Chez Henri

This is the seventh restaurant post in the ongoing series Welcome to My New Hood, a series highlighting the neighborhood between Harvard Square and Porter Square in Cambridge. Other posts in this series: Rafiki Bistro (now closed), Super Fusion Sushi, Temple Bar, Giulia, Cambridge Common, and Ten Tables Cambridge. 
 
I've seen lots of restaurants come and go, but I think Chez Henri has been in Cambridge ever since I moved here almost twenty years ago (man, time flies).

Known best for its pressed Cubano Sandwich, Chez Henri actually has a lot of interesting Cuban/French inspired dishes that makes it just a bit different from your typical American style gastropub on this stretch of Mass Ave between Harvard and Porter in Cambridge.

Just recently, news came the this neighborhood stronghold is being sold and may be renamed. Chef-owner Paul O'Connell has indicated that he hopes to sell it to Dylan Black, current owner of Green Street who used to work at Chez Henri.

I met Chef Paul O'Connell at East End House's Cooking for a Cause benefit event last year. He was super friendly, sharing with me fascinating stories about how he has cooked for Julia Child (who used to live in Cambridge really close to the restaurant!) as well as the food blogger, "Julie" of "Julie and Julia" fame.

I'm a little sad to see this neighborhood institution go. I'm hoping that the new owners preserve what's great and unique about Chez Henri, namely its famous cubano, interesting Latin focused dishes, and solid French cooking. Initial news reports seem to indicate this is the intent of Dylan Black and his team, which is encouraging.

Nevertheless, if you want to taste the Chez Henri that you've known and loved the past 15 years, you might want to head over there before the end of the summer, which is when the changeover is expected to take place.

Here's a look at the first meal we had there after moving into the neighborhood.

Bryan started with Blanquette de Lapin, which is homemade cavatelli tossed with white wine braised rabbit, cream, and herbs ($15).This dish is definitely more French than Cuban (not sure if it has any Cuban influence, in fact). The texture of the homemade pasta was great, and Bryan liked the overall flavors of the dish. I personally found it to be a bit too heavy and rich, and could only handle a few bites of it.

I started with the Bistro Salad (pictured up top), a pile of fresh greens tossed in a dijon and herb vinaigrette mixed with crispy potatoes, warm bacon lardons, and a soft boiled egg ($12). This is a classic French dish, and they dine a fine job on it.

This Cuban-inspired appetizer was a special of the evening, and thus not on the regular menu. The shrimp was cooked just right and the dish had a nice kick that came from the Cuban spices.

We also enjoyed Pressed Cornish Hen, which came with red Kouri squash polenta, truffle pan jus glace viande, and charred greens ($24). The chicken was juicy and tasted pretty good with the nicely browned skin.

For dessert, we shared a Strawberry Shortcake with Pineapple Sauce. Bryan and I have always loved biscuit-based strawberry shortcakes, so we enjoyed this particular dessert. It's not something that blew me away, but we liked how it wasn't cloyingly sweet. The ice cream added a balance to the entire dessert.

We thought all of the dishes at Chez Henri were pretty good, and definitely a step above several of the other gastropubs down the street. Of course, the prices are higher here, so you do pay a premium for the more upscale food. Nothing particularly blew us away, but everything was solid.

If you sit at the bar, you should most definitely try the Cubano, probably one of their most famous items. I didn't get one at this meal, but I've tasted it before, and it's quite good.

We'll miss you Chez Henri. Hoping the "new" you preserves the best of what you already have and adds even more to the neighborhood.

Thanks for a great 19 years!

Chez Henri
1 Shepard St
Cambridge, MA 02138

Yume Wo Katare

Call me a chicken or call me lame.

Or maybe I'm just not a quite as devoted a ramen fan.

Sure, I'd been curious about Yume Wo Katare even before it opened. Who wouldn't be intrigued by the promise of authentic ramen from Japan, complete with thick, handmade noodles and a rich, flavorful broth?

