My girlfriend and I were walking around looking to get after dinner dessert and the waiter shane(sp) was out front. He was extremely friendly and described their two signature desserts. We were sold right away and they didn't disappoint. He also made us two after dinner coffee drinks that were outstanding. Espresso, Kahlua, Bailey's, Milk, and some steamed milk chilled.
Feel free to call it a Quinn's Concoction !!!!!!!
Thanks Shane for your outstanding service.
I tend to stay clear of the main streets in the North End. Being on the main street doesn't always mean it's good.
This place was off the beaten path and down a cute, cobblestone side way. I think it's around the corner of Mama Maria's and Paul Revere's house. We came in at around 4:00-ish on a bustling July 4th holiday. It was sweltering hot in Boston and we didn't want to walk any further. Most places were closed but luckily this cute little place was opened.
They gave us a choice of three menus... the specials, the lunch, and dinner. Since we were border lining dinner time the place gave options for the guest.
We had the Angel Hair Meatball, Shrimp Risotto, and Lobster ravioli. They were all delicious. I wasn't a fan of my sister's Angel Hair Meatball but the sauce was great. My shrimp risotto is yummy, there were 5 jumbo shrimps. My sister says it tasted a little raw but I liked a little bit of bite.
The desert had to be ordered ahead of time. I'll definitely come again if ever I'm in the neighborhood.
It was OK. I live in Boston and have been to a lot of the places in North end. It's not the best, but wasn't the worst.
The service was great. I'll give them that. The waiter was very friendly and attentive. Â Also they take open table reservations which is nice and convenient.
The dip that come with the bread is very good. a nice unique touch. We had the eggplant Napoleon appetizer which was ok, the gnocchi, and the pappardelle bolognese. Â We were really excited to try the gnocchi after other good reviews, but the smoky mozzarella sauce was a little overpowering. We both preferred the bolognese sauce. Â The pasta itself in both dishes was well made- fresh and very light .
My wife and I have eaten at this restaurant three times, and each time has been terrific. We were looking for a place to host a small wedding party and had a couple of meals there to try different dishes on the menu. Everything was delicious. We particularly liked the chicken parmigiana and the gnocci amatriciani (with pancetta, carmelized onions and smoked mozzarella). Among the appetizers, the eggplant Napoleon and the fried calamari were favorites. The owner and chef, Frank Pellino, could not have been more helpful in planning our wedding lunch. They handled a party of forty with ease and good humor, and everyone had a lovely time. We highly recommend Pellino's for either a romantic dinner for two or for small functions. Good food and great service.
Review Source:A deal voucher led me to this North End restaurant located just beyond Artu. Â They take reservations, which isn't often the case for establishments located in this neighborhood.
First, a warning (or head's up) to those welding the same voucher as I - there were additional unlisted restrictions on what you can order. Â The one that effected me the most had restricted dessert options to those $8 and under, with a $3 surcharge for either of the two more expensive options (meaning the $11 molten cake and the $11 bread pudding), particularly since (at 6:45pm!) they were already out of the tiramisu, leaving the $7 cannoli as the only viable option.
Rather than butter, or the now more ubiquitous olive oil, the bread arrived at the table with a dainty portion of sweet eggplant caponata. Â It was yummy!
As an attempt to be healthy, we selected the Grilled Asparagus $11 on wild greens; with sweet red roasted peppers, parmigiano EVOO, which was simple yet tasty an option. Â For the other appetizer, the Pan Roasted Mussels $12 In a crisp garlicky lemon white wine with garlic scented crostini arrived as a decent portion of the meaty mollusks.
For our entrees we decided to continue on the sea route and ordered the Lobster Ravioli $25 pillow filled with fresh lobster meat, mascarpone lobster veloute; shrimp and spinach and the Linguini Frutti Di Mare $27 Imported pasta al dente; with clams,mussels, jumbo shrimp and domestic tender calamari in a San marzano tomato sauce with a hint of zest. Â While the lobster ravioli was my pick, I actually ended up enjoying the flavors of the frutti di mare much more, although the repetition of mussels was a bit redundant. Â I think we found one shrimp among the ravioli and two among the linguine, along with two clams, a border of mussels and a few calamari rings tossed in.
