"The dining room at Pammy’s, a restaurant located between Harvard and Central Squares, is a little fancy. Maybe that's because of the wood-burning fireplace or the almost-lifesize statue of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, resting on the back of the bar. But thanks to the easygoing service and buzzing crowd, it’s relaxed enough to make that blind date your aunt set up (and has been talking about for months) a little less awkward. The three-course, $79 prix fixe is mostly Italian, but incorporates ingredients from all over the world—think a tripe mafaldine pasta drizzled with chili oil and a gochujang-laced lumache bolognese. " - tanya edwards, megan zhang, dan secatore