Tresca | North End

Saturday night I remained happily in the company of my fun-loving family members. After traveling back at various times from New Hampshire we reconvened at my apartment for some apertivi before our 7:30 pm dinner reservation at Tresca. The manager greeted us warmly and made friendly conversation as fourteen of us trickled in off an ever-crowded Hanover Street. We were lead up an elegant marble staircase to the second floor and settled into a table that ran the length of the balcony front windows. Tresca was bustling with a romantic yet lively energy, the restored old world Tuscan Villa atmosphere was a scene everyone could appreciate.

Our waiter introduced himself, announcing a prix fix menu option for large parties ($65 per person) which included shared family style appetizers, followed by a pasta course, entrée course and dessert course each. We were immediately sold as a group! 

Some of us started off with martinis ($11). From my Aunts White Grape Cosmo to my cousins Pineapple-tini to my classic Dirty Martini, all were well crafted.

The signature antipasti plates were plentiful beginning with Polpette di Vitello consisting of crispy veal meatballs served with Pomodoro, poached garlic and basil dipping sauces. These meatballs were excellent, easily the star of the antipasti plates. The Calamari Fritti garnished with Pomodoro and spicy aioli sauce was a suitable preparation. I didn't care for the Spiedini di Agnello which are southern Italian marinated and grilled Lamb skewers; the flavors didn't hit home for me, neither did the texture of the lamb. Our secondi course consisted of a Rigatoni Bolognese. The pasta at Tresca is handmade daily and the large coils of rigatoni were done to a perfectly toothsome al dente. The traditional northern style veal and pork ragout was hearty and flavorful, enriched with pancetta and tomatoes. The dish was finished with melted Parmesan cheese and a chiffonade of basil. It was everything I would expect from a great Bolognese, rustic with a refined simplicity.

Our service tonight was sufficient but not standout. I thought our waiter was pleasant but not 100% on the ball. Normally, I wouldn't gripe about service woes for a party of fourteen, but for what Tresca aims to be - a fine dining establishment charging prices to fit the bill - I held them accountable to a higher standard. (For example, clearing plates timely. Dirty plates often lingered into the next course.) I know certain restaurants in the North End won't even consider taking reservations for parties as large as ours on a Saturday evening or at all. Even so, I had high expectations!

My principali course was a disappointment entirely. The Selvaggio della Sera which is the chefs hand selected game special was Duck served with pear au jus, a rosemary polenta cake and pear salad. The waiter made sure to question if the chefs preparation of the duck medium rare would suffice. Duck cooked to medium rare is ideal, I was happy to oblige. The duck served to me was very rare, with certain slices border-lining on completely raw in the center. The polenta cake was underwhelming and the sad looking pear slices were just that. No one around me had this entrée, but once I glanced down to the other end of the table, I saw that my Mom and Aunt Cheryl were sending their duck back. Yep. Raw Duck. 

Those who ordered the Seared Sea Bass were the lucky recipients of a superb fish entrée. They sang its praises. I did try a few bites and concurred with its greatness. The Lobster Gnocchi (ordered by Adam and a few others) wasn't quite up to par. The usually plump and pillowy dumplings were tiny and meek in appearance and rather soggy in texture, overwhelmed by a thick cream sauce. 

The traditional slices of Tiramisu for dessert were delicious, the espresso soaked lady fingers layered with rum infused mascarpone hit all the right notes. 

I still smile about the cocktails and the veal meatballs and the rigatoni Bolognese, even after a pretty terrible entrée. While Tresca did manage to hit some high points, I was disappointed with the experience overall. In a fiercely competitive neighborhood you need to consistently deliver in order to become worthy of long lasting praise. You need to shine in every aspect of the experience and for me, Tresca fell short. 

Tresca

233 Hanover St

Boston, MA 02113