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.}

MKT | Financial District

Market is the bar located at 21 Broad Street - not to be confused with Market the restaurant at the W Hotel located at 100 Stuart Street. While I've heard great things regarding the latter, the former, commonly abbreviated as MKT was where I spent this past Wednesday evening.

I have been to MKT before, that being said, I only saw one floor out of three and did not experience the roof deck or try the food. The décor here was not at all what I expected, it was surprisingly fresh and unique. The exposed wooden beams and wood floors give it a rustic feel while studded red velour chairs emit a regal vibe. The main circular bar is clean and composed with black lacquer counters and modern beige bar stools. Glowing red chandeliers add a funky touch.
On the sweltering 88 degree evening that was Wednesday here in Boston a Moscow Mule ($10) was ordered upon arrival to the MKT roof deck. It wasn't at all impressive. In fact, it paled in comparison to the real thing.

Described as served in a copper mug - this was not the case. Why even write that on the menu?! Huffing and puffing up four flights of stairs lead us to Sausage Fest 2010. I was looking like  the 5th girl to grace the roof decks presence this evening.

The female bartender was prompt, however disgruntled. She couldn't manage a smile and poured our drinks with an annoyed sense of urgency. Apparently she was the only one serving the roof deck of about 50 patrons, which included taking food orders. That has to make for a rough night. :(
We met our friends Ashley and Ethan and meandered to a spot in the corner. We were surrounded by the tall buildings of the Financial District.

Market's roof deck doesn't have the most breathtaking views, but, at least its got a small window of cityscape and a night sky backdrop in one direction. I definitely enjoyed the aspect of being in the midst of the skyscrapers, as opposed to viewing them from afar! This is not one of the most polished roof decks you'll ever sip a drink on, but it's comfortable enough.

For my second round I decided to switch to beer. At $10 a pop, I felt I wasn't getting my monies worth for a mixed drink. Initially the bartender overcharged me (ten dollars for a beer - really?) but I quickly pointed out to her there was no way my Kona Longboard on tap cost as much as my previous mixed drink. She concurred realizing it was only $5 and provided me the correct change. The four of us grabbed a table on the other side of the deck and munched on Nachos ($9) and BBQ Chicken Pizza ($10) as the sun went down.

The BBQ Chicken Pizza was mediocre bar grub. It wasn't great. The nachos were tasty, unfortunately (or fortunately for Adam) there was no guacamole to be found on them as advertised. The fresh scallions and grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top were a nice touch.
As the wind picked up we headed downstairs to the first floor where we learned it was Reggae Wednesday!
The band played classic cover songs with reggae inspired beats. While I wasn't super impressed by the roof deck vibe as a whole, the indoor ambiance at Market is pretty cool. For beating the Wednesday night heat with good company and good tunes, I'll take it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the food, though.