. This time around I had an extra special request, they had to be light, interesting and… be in a regular bottle as opposed to a pinot noir bottle, because those guys don’t fit in my wine rack. Needless to say I will be purchasing a new wine rack in the near future. The bottega is as affordable as you want it to be, with a wide range of offerings and special deals during their weekly Friday cellar tastings.
I think this is it for me. Do you have a North End experience you’d like to share?
Mihaela: I’m a free spirited female originally from Romania but officially an American as of last year. I love Boston, despite my lack of appreciation for cold weather. I find my health through great good and drinks in the company of great friends. Boston is the kind of city that suits any mood, whether you are a foodie or a dive bar aficionado. Boston has it all and I enjoy it all.
Boston, Party of 6 