Hardest reservation for Italian restaurant in Boston?
 

In your opinion, what is the toughest reservation to get in Boston, MA? I am coming in a few months and have plenty of time to prepare. I have a few small criteria...
1. I would prefer a restaurant that actually fills you up
2. Gotta be Italian
3. Gotta be romantic
I'm hoping for a place that doesn't charge you to reserve a table.

Thanks!
Cameron

Roughest reservation as in best, most popular Italian restaurant?

You don't say what kind of Italian food you want. But look at Prezza, Mamma Maria's, and Erbaluce. Not sure any are hard to book weeks in advance. It all depends on the night of the week and what else is going on in town that night. But Boston isn't the type of city where people brag about scoring reservations like NYC.

That said, there are definitely restaurants where one needs to make reservations in advance, especially on weekends, but they're not necessarily Italian. Probably because there are so many.

Where do they charge for reservations? Some very expensive restaurants take your credit card number and charge you for a no show.

Sorellina

http://www.sorellinaboston.com

Not hard to reserve, expensive, wonderful atmosphere, great food, excellent service.

Mama Maria.

Few restaurants in Boston need to be reserved months in advance, though they can be very tight when parents are around for the beginning or the end of the academic year and during a rage convention.

They are hard to get during "large" conventions as well, but you only need to be really careful during "rage" conventions.

When I saw rage conventions, I did not think it was a typo but a new classification for a gathering. I think the term conventional thinking comes from people who go a bar after attending a convention.

actually Row 34 is probably the hardest reservation to score in Boston. And Oleana. But neither of those are Italian, so no big deal.

I'm not aware of any restaurants that take a deposit when you reserve. There may be a couple which take a credit card number and charge you if you don't cancel with some notice (maybe 24 hours), but even that is pretty rare.

If a restaurant actually fills you up will depend on what you order. If you order a number of courses the food any place will fill you up. Or are you asking for a place that serves family style - as in dishes that are for 2 or 3 people that you could just eat yourself.

If might help if you identify what type of Italian food - basic red sauce, northern Italian, Venetian, etc. And also if you have a specific budget in mind.

Thank you all for your replies. I guess I am really looking for a nice, romantic, probably traditional italian restaurant I'm starting to learn I shouldn't have too much trouble with reservations. I'm also learning that I can be filled up at any restaurant by ordering three course meals. So I will switch course to ask what upper class italian restaurant you like in Boston and why?

<I>So I will switch course to ask what upper class italian restaurant you like in Boston and why?</I>

I like Erbaluce because:

A) it isn't "red sauce" Italian
B) it doesn't come across as some kitschy version of what an Italian restaurant should be
C) the food is very good
D) service is good
E) wine list is good
F) it is walking distance from my house

Sorrellina is probably the fanciest option, with prices to match. Not particularly compelling, IMO, but I don't tend to go out for Italian food very often.