But then there were the lines. The infamous lines that stretched down the block, especially on weekends. It wan't unusual to wait 2 hours for a bowl of noodles. Of course, from what I heard, the brave souls who waited in these long lines were rewarded with a phenomenal bowl of noodles. Those that were lucky bragged about "only" waiting 20-30 minutes. Those in the know advised going right at 5:00 pm (about an hour before they open).

"Usually they'll open the doors around 5:30 and start letting people in. This way, you only wait 30 minutes."

I live less than a 15 minute walk away from this place, yet I couldn't bring myself to go try it. The uncertainty of potentially having to wait in line for up to two hours most definitely deterred me, big time.


A few nights ago, Bryan informed me that he was going to be late coming back from work. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try to catch this elusive place at a time when possibly, just possibly the line might be shorter.

We decided to take the chance. It was a reasonably "warm" night out (hey, if it's above freezing here in Boston, we think it's warm), and we were OK going to another backup place in Porter Square if necessary.

Surprisingly, at around 8:30PM, there was no line out the door. Instead, we walked inside, paid for our noodles at the counter, and stood along the wall of the restaurant . . . . waiting. Waiting and watching sixteen other hungry people slurp down their noodles.

Shockingly, within 5 minutes, 4 people finished their noodles and got up to leave.

We couldn't believe it.

We were finally in.

Yume Wo Katare opened in Porter Square (Cambridge) in October of 2012. Chef-owner Tsuyoshi Nishioka has five other ramen restaurants in Japan and decided he wanted to open one up in the US.

It took him awhile to find the perfect location. He tried out a bunch of places, including Hawaii and New York, before settling on Boston. He was searching for a place where there were lots of students - people who didn't have that much money but had huge dreams.

Tell me your Dreams. "Yume" means dreams in Japanese, and "Katare" is tell. 

The tiny restaurant is covered with colorful framed signs describing different people's dreams. You can pay $10 to display your dream for a month; $30 for 3 months; all the way up to $10,000 for 10 years (would that guarantee that he would stay open in that location for 10 years? - perhaps "until 2030" like the sign promises?).

Chef Nishioka is passionate about his ramen. He wakes up early each morning and spends two hours making the noodles by hand.

I asked, "muzukashii desu ka?" (isn't that difficult?)

He smiled and replied (in Japanese), "I have been doing this for ten years. I made ramen for ten years in Japan, so now it is not so difficult."

The pork bone "tonkotsu" broth (not to be confused with the breaded pork cutlet called "tonkatsu") is simmered gently for over 24 hours, never allowed to actually boil. What results is this thick, rich broth full of collagen, pork fat, and tons of flavor. Some liken it to a light gravy almost.

The restaurant specializes in one dish and one dish only: Jiro-style pork ramen. This style of ramen typically comes with thicker noodles (made from higher gluten bread flour), chashu pork and belly, and a thick, fatty pork bone broth. A pile of lightly blanched cabbage and fresh bean sprouts feebly attempts to balance out all that porky richness.

This unusual style of ramen (which some ramen purists refuse to acknowledge as ramen) started in Mita near Keio University at a place called Ramen Jiro. The gargantuan portions of noodles and pork became a hit with students who were looking for delicious, hearty food at a good value.

Especially popular with young college males, it soon became a lauded feat if one could polish off the entire bowl of noodles in its entirety - every single thick slice of fatty pork, the huge pile of dense noodles, the gobs of fresh garlic, and that ultra rich broth. It became a bragging right in and of itself.

Since then it has gained a cult following in Japan, spawning off over 30 other branches across Tokyo alone.
Bryan's bowl with extra vegetables and 5 slices of pork

At Yume Wo Katare, the choices are simple:

First, do you want 2 slices of pork ($12) or 5 slices of pork ($15)?

Second, right before serving you the noodles, the chef will ask you:

Ninniku iremasuka? (do you want garlic?)

