Massimino’s is a great authentic restaurant in the North End, a bit off the beaten path and away from the touristy parts, tucked away nicely into a side street.
My mom and I decided last minute to go to the North End for dinner, with nowhere in particular in mind, we walked down a few side streets and stumbled upon this little place. Sitting outside was the maître d, a nice jolly old man, extremely friendly. He brought us inside and we were seated right away.
The first floor is small and cozy, maybe 10 tables. It had a rustic atmosphere and great service. There is also a second floor in the basement with a bar. We never went down there do I am not sure how big – or small – it is.
Our waiter Mike was able to accommodate my gluten intolerance no problem! I had no idea they had gluten free pasta. I had 1. Never heard of this restaurant before and 2. It was not on the menu posted out front. I was so excited when he told us they had gluten free penne that could be substituted into any pasta dish, and almost any dish could be altered and made gluten free (except the chicken and veal parmesan and a few others). And they don’t charge extra for gluten free pasta! I absolutely hate when restaurants do that!!
For an appetizer we split the antipasto salad, which came with assorted vegetables, traditional cured meats and cheeses over mixed greens ($14.95). The plate was so colorful and tasty and probably the best antipasto I’ve ever had anywhere!
I ordered the Veal Piicatta ($14.95), without the batter, and was not a huge fan. The portion size was huge, but the veal itself was a little too dry. The pasta was delicious, I am not sure what kind they used, I wanted to ask but forgot (maybe I shouldn't have have that second glass of wine), but it was cooked to perfection! My mom enjoyed her meal and everyone else around us seemed to by liking what they ordered too. I would go back again and give this place a second chance, I just wouldn’t order this dish.
The service was wonderful. We were first seated next to the kitchen and it was loud and the waitresses were constantly bumping in the back of my chair. They quickly moved us, without hesitation, to a seat closer to the window. Mike was great, very friendly, pleasant attitude and happily recommended a wine that would pair nicely with our meal. The serves were quick to come and refill our water and/or wine. We were never rushed and stayed for a long time enjoying our meal and wine.
The dessert menu looked good, if I could eat gluten. There were two gluten free options the Limoncello (lemon gelato and limoncello mixed together) and one other that is escaping my mind at the moment. Being a nice night, we decided to walk down to Mike's Pasrty, the only gluten free items being macaroons and gelato. I’m not a big gelato fan, so I got 4 macaroons to go. (FYI they were delicious, try the ones with almonds on top!)
Very reasonably priced entrees for the North End, I don’t think they had one dish over $20. After eating here I read a few reviews that said they tend to have long waits on weekends, so my advice - get there early.
Location: 207 Endicott St, Boston, MA 02113
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