Fiore | Ristorante Damiano | Bacco

Embracing the warm summer weather an evening out in the North End commenced with drinks on the Ristorante Fiore roof deck.

The only one of its kind in the neighborhood, the hidden oasis sits tucked away in the back of the restaurant which is located at 250 Hanover Street. I drank a glass of Sangria ($10) to kick things off before friends and I ventured just a few doors down to Ristorante Damiano for dinner.The sun was shining in on the the entire façade turned open windowfront at 307 Hanover Street. We settled right in with a bottle of Planeta La Segreta Bianco. This Sicilian white is a versatile five way blend of 60% Grecanico, 20% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, 5% Sauvignon and 5% Fiano. Damiano has an extensive menu featuring Piattini which are Italian small plates. Yes, it is tapas-style dining in our very own North End. However, these dishes look to offer more food than a traditional tapas plate and the prices certainly reflect that. The diverse menu offerings range from salad, to seafood, to pastas, meat and vegetables. We started with a simple Roasted Beet Salad ($10) containing peppery arugula, creamy goat cheese, toasted pignolis and paper thin beets lightly drizzled in a blood orange vinaigrette. 

A plate of  slender Garlic Shrimp ($15) sautéed with lemon and thyme came out next. A hearty bed of spinach comes alongside. You'll want extra bread on hand to dip into the pools of butter, garlic and lemon sauce, the flavors are simple and wonderful. A traditional bowl of Carbonara ($11) made with pancetta, egg, parmigiano and cracked pepper was al dente deliciousness. I appreciated the bold use of cracked pepper.Those parmesan and egg coated noodles were perfect. The Lamb Lollipop ($14) dipped in a pistachio crust with mint pesto, a rubio glaze and fruit Macedonia was my favorite.

I loved the presentation, the meat was juicy and tender and that pistachio crust was terrific.The Baby Eggplant ($12) offers ovals of fried Japanese eggplant with tomato sauce, Parmigiano and basil. Once again, this dish was full of simple but remarkable, spot on flavors. Same goes for the Braised Wild Mushrooms ($15) with garlic sage, cherry tomato, truffle oil and Parmigiano polenta. A bowl of Mussels Vapor ($10) presented steamed wild mussels in a white wine, garlic and lemon broth to round out the meal.

The bustling space is small and cozy enough to know you're in the North End, but a polished modern interior and food the opposite of a classic heaping plate of pasta in red sauce makes you forget that you actually are. Piattini at Ristorante Damiano proves that Italian food can be diverse and eclectic. This was my second time dining here and the service remained consistent and the food as good as I remembered. 

A proper evening in the North End can't end without dessert! Damiano leaves that to the experts. Meaning, they don't serve it but rather they encourage business to their neighboring pastry shops and gelaterias. We debated - gelato because its finally warm enough, or cannoli because it's just what you do!?

Umm, does a Caipirinha ($10) count? ;) We decided more drinks were in order and I lead the group to one of my longstanding favorites Bacco on the corner of Salem and Parmenter Streets. We sat at a table on the first floor opposite the bar, the warm breeze blowing in through the large windows overlooking Parmenter street. I'm grabbing drinks (and $5 appetizers on weeknights!) fairly often at Bacco's bar, yet somehow it has escaped the blog in its entirety! I am a big fan of their versatile drink menu and the bartenders are always accommodating. Bacco is not a bad place to spend a night out around here, not bad at all.

{Update: As of January 12, 2012 Ristorante Damiano reopened as Carmellina's under the same ownership with the same executive chef to feature traditional size plates.}