I would highly recommend it, as the pungent, raw garlic really helps cut the rich fattiness of the pork belly and the broth. Some would even argue that it's not true Jiro style ramen without the garlic. It definitely offers the needed balance. Of course, be prepared to smell like garlic the rest of the night, because you get a lot!

Don't worry if you can't remember all this. There is a HUGE sign that explains exactly what the chef will ask you. At the end of the day, you just have to decide whether you want garlic or not.

Jen's bowl with 2 slices of pork

If you want to be authentic, you reply with "hai!" (pronounced "hi"). Of course, he understands a tiny bit of English. Bryan was so taken aback by the rapid Japanese that came out of Chef Nishioka's mouth that he just sort of looked confused and said, "I'm sorry, I don't speak . . ."

Chef Nishioka kindly repeated in English, "garlic. do you want garlic?"

You can also ask for extra vegetables, which Bryan did. It means you get a much bigger pile of the blanched cabbage and bean sprouts. Extra pork fat is the last option, but neither of us asked for it, since we already thought the soup had plenty of fat.

How does it taste?
It's is definitely different from any other ramen you can get in Boston.

The broth is deep, rich, intensely flavorful, and also quite fatty. It's very soul-warming on an icy cold day. I can just imagine how satisfying this bowl of soup would be for someone who has been standing out in the cold for two hours, starving.

The pork belly is lusciously melt-in-your-mouth soft and very flavorful. One of my pieces had less fat (perhaps it was pork shoulder?) and was just a bit tougher than the round slices of pork belly. I guess it depends on which pieces you get. The vegetables are fine - simply blanched, they are probably there more for texture than flavor. This dish is seriously all about the pork.

And the handmade noodles are great. Bryan especially liked that part.

"These are better than the noodles at Ippudo," he said.

Some may think Chef Nishioka is a ramen nazi of sorts. After all, there are many rules by which you must play if you want to eat here.

First of all, he only speaks Japanese. I almost felt like I was in Japan as I stepped into this little place - everything from the traditional "irasshaimase!" (welcome) that's yelled out right when you enter to the use of various Japanese phrases used throughout (like the garlic one).

Second, the place is cash only and they aren't shy about (gently) kicking you out of your seat if you're done. After all, there's almost always a huge line outside, and they try their best to move things along. We must have hit a lull, because by the time we left around 9PM, the line had started growing again.

Finally, everyone over the age of 12 must order a bowl of noodles - no sharing (even though the portion is huge!). They don't do take-out, and you can't take any leftovers home with you.

This rule was the hardest for me. On the one hand I felt terrible about throwing away so much of his labor-intensive handmade noodles and 24-hour broth. On the other hand, the idea of eating that entire bowl of pork belly, fat, and thick noodles just made me feel a bit sick. I was seriously stuffed even after eating just about half the bowl.

It looks like I didn't even make a dent, but this is what I had to leave behind.

Thankfully, Bryan did eat some of my noodles afterwards. I was seriously impressed with Bryan. Not only did he finish his own entire bowl (which was the bigger one with five pieces of pork), he made a sizable dent in my bowl of noodles.

At Yume Wo Katare, the chef will personally say "good job!" to you if you are able to finish your entire bowl.

Is it worth the hype?

Wow, that's a hard question.

The dish, as a whole, is very good with excellent execution on all fronts. The ramen broth is richly flavorful and the pork belly is luxuriously soft and tender. It's hard to get handmade noodles in Boston, so we really appreciate the care and dedication that Chef Nishioka puts into making them every morning. They have a decent "Q" to them, though I would still classify them as soft noodles.

This is the type of ramen that's hard to eat on a regular basis. It's just so rich and heavy, you're really kind of wiped out by the time you finish a meal here. Forget about trying to get some work done. Just go straight to bed with your pork-fat induced food coma.

