Mamma Maria

"Pasta is for lovers, and this North End classic boasts plenty of pasta and plenty of romantic vibes. It features a variety of rooms, each with a different personality, great for private event bookings small and large, but it’s just as nice for a regular date night. The restaurant follows Italian cuisine’s ethos in terms of local sourcing by showcasing New England ingredients in traditional Italian dishes that lean northern in the fall and winter and southern in the spring and summer." - Celina Colby, Valerie Li Stack, Rachel Leah Blumenthal

"Where classic red-sauce dining meets Boston’s historic old charm, Mamma Maria defines what good food in Boston should look like. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in, and the food will surely make you stay. As is done in Italy, expect an ever-changing menu — Mamma Maria focuses on seasonality, taking the best from what the local markets have available, like pumpkin for their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions Vodka." - Erika Adams, Nathan Tavares, Tommy Ranucci

"Mamma Maria has five dining rooms spread out across two floors of a 19th-century townhouse. If it’s your first time here, be sure to follow the host—otherwise, you might get lost in the labyrinthine space and never find your way out. But if that happens, there are worse places to be stuck. Order the burrata, the earthy-sweet beet salad, and the heady gorgonzola-stuffed figs with buttery prosciutto and speck. For mains, the seared black bass is a stunner, and the meltingly tender osso buco on saffron risotto has the well-deserved honor of being the only constant presence on the otherwise ever-changing menu. Dessert is a must, especially the chocolate torte with amarena cherries. " - lala thaddeus

"Mamma Maria has five dining rooms spread out across two floors of a 19th-century townhouse. If it’s your first time here, be sure to follow the host—otherwise, you might get lost in the labyrinthine space and never find your way out. But if that happens, there are worse places to be stuck. Order the burrata, the earthy-sweet beet salad, and the heady gorgonzola-stuffed figs with buttery prosciutto and speck. For mains, the seared black bass is a stunner, and the meltingly tender osso buco on saffron risotto has the well-deserved honor of being the only constant presence on the otherwise ever-changing menu. Dessert is a must, especially the chocolate torte with amarena cherries." - Lala Thaddeus

"A romantic fine-dining restaurant in the North End’s North Square, Mamma Maria serves all the Italian classics, including osso buco, Tuscan-style rabbit pappardelle, and lobster agnolotti. The menu rotates, so enjoy the flavors of the month with a glass of wine." - Celina Colby, Dana Hatic, Erika Adams