For desserts, since the tiramisu we desired was no longer an option the night of our visit, we ordered the Cannoli Crisp crust; filled with sweetened ricotta $7 and upgraded the other dessert to the Cranberry Bread Pudding laced with roasted cranberries with Chambord liquer glaze and fresh cream $11.
The cannoli shell was indeed crisp - it broke into shards as my dining companion consumed the first half. Â I bit at my half with greater care and was able to dispatch mine without any trouble. Â The filling was tasty, but lacked the lovely dairy-ness that infused the sample I had enjoyed recently at Sweet. Â The winner of the final course was the moist and crisp bread pudding.
Service was terrific and the food was good. Â The bathrooms are located in the bathroom though
I gave this restaurant 5 stars because it exceeded my standard "North End restaurant" expectations in food, service, and atmosphere. Â
First - the food. Since I come from an Italian family and studied abroad in Italy, I can be very critical of Italian food. This place was the real deal though! While we were deciding what to order, our waiter brought us the most delicious spread to go with fresh bread - I forgot to ask what the spread was called but it tastes just a bit sweeter than bruschetta and was absolutely delicious. We then couldn't all decide on a bottle of wine, so our server brought over our top picks to sample before we picked just one (and the sampling was more than generous!). We also ordered the Eggplant Napoleon for an appetizer - again, we gobbled it up! I ordered the chicken risotto for my entree so I can only personally speak for that, but I can truthfully say that every plate at our table was clean by the end of our dinner. Â Also - I'd definitely recommend the chicken risotto - the risotto is made with roasted butternut squash - so it's savory and sweet at the same time and not overcooked. The chicken was very thin and had a sauce that perfectly complimented the butternut squash. Lastly - we ordered the warm Volcano lava cake for dessert as well as the Cranberry Bread pudding - more than enough for the 4 of us at the table and yet both were devoured. I promise you can't go wrong with one or the other - but I would probably just order both! You won't regret it!
Our servers were absolutely attentive and generous - making sure we had everything we needed but also allowing us time to catch up with one another and take our time deciding what to order. The restaurant is also decorated to make you feel warm, invited, and give you that authentic Italian restaurant feel. We will all definitely be going back to this restaurant - and telling all our friends to go as well! Thank you Pellinos for an incredible dinner - you deserve this review!
LOVED IT! My boyfriend and I bought a great Bloomspot deal and went for dinner. Staff is amazing and very attentive (Shane and Maria to be exact). The food was awesome. They make their bread in house and it's delicious- they also ask you to order some of the desserts before your meal (like the chocolate lava cake) because they make it in house! Amazing! I am so in love. Nothing bad to say! 5 stars for sure!
Review Source:I was told that, if I had time to do just one thing in Boston, then I had to had to had to get Italian food at the North End. I would probably not give this advice to anyone else, based on my experience at Pellino's.
The service was great, server was very attentive, funny, and honest with recommendations. That was probably because of the fact there were only 2 other parties in this small restaurant off the main street of Little Italy, which was classy enough but didn't seem to draw too much interest. Usually location doesn't matter if reputation precedes it (I'm thinking of all these places with awful parking in dark corners of LA that have lines out the door).
Food was okay. I must not "get" Italian food, because I don't understand why, for $25, I got 3 small pieces of pretty boring chicken in a cream sauce with capers, and a side of half-heartedly thrown together pasta in a small bowl. This was completely unsurprising, because I've had similar experiences from other Italian restaurants.
Not that I don't like "Italian". Honestly I prefer the Alfredo and Scampi from Coco's to any Italian I've paid $20-30 for. If that's the equivalent of saying I prefer Panda Express to Chinese food in SF or Monterey Park in LA, then so be it. But compared to other places of other cuisines I've had in this price range, Pellino's was disappointing. Shoulda just got another bowl of chowda.