I do love the concept of this place, and I liked being there. It transported me back to Japan, which made me very happy. In my own perfect world, I would be able to order a smaller portion size or take home leftovers. I wouldn't mind a wider variety of vegetables, and Bryan was sort of wishing for some hot sauce.

Of course, these are matters of preference, and it's more of a reflection of our personal opinions on Jiro-style ramen than on Chef Nishioka himself. Personally, I think Chef Nishioka is doing a fantastic job, something that is clearly, clearly evidenced by the popularity of this place.

Chef Nishioka will be going back to Japan for about a month (between April 7 and May 6th), during which time Yume Wo Katare will be closed. Update! He has postponed his trip. So you can still go get noodles!

If you want to get a taste of that ramen, I'd suggest trying to go in the next month or so when the colder weather is still a bit of a deterrent for some. Otherwise, if you try to come back after May, you may be faced with those scary 90-120 minute waits again.

I love the fact that more and more Japanese places are opening up around Porter.

Seriously, perhaps I'll have to consider buying a 10-year "dream" just so he won't leave the area anytime soon.

Yume Wo Katare
(Porter Square)
1923 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA


Sources: Ramen Tokyo Rameniac NYTimes CNN

Cambridge Common

Chicken Parmesan

There’s something that, until recently, I didn’t really appreciate about Boston.

We really holds our own when it comes to local craft beers.

From Pretty Things to Jack Abbey and my newly discovered recent darling, Blatant One, Boston has been churning out some pretty incredible beers.

At the same time, more and more craft-beer focused restaurants have been popping up in Cambridge. Lord Hobo opened in November of 2009 and focuses on many import beers. Mead Hall opened in Kendall Square in April of 2011 and boasts an impressive selection of beers.

And then there are the old standbys who have been around for ages. 

I visited Cambridge Common for the first time back in 2000. At the time I didn’t live in the area and thought that it was sort of located in an area that wasn’t super convenient. Nestled between Porter and Harvard Square on Mass Ave, Cambridge Common is a good 5-10 minute walk from both T-stop.

However, now that I live virtually across the street from the restaurant, I’ve come to appreciate it as a place that has an awesome selection of beer (31 on tap!), good solid food, very reasonable prices, and friendly service.

It’s our go-to standby when we feel like munching on some casual grub nearby without breaking the bank.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I would characterize Cambridge Common as a New England gastropub whose food is just a tad tweaked for the Cambridge audience. Of course you have your typical fish & chips, burgers, BLTs and the like. However, you also have the option of getting Italian pastas, roasted Brussels sprouts, a “soup of the day” that’s always vegetarian, and globally inspired plates such as paella or hummus and falafel.

Fried Pickles - $5.95

Not surprisingly they do fried things really well, and one of our favorites is the beer battered fried dill pickle spears, which are served with ranch dressing and spicy chipotle aioli for dipping. The tartness of the pickle balances out the spicy deep fried coating, and the appetizer is surprisingly addictive.

Sliced Sweet Potato Fries ($5.95)

Similarly, we love the sliced sweet potato fries - corrugated fried potato slices whose many ridges offer that much more surface area of “crunch.” It’s become our new go-to starter that we get every single time.

"Uncommon BLT" - $7.95

The sandwiches are excellent. I often get the Uncommon BLT, which uses apple smoked bacon and comes with avocados, baby spinach, and tomatoes. If you go during Sunday brunch, you can get a fun brunch version that not only includes avocadoes but also a fried egg.  I love the spiced curly fries that come with the sandwiches (but then I sort of have a weakness for spicy curly fries).

Paella

Dinner offerings are solid but have been a bit more underwhelming. The Chicken Parmesan (pictured up top) is hearty, bold, and generously portioned, giving us plenty of leftovers for another meal. However, the pasta texture leaves something to be desired (it's a bit mushy). The paella is pretty average, though to be fair, it costs well under $15 and therefore is limited in its ability to include higher priced seafood (it’s mostly squid and mussels).

