My birthday falls a week after Valentines Day - just long enough where another (as opposed to a dual) celebration dinner is warranted. I feel lucky for this week, appreciating that I don't have to share my day with St. Valentine. However, I'll gladly share my day with the likes of Presidents Washington and Lincoln. Allowed a day off work in their honor, my birthday saw a lot of quality couch time wrapped in my bathrobe, leg warmers and fuzzy slippers. To get out of the apartment for a leisurely dinner was a much needed recess.
Last year, Adam and I ventured to Cambridge to experience Craigie on Main. This year the frigid temps kept us close to home. My North End restaurant of choice was Prezza - one of many places I have wanted to dine at for awhile now!
Chef + owner Anthony Catuano opened Prezza in 2000 on a quiet side location towards the outer end of the neighborhood. The restaurant is named after the ancient Italian village where his grandmother was born, a tiny town where they cooked with the local provisions of the land. Referred to as the old-world peasant style of Italian cooking focused on creating robust flavors and hearty portions from scratch, Prezza uses this as their base of inspiration. The menu is refined to incorporate foods of the Mediterranean regions as well as fresh seasonal ingredients.
The wine list is extensive and the page long martini menu was terribly hard to pass up. I settled on a glass of Casamatta Sangiovese ($8) but am absolutely returning to the bar to enjoy a Black Fig Martini ($12) sometime soon.
We started off with slices of hearty bread served in an eye catching abstract tin. And just as Adam was noting his olive craving, fresh olives and olive oil accompanied.
Two slices of crispy toast delicately balancing atop them a mountain of fresh grated Parmesan cheese laced with pops of parsley were the finishing touch. I allowed them to melt into the soup, becoming softer bites as they soaked up the hearty broth.
Adam feasted on the Crispy Pork Chop ($26) with vinegar peppers, potatoes, roasted red onions and red wine sauce. The bone in pork chop was huge and perfectly cooked. The vinegar peppers were what made the dish in Adam's opinion. Once I took a bite, I had to agree, pungent red and yellow peppers were stellar.
I was full and content after the bread, appetizer and soup course, but upon placing my order opted in for the Ravioli di Ouvo ($10). I appreciated our waiters candid tips, he let me know this is "one giant ravioli" and suggested I might want to order two. I declined the second but felt good about being thoroughly informed on the fact that only one ravioli was going to be served. Could you imagine expecting a plate full only to your complete surprise, getting this:
This jumbo ravioli was about six bites, stuffed with ricotta and an intact egg yolk, ladled with a brown butter and sage sauce topped with shaved Parmigiano. Our waiter was prompt to offer fresh cracked pepper, which I accepted. Slicing into the ravioli was was a feast in itself for the eyes. 
The brown butter with its complex nutty taste and crispy sage marrying the velvety egg yolk was amazing. Admittedly, I wished for a thicker more toothsome ravioli as I felt the amount of pasta wasn't substantial compared to the intensity of the yolk and amount of sauce it was bathing in. Overall, I imagine this is a difficult dish to achieve!
Prezza serves large portions of creative-without-being-overly-complicated dishes (besides the anomaly that is the Ravioli di Ouvo) in a refined and modern atmosphere. The dimly lit, neutral colored dining room with white linen table cloths and a chestnut brown bar area exude tasteful warmth. Featuring homemade pasta, a wood grill that is fired up daily and an extensive wine and cocktail list, be sure to detour off Hanover Street and visit them on your next trip to the North End!
24 Fleet Street
Boston, MA 02113
My sister took me out for sushi at Ma Soba. Everything here was just okay! We have high sushi standards. Oh well. 
Afterwards, we made our way down the street to The Liberty Bar. We stayed at The Liberty Hotel back in December. You can read all about the hotel, the bars, and our stay here. 
Besides a local overnight indulgence, it has become quite the energetic nightlife scene to mingle over cocktails. We were carded at the door of the hotel and planted ourselves on an empty couch to sip expensive cocktails (all $15) and take in the scene surrounding us in this spectacular hotel lobby rotunda.
Quite the people watching experience it is. And apparently a good spot if you're playing the field aka single and ready to mingle. Which we are not. But just throwing it out there, in case you are. 
The cocktail menu is from CLINK. We thoroughly enjoyed our corner of the lobby and our first round. A Sapphire Darling with Bombay Sapphire, Patron Citronage, Vanilla Bean Syrup & Lime for me and a French Kiss with Grey Goose La Poire, Cassis, Pineapple & Champagne for Leah. 
Drink envy prompted a second round, this time with Leah ordering the Sapphire Darling. It was quite a tasty drink. I was content to move on and the Winter Sangria with Calvados Brandy, Local Apple Cider & Red Wine at the waitresses recommend was lovely. By the way she was very attentive and super nice.
This was after our "we can only afford one drink here" statement. Seems we've made ourselves right at home.
It was a slow start to my Saturday but I managed to be productive and a post on the days adventures is sure to come!
My instinctual cravings did not steer me wrong. First of all, the portion was exceedingly substantial. A large bowl serving an elegant blend of porcini cream and roasted tomato with white beans and hearty mushrooms in every bite, warm and earthy, this soup was pure joy by the spoonful.