Horrific rude service ! I will never return ! We bought a groupon ... Nothing big just figured we would try the restaurant. We call for a reservation and the women over the phone can barely speak English and was not very friendly so we brush it off and just go hoping for the best... We arrive on Friday night at 8 pm and the place is empty .. Only one table of 4 ... The waitress comes over and we ask about the specials ... She is sarcastic, rude and can't be bothered ... So I bring up I brought the groupon and she immediately gets very close and starts demanding I show her the groupon ... I'm like calm down lady ... Can I just order and start the dining experience and we can work out the check later ... But no she gets closer and is now practically in my face an starts pointing on my iPhone where I pulled the groupon up and says "see not valid on Fridays" so I said really can you make an exception since we are already here and your empty ... She at this points at me and is irate and since I am sitting in the corner I get annoyed she has entered my personal bubble of space and asked her to please back up so we can leave .... I had a party of 7 with me ... And they didn't want to honor at $40 groupon .... Wow ... It's not the money ... Its their attitude and aggressive customer service I can't deal with ... I live a block away ... I will never return and will Never recommend this place ...
Review Source:So I've been to Pellino's twice. The first time was with a groupon and it was AMAZING. I loved everything about it. Service was at times slow but everyone is very friendly there. We ordered the Calamari in Padella as an app - it was only ok. I think the fried Calamari would have been a better choice. I then ordered the lobster ravioli and my boyfriend got the Linguini Frutti Di Mare and both dishes were superb.
The reason why I'm giving 3 stars rather than the 5 is because the second time, I went back with high expectations and found it much less enjoyable. I brought my boyfriend and his family and we each ordered something different and they were all medicore - . The Chicken Risotto wasn't very moist and tender but rather tough and the Linguini Vongole lacked flavor. However, our appetizer, the Mussels, were delicious. All in all, I didn't use a groupon this time and payed the full amount and really didn't think it was worth the money spent.
I might go back a 3rd time but I'm not sure...
We wandered in here while visiting the North End on a weekend in October. Â We didn't have a reservation, but were seated promptly. Â Everything was fantastic - the food was delicious, the service was very good. Â As an appetizer we shared an order of their eggplant and a caesar salad (the salad was a huge portion btw, definitely shareable!) Entrees were the veal saltinbocca (spelling..? not sure!) and one of their specials of the night which was a mushroom ravioli. Â We loved everything! Recommend it, and we would visit again next time in the N, End.
Review Source:very disappointed with the food and the service
We came here after having a good time at Blink. We arrived at the restaurant around 6:30 and the waitress quickly seated us, a group of 5.
The restaurant is small, lively, and quite charming. But the service was not as great as the interior-look.
The lady asked us what we wanted and was a bit annoyed when we needed a bit of time to decide. After we had decided what we wanted, she took our orders and as quick as two minutes, the food came out. I mean... it was very quick. We didn't have time to move into the last part of our first conversation, we had to eat because the food was here.
The bruschetta was so sad. The bread was cold and it was like.. just a bunch of tomatoes were put on top of the the bread. It was tasteless. Compared to Panza's bruschetta, this was so just extremely disappointing.
I had the porcini ravioli and the ravioli was just undercooked. The food wasn't warm enough. The waitress was not as attentive. At one point, i think she ignored us.
Even though we were still eating, I felt that they wanted to clear the table and rush us out as soon as they can so the next group of people could come in and this happened when we were there for just 30 mins!
All and all, we completed our meals (5 of us) in just under 45 minutes and left the restaurant unimpressed with the way the food was cooked and how we were treated.
With the amount of money that we had to pay for each dish, I would rather eat elsewhere.
I would not come back to this restaurant.
I went out to have dinner at North End with friends and Pellino's was the only restaurant that didn't have wait lines. That usually tels me that place not worse going to, but we were very hungry and didn't wan't to wait. We ordered a bottle of chianti $35, angel hair and meatballs $20 (overcooked angel hair and five less then inch in diameter meatballs), veal marsala $27 (veal had no taste and penne had tomato souce not marsala over them) and pesto mussels $12 (were great!) and two more appetizers and entrees. They charge $4 for splitting a plate. We were charged $200.