Chicken Cous Cous Salad

They have some healthier options, such as the Chicken Cous Cous Salad, which has a nicely seasoned lemony salad (though the chicken itself is a tad dry). Bryan tried the Taco Salad recently, which he thought was slightly underwhelming.

Every time we have gone, we have had excellent service in a cool, no-nonsense kind of way. The servers all know beer really well and will happily recommend various beers or even let you try a small flight to decide which you like best. The last time I went, the server even let me sample a taste of the two available soups, which was really helpful.

The prices are very reasonable – most lunch items cost around $10 and most dinner entrees are in the $12-$15 range.

As I said before, the beer selection is excellent. They have thirty-one beers on tap, including many local craft beers. They offers various sort of flights or you can design your own. You can always sample a beer before trying it, which is fun.

The other day, Bryan and I didn't get home until past midnight from a late flight into Boston. We were thrilled to discover that Cambridge Common opens until 2AM (kitchen closes at 1AM).

Thanks to Cambridge Common, we didn't have to go to sleep hungry that night.

Cambridge Common
1667 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA

Giulia

This is the fourth restaurant post in the series, Welcome to My New Hood, focused on restaurants in the neighborhood between Harvard Square and Porter Square. Other posts in this series: Rafiki Bistro (no longer open), Super Fusion Sushi, and Temple Bar.

 "Why Giulia?" we asked.

Giulia is the name of a street in Italy where Chef Michael Pagliarini's brother works.
 
In fact, there are little hints of Chef Pagliarini's Italian roots all over the restaurant, from the generous sprinkling of Italian words all over the menu (we had to ask several times, "what does this mean?") to the traditional Italian cookies offered for dessert - baked by his mom - who  learned these recipes from friends in Italy.

If you haven't heard, Chef Pagliarini, who previously worked at Via Matta in the Back Bay, has just opened up a new Italian restaurant in Cambridge.

There has been much pent up demand for this place. In the past, people regularly bemoaned the lack of Italian restaurants in Cambridge, especially on this stretch between Harvard Square and Porter Square where gastropubs rule. Sure, you can head up north to Gran Gusto (excellent place, by the way) or to Huron Village and check out Trattoria Pulcinella . . . but for a place that's really close and convenient?

As you must know by now, Bryan loves fresh pasta. When we heard that Chef Pagliarini would be making fresh pasta daily right at the chef's table, we absolutely could not wait for this place to open.

Last week it finally opened on Tuesday. We immediately called them up and made a reservation for four (plus a baby!).

The inside is warm and cozy, with a long bar (yay, I love eating at the bar) and a chef's table at the back which functions as a pasta-making table by day. It has a similar layout as the old Rafiki Bistro, but it's much more spruced up and, frankly, looks much nicer.

The restaurant was surprisingly accommodating for my friends' newborn (only 4 weeks old!). They have a nice table that's right next to the window sort of separated from everyone else. We arrived right when the restaurant opened (5:30PM) and my friends were able to keep the stroller with the sleeping baby right next to our table the entire dinner.

The menu is divided up into five sections: Sfitzi, which are like little bites, cost from $3-$5. Antipasti ($10-$16) are appetizers, and include dishes such as a burrata salad, salumi plate, crudo, and bruschetta (just to name a few). Then there are various Pasta 'della Nostra Tabola', which are fresh pasta dishes made in-house (right on top of that loooooong chef's table) which are "primo" sized (starter portion) and cost between $15-$22. The Meat & Fish section contains various cooked meat and fish entrees ($18-$42), and then there are Contorni (sides), which cost $5-$7. Desserts come on a separate menu and includes dessert cordials, sweets, and cheeses.

One of my favorite bites of the entire evening came first. The Warm Semolina Cakes with Lardo ($5) was fantastic. Soft, light, fluffy, yet super moist inside, these bite-sized cakes were topped with a paper thin piece of lardo, which virtually melted on top of the warm cake. It was absolutely fantastic.

