Restaurant week is a sacred tradition for us, since it gives us the chance to try out the best of the best in Boston, and see which restaurants are for real and which can't hack it. For those who don't know, Restaurant Week is a two week period (apparently named by liars) where different restaurants in a given city serve 3 course prix fixe menus for a discounted price. This can only mean one thing to real foodies: go nuts. And we did just that, starting off this year's festivities with a trip to Ristorante Villa Francesca in the North End of Boston.
The North End never fails to amaze, especially towards the end of summer when all the big Italian feasts are happening, all of which lead up to the Feast of St. Anthony, which is known around the country as one of the biggest and best Italian cultural events going. Lights are strung across the streets and people come out and sell trinkets, candy, and, most importantly, engage in the procession of St. Anthony, which can be hours long. We've got plans to go this year, so sit tight for a full article about it, you won't want to miss that one.
Francesca's is a cutesy little Italian joint set off to the side of the neighborhood, not right on Hanover Street, so it stays pretty quiet for the most part. Francesca's isn't like the super quaint, 6-table places in the area, but certainly not a tourist trap either. Think where Busch stadium is on the spectrum of MLB parks, not overly sentimental, but it still has plenty of charm and character all its own.
We got all settled in and the menu instantly blew us away. Antipasti and ravioli and penne and bruschetta and pollo and vitella, this place looked like the real deal. Within fifteen minutes I had downed a plate of antipasti and Simone was working through some delicious lobster ravioli, which is pretty much her all-time favorite. The food was so good, and the atmosphere was even better.
About halfway through our appetizers, a duo of an accordion player and a violinist started playing outside the windows on the streets, which was just the perfect thing to complete the North End experience. There's just something about having a couple of old Italian guys playing away on a vintage accordion and antique violin behind you while face-to-face with the girl of your dreams that just says, "This is the life."
We got some great entrees, plenty of seafood on there and some great house-made pasta, too. Dessert was incredible, Simone (always the authority on Italian food between the two of us) had some tiramisu that looked like it came off of a celebrity cooking show, and I got some perfectly cooked caramel custard. Of course there was plenty of spoon-swapping, dessert is always a mutual affair with us.
We signed the check, gathered our stuff, and took a little walk around the neighborhood before going back to the valet to get the car; the night was just too nice to let go quite yet. Perusing the cobblestone streets of old Boston, we came out to a breathtaking view of the skyscrapers, all lit up and aligned like it was our very own backdrop. We got a few nice pictures, and Simone was even kind enough to let me bust a ballroom move or two on her (thanks honey, to be fair I haven't turned an ankle yet!). We walked slowly, the world could wait for us to finish our foray into the faux-twilight that came from the old apartments above us to frame that cool summer night.
We wandered semi-aimlessly until we made it back to the restaurant to get the car, and the quiet but talkative ride home was the perfect way to end the night. I'll look back on our first night of Restaurant Week as one that defined summer 2015 for Simone and Sebastian: classy, gourmet, relaxed, and familiar.
The North End never fails to amaze, especially towards the end of summer when all the big Italian feasts are happening, all of which lead up to the Feast of St. Anthony, which is known around the country as one of the biggest and best Italian cultural events going. Lights are strung across the streets and people come out and sell trinkets, candy, and, most importantly, engage in the procession of St. Anthony, which can be hours long. We've got plans to go this year, so sit tight for a full article about it, you won't want to miss that one.
Francesca's is a cutesy little Italian joint set off to the side of the neighborhood, not right on Hanover Street, so it stays pretty quiet for the most part. Francesca's isn't like the super quaint, 6-table places in the area, but certainly not a tourist trap either. Think where Busch stadium is on the spectrum of MLB parks, not overly sentimental, but it still has plenty of charm and character all its own.
We got all settled in and the menu instantly blew us away. Antipasti and ravioli and penne and bruschetta and pollo and vitella, this place looked like the real deal. Within fifteen minutes I had downed a plate of antipasti and Simone was working through some delicious lobster ravioli, which is pretty much her all-time favorite. The food was so good, and the atmosphere was even better.
About halfway through our appetizers, a duo of an accordion player and a violinist started playing outside the windows on the streets, which was just the perfect thing to complete the North End experience. There's just something about having a couple of old Italian guys playing away on a vintage accordion and antique violin behind you while face-to-face with the girl of your dreams that just says, "This is the life."
We got some great entrees, plenty of seafood on there and some great house-made pasta, too. Dessert was incredible, Simone (always the authority on Italian food between the two of us) had some tiramisu that looked like it came off of a celebrity cooking show, and I got some perfectly cooked caramel custard. Of course there was plenty of spoon-swapping, dessert is always a mutual affair with us.
We signed the check, gathered our stuff, and took a little walk around the neighborhood before going back to the valet to get the car; the night was just too nice to let go quite yet. Perusing the cobblestone streets of old Boston, we came out to a breathtaking view of the skyscrapers, all lit up and aligned like it was our very own backdrop. We got a few nice pictures, and Simone was even kind enough to let me bust a ballroom move or two on her (thanks honey, to be fair I haven't turned an ankle yet!). We walked slowly, the world could wait for us to finish our foray into the faux-twilight that came from the old apartments above us to frame that cool summer night.
We wandered semi-aimlessly until we made it back to the restaurant to get the car, and the quiet but talkative ride home was the perfect way to end the night. I'll look back on our first night of Restaurant Week as one that defined summer 2015 for Simone and Sebastian: classy, gourmet, relaxed, and familiar.