Not everyone will agree fully with my assessments of Boston's North End restaurants. But I can say that I've tried at least one meal (more than one at several) at every restaurant there within the last two years open during that time span and did a general ranking based on what I ate. Feel free to check out my work on this thread at Chowhound:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/448599

And I did indeed have horrid food at all eight of the places listed above; it's not a pleasure to eat bad food and I'm happy to spare others the same experience. Half of these spots also pulled underhanded shenanigans on me such as bill padding, price switching, refusing to offer lunch menus at weekday lunch times, pouring bottled water when tap water was requested and making a stink about it when caught, refusing to offer tap water when requested, and the like. Insult to injury as far as I'm concerned. A few North End places with better food also do this.

And based on the reports I've seen from fellow Chowhounders at that web site, I'm not alone disliking these places.

I agree with Joe Tecces being ick.

We have a phrase to tie in with La Famiglia
"It's not very good, but they give you a lot"

Piccola Venezia aint what it was - mediocre at best.

That's all the first hand I can back bachslunch with!

Thanks. Does anyone have an opinion about La Summa or Mamma Maria- they were listed on the hotel's website as suggestions?

And thanks for the meetup reminder. We will scout a storefront location to meet up near the family corrals- and wave our UofM flag!

OK, not La Summa. Mamma Maria looks really good at least online. Opinions?

Mamma Maria is very good, pricey though.

I also really like Lucca and Tresca on the higher end and Maurizios and Giacomos for more moderate dining.

Mamma Mia is over-rated...there is very good advice here regarding other restaurants...

Whatever they decided for dinner already happened last night. :)

ilana:


Granddaugher Dariel Cohn just finished at 3:36, two minutes under her personal best. This was her fourth Boston, and her 7th overall:(She's 24)
Finished at 18821 our of 10,439 females...top 18%...and 8435 out of 25,283 overall, top 33%.

I watched three of her marathons..what a kick. Her husband-to-be ran the Wellesley/Newton hills for five miles side by side...it helped Dari a lot!

Stu T.(California)
http://www.baa.org/2008/cf/Public/Tr...?mode=multiple

That should be "1882" out of 10,439 women.

stu