Vinoteca di Monica

Vinoteca di Monica (#22)

143 Richmond St

Boston MA 02115

October 22, 2015

Happy 21st Anniversary to my lovely parents!!!

After countless restaurants had no reservations for Saturday night, my dad happened upon Vinoteca di Monica and got us a 5:30 reservation. (note: I would suggest getting a reservation if going on a popular night as it was super crowded!) The menu looked great, and we were excited to try this place out.

We were not dissapointed in the least! The service was great, the food was spectacular and the vibe was also cool. This restaurant has an extensive wine list (as it should with its name!) and I definitely see myself going back for a glass and appetizer with friends in a year. I also loved the way the bottles are displayed around the restaurant.

For food, we started with the fried calamari, which came with a roasted red pepper aioli and marinara sauce–both were superb. I then got the Spaghetti Verdi con Polpetinne, which was green spaghetti with marinara sauce and turkey meatballs topped with some fresh grated parmesean. The turkey meatballs were great and I was so happy I finally found a restaurant that makes them (no beef for me!). The pasta and sauce were also perfect.

Processed with VSCO with m3 preset

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

Processed with VSCO with f2 preset

My mom ordered the Fettucine Alfredo and asked for chicken with it, the cooks happily put it in there for her which was great, and she absolutely loved her dish.

My dad ordered the free form lasagna which had a unique twist as it was made with chicken ragout instead of a typical bolognese type. He also enjoyed his meal very much.

My sister, the seafood lover, ordered Linguine alla Scoglio which was local seafood (shrimp, mussels, scallops) in the red sauce. Logan was also impressed.

Everything about this meal was great, and it wasn’t too expensive either. I would highly recommend this restaurant as there is a great variety for the menu, everything they prepare is delicious, and it comes at a fair price!

Ratings:

Food: 4.5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Service: 4.5/5

Overall: 4.5/5

Rigoletto Ristorante

Rigoletto Ristorante

115 Salem St

Boston MA 02113

September 24, 2016

 HOLY CANNOLI I turned 20 today!!!Also…this will be our 20th restaurant we’ve tried!! So of course I needed to celebrate with my family in the North End. I chose Rigoletto Ristorante after scouring their menu and deciding it would be a good place for the family with multiple options.

I ordered the Capellini Con Gamberetti, which was shrimp with sundried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, caramelized onions, baby spinach over linguine. I thought it was okay, but definitely could have used way more flavor and I would have liked thicker noodles–not a huge fan of the super think spaghetti. The shrimp were cooked well but besides that, not a whole lot of flavor. I think putting it in an Alfredo cream sauce would have made this dish way better–but who knows as I won’t be going back.

My mom ordered the pollo farcito, which was prosciutto and fontina stuffed chicken breast with sautéed spinach, garlic mashed potatoes with a mushroom ragout cream sauce. My mom loved it and kept talking about how good it was. I tried the mashed potatoes and I would agree they were great.

My dad ordered the Cavatappi alla Bolognese which was pork, veal, beef, and pancetta in a creamy tomato sauce. My dad said that “this was the best bolognese I have had so far in the North End”. I guess you could say that is a pretty big deal considering how many restaurants we have tried.

My sister, Logan, ordered her favorite dish, the Frutti di Mare with the spicy tomato sauce that was a special of the day. She said it was good, but would have appreciated more seafood. She still says that Bacco has been the best so far with their rendition of that dish.

Other notes: the waitress we had was lacking in quality. We were not served bread for about 20 minutes after sitting down. The bread was good, and the dip they gave was great as well, but we were starving and could have used it when we first were seated. Also, when we asked her questions about the menu, she had quite the attitude…and did not even mention the specials until we asked. When we finished our meals she scraped the plates at our table. We were in shock, and Logan was still eating…I was in disbelief that she would do that at a restaurant of this caliber. Also, the food took FOREVER to make it to our table…like at least 35 minutes when we were some of the only people there.

I was quite unimpressed with Rigoletto Ristorante, and was disappointed I wasted my birthday dinner on this place…it will definitely not be one I would recommend to anyone.

Scores:

Food: 2/5

Service: 0.5/5

Atmosphere: 2/5

Overall: 1.5/5

Not to worry though…I tried a pumpkin cannoli at Bova’s Bakery and it was to die for…I will be back before those are taken away!! I was just happy to see my family and spend some time with them-and start planning our trip to the Southern Caribbean..EEEEEKK!!!!

and there’s nothing Prosecco and pumpkin cannolis can’t fix…am I right???!!!

Cheers to 20 and more North End trips!