The Tiny Clams 'in brodetto' ($16) came cooked in a fragrant broth with pancetta, garbanzo beans and spinach. The flavors for this dish were excellent, beautifully aromatic and well seasoned. We couldn't help but soak up the broth with our bread in order to savor the flavor a bit longer.
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'Carne Cruda' crostini ($11) was beef tartare served with mini-toast (crostini) and pickled, roasted, and fresh "allium" (garlic, shallots, the like). Unfortunately, this dish was a bit disappointing. The beef pieces were just a bit larger than we liked, and the beef itself was slightly undersalted and not particularly flavorful. The accompanying mix of pickled vegetables was OK, but a bit too sweet for my tastes.

The Burrata di Puglia ($14) was served with charred peppers, golden raisins, and pine nuts. The ingredients were definitely good quality, and the overall combination of flavors was solid, though nothing particularly special.

We've been enjoying some incredible salumi at home lately, so Bryan was really keen on trying the Assorted Salumi ($15), which consisted of mortadella, soppressata, fincchiona, and wild boar.

Overall, the salumi plate was OK ("it's fine" according to Bryan), but probably not something I would order again. Bryan and I both enjoy the salumi we buy at the local gourmet market a lot more. To be fair, at the market we get to try a bunch before picking which to buy, which makes it a lot easier to get the ones that we love.

The staff was a bit confused about the salumi. At first they indicated that it was "local", but then affirmed that it was from Italy. When they served it, they were unable to distinguish between two of the types (they looked really similar), and told us we should be able to find out once we tasted it.

The fresh pasta is really, really good.
We love the fact that they make the pasta daily on that huge chef's table. Nothing beats homemade pasta, and all of theirs are excellent.
I loved the unusual Spelt Fusilli with Roasted Mushrooms ($15). Loaded with fresh herbs, this simple pasta is tossed with butter and grana padano. The spelt pasta adds a lovely nuttiness to the dish, which was excellent. Of course, the texture of the pasta was great - very dense and chewy. This was definitely one of the favorites at the table.

The Boston Bluefish Puttanesca ($16) was quite an unusual dish, made with with maltagliati (a type of pasta), capers, anchovy, tomato, and hot chilies. I personally found the very strong bluefish flavor to be a bit weird. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite flavor either. My friend thought the strongly flavored sauce worked well to stand up to the strongly flavored bluefish.

The Papardelle with Wild Boar came with black trumpet mushrooms, juniper, and aged parmigiano. Again, the homemade pasta texture was excellent, and the flavors of the dish were perfectly balanced and really came together nicely. The wild boar was soft and tender, and everything was executed well. This was probably Bryan's favorite pasta dish.

The Bucatini all'Amatriciana was my least favorite of the bunch. Even though I fell in love with this dish in Rome, this version was not nearly as flavorful. The tomato sauce was a bit too acidic and lacked a deep, sweet "tomato" flavor. Several of us thought it was a bit too salty, though one of us really liked it because it had a nice, real spicy kick. Of course, the texture of the bucatini was perfect - I just wished the sauce had something more . . .

The Brussels Sprouts, Orange Zest, and Hot Peppers ($5) was another one of my favorite dishes (it's just a side dish). How come I never thought of roasting Brussels sprouts with hot peppers? It is ingenious and so good. One of my friends didn't like how charred the sprouts were, (he thought the food was burnt), but I personally really enjoy sprouts when they are a bit charred, so I didn't mind one bit.

For $5, I would totally get this again.

Secondi - Meat & Fish

Rohan Duck Breast ($32) came with Umbrian lentils, cippolini, and pomegranate saba. This duck was quite fatty, and because the skin was not scored, none of the fat was rendered. This resulted in pieces duck that were attached to a rather thick and chewy chunk of fat. According to my friend, "the fat to meat ratio is off." Bryan thought the flavor of the duck was fine, though not particularly memorable. We did love the lentils, which were extremely flavorful and had a nice, al dente texture.

