Boston’s Modern Italian Renaissance

The seeds of this South Boston enoteca were planted ten years ago, when James Beard award-winning chef Karen Akunowicz was living in Modena and working as a pasta maker. So it’s no surprise that homemade pasta is one of the specialties here, including regional Emilia-Romagna favorites like wild boar tagliatelle Bolognese and tortelli stuffed with Gorgonzola. Awaken your appetite by indulging in another Northern Italian pleasure, aperitivo, which is well-represented on the Italian-focused cocktail list.

This Hanover Street jewel serves up the kind of hearty Italian-American fare the North End thrives on—think chicken Parmesan and Maine lobster ravioli—but it also isn’t afraid to get creative. Case in point: the burrata-topped Parla burger with a balsamic reduction, and the lemon-brined fried chicken and waffles with Aleppo honey butter. The quirkiness continues with the cocktail program, which includes an off-menu list accessed by rolling a 20-sided die.

Fort Point’s Pastoral summons La Dolce Vita vibes with garage doors that open to the street and brick ovens that sling Neapolitan-style pies. Choices range from Margherita with hand-torn buffalo mozzarella to a “diavolo” with sweet sausage, ‘nduja, and jalapeno. But Pastoral takes beer just as seriously as it does pizza, featuring a 14-strong draught list filled with local favorites, plus a curated selection of Italian craft beers.

Found at the South End’s northern tip, The Salty Pig is an industrial oasis where few things matter—or are as perfected—as much as charcuterie, cheese, and pizza. The scope isn’t limited to only Italian delicacies; while you’ll find 18-month Prosciutto di Parma and Sardinian sheep cheese on deck, you can also spring for bratwurst and Alpine-style cheese from Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farm. Pizza follows suit: a porky, eponymous pie made with mustard crème and pale ale caramel stands out from the usual mozzarella-topped choices.

From the same powers behind The Salty Pig, this airy restaurant—whose name stands for “Serene Republic of Venice”—is introducing the flavors of the Venetian bacaro (essentially, a tapas bar) to the South End. You’ll find a mixture of small plates (ciccheti), like tuna crudo and pork-and-beef meatballs, served alongside pastas like bonito-topped spaghetti and lobster risotto with guanciale.