The Grilled Branzino ($24) was roasted with anise and potatoes and topped with sea urchin. The fish was perfectly seared and we loved the crispy skin on top. The fish itself was also nice and tender. We wished for more uni (that little dollop on top was not quite enough for the whole piece of fish). Other than that, the dish was pretty good. Solid execution, quality ingredients, and overall good flavors.

House Made Lamb Sausage ($18) came on top of a pile of broccoli rabe, pepperonata, and "gigante" beans. These beans were definitely huge ("gigante"!) and were really tasty, reminding me a bit of starchy mashed potatoes. I loved the flavors of the beans together with the vegetables underneath. The lamb itself was a bit salty to eat on its own, though it went well with the vegetables and beans.

Sicilian Style Swordfish ($24) came with autumn vegetable caponata and fresh oregano. Although I would have loved for them to cook the swordfish just a hair less, it was still executed reasonably well, better than most restaurants. The fish was tender yet fully cooked through. Though I found the caponata to be a bit too sweet, overall the dish was OK.

The server highly recommended the Cheese Plate ($14), which comes with these gorgeous homemade tninly sliced crackers that are filled with all sorts of goodies, like almonds, raisins, and walnuts. The crackers were absolutely fabulous. They were so delicate yet so flavorful at the same time. I longed for more than three slices to go with my cheese, which were all pretty enjoyable.

The Cookie Plate consists of cookies made by the chef's mother, who learned how to make these while she was in Italy. These were authentic and solid, though definitely quite sweet for my tastes. I can only nibble a bit before I need a big swig of coffee!

First Impressions?
Overall the food is very good at Giulia. Their strength is definitely the homemade pastas, which have excellent texture and really nice flavors. The starters were mixed but there were definitely some standouts (e.g., the clams). We fell in love with the semolina cakes (I hope he never takes that off the menu), but were a bit disappointed with the beef tartare and uninspired by the salumi plate. Except for the duck, we really enjoyed the "secondi" main dishes as well. All the fish dishes were executed well, with quality ingredients and nice flavors.
 
If you're a huge pasta fan and you live in the area, you'll be thrilled that we finally have some really nice pasta options right here in Cambridge. Instead of heading out to Boston for a nice Italian dinner out, you can just walk down the street.

It's actually quite expensive to eat at Giulia's. Although the individual menu items don't cost that much, expect to order at least a few courses (if not more) to equal a regular meal elsewhere. In fact, the server told us that the menu portions are designed to allow diners to eat all five (!) courses.

I couldn't believe it at first, but evidence speaks volumes. Four of us ordered two "sfitzi" (small bites), four "antipasti" (appetizers), four pastas, four entrees, a cheese plate, and a dessert. We ate everything, and though the women felt a bit stuffed, the men felt just right.

I think the "antipasti" are actually reasonably portions (comparable to an appetizer at any other restaurant), though I agree the pastas are a bit too small to really count as a regular entree. Bryan definitely thought he needed to order two pastas dishes if he wanted to eat it as a dinner, which means spending around $30 just for the pasta entree.

The place is priced like a higher-end Italian restaurant in the North End, but we're not quite sure if the ambiance, service, and location quite match the prices. I guess time will tell if this neighborhood is willing to pay those prices on a regular basis.

Nevertheless, I'm still really excited to have such quality food in the neighborhood. I'm hoping they think about offering more reasonably priced weekday deals like many of the other local restaurants (both Bergamot and Ten Tables offer a 3-course $39 deal, which is really nice). It would definitely incentivize locals like me to stop by more often on random weeknights for a more "casual" dinner at the bar.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Giulia. We're anxious looking forward to seeing what other cool pasta dishes you'll dream up next.

Giulia
682 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 441-2800