We won't come back.
pros: no wait
cons: compact seating
Going to eat dinner at 7pm on a Saturday in Little Italy is like trying to win the lottery and not buying tickets. Â Yes. Im-freakin-possible. Â But there we were. Â The BF and I launched Yelp on our respective phones and alas, neither Apple nor Droid were much help. Â After hearing "about 2-2.5 hour wait time" from all of the restaurants, we ventured off course. Â Yup, we walked down a shady alley. Â Well we followed some other people down a shady alley. Â
The restaurant has an open front where diners and walkers-by can give each other the awkward prairie dogs stares or the ol' stink-eye. Â The servers were prompt. Â Service was good. Â Wine markup was ridic (expected). Â The pasta was fresh, made in house. Â My bolognese left something to be desired (salt) but boyfriend's pasta something something Diablo was amazing. Â Too bad the lobster had the consistency of roast chicken due to overcooking (minus one star) but the fat 'n juicy shrimp made up for it. Â Interesting that they state 3 shrimp on the menu, and 3 appear. Â
All in all, good to go off beat once in a while. Â Gotta support those mom 'n pop shops that want to pay lower rent, have actual seating available in 15 minutes and... good service.
I thought the food was a 4 but the service was a 2. It's a WARM October night so the north end is packed. I understand its tough to get people all served but we were rushed out the door the second food was ordered. Appetizers and wine had to be ordered at once. I had the gnocchi and thought it was pretty good, my wife had the butternut squash ravioli which was excellent. If we could have relaxed and had better service I would have given it 4 stars. I would recommend it to a friend only if its not busy.
Review Source:Meh... it really does describe the food, but I'm bumping up to A-OK because the service was good.
This is where we went for my birthday, and really it might just be the fact that I'm use to certain things and set in my ways as an old man, but the food was forgetable.
I had the lobster ravioli that didn't taste like it had any lobster in it with white sauce. The sauce was okay, just wasn't memorable.
My girlfriend had eggplant parm and enjoyed that part, but we both had issue with the marinara sauce
I don't know, but it seems that more and more places I go to that are italian, the straight up marinara sauce tastes jarred Ragu, but without any type of spices. This isn't the only place that has done it, but really, McKayla Maroney is not Impressed.
My friend and I randomly stumbled upon this place and we walked around the North End. She got the Chicken and I got the gnocchi. Half way through the meal we switch dishes so we could try both of them.
After we were finished the vote was  that the gnocchi was a five star dish and the chicken was a three star.....so you know what I recommend if you go here!
This is some great Italian food.
Service was rushed. Was excited to try gnocchi based on reviews but was not impressed.  Sauce was kind of smokey.  Tried someone else's veal marsala which was delicious. Also tried the chicken with risotto which was also  delicious. Usually I don't order chicken over other exotic entrees but I would have preferred it over my gnocchi.
Review Source:Nice place. Â We were greeted and waited upon very nicely. Â The food was very good. Â Not fabulous but very good. Â The tagliatelle was great along with the linguini + littlenecks, however the veal special was mediocre. Â But the star of the meal was the desserts. Â Both the cranberry pudding and the chocolate lava cake were A+. Â Overall, tasty food, good for a nice and reasonably priced meal.
Review Source:Kind of in the middle of the pack in terms of fanciness in the North End. There was ample space around the table - comfortable seating. Even as the restaurant got mostly full it wasn't too loud.
Caprese was good. Bruschetta was hard as a rock. Had the special Shrimp and Lobster Fra Diavola. The shrimp and lobster were good but the sauce was a little bland. Nothing special.
Plastic covered menus felt a little tacky.
The big miss here, and I see this a lot in the North End, is red wine served at room temperature in an open air restaurant. Way too hot.
I went here with my boyfriend and friend during a weekend trip to Boston, mostly because of the reviews on Yelp. I'm so happy that I listened! My gnocchi was scrumptious...so good that I took home what I couldn't finish and ate it at the hotel the next morning. The others' meals were awesome too...a bolognese dish and a pesto dish.
Even better was the quick service. Seriously, we arrived an hour before our reservation because it was pouring rain and we couldn't be outside anymore, and we were seated with no problem. Small place, but very airy and open. We immediately got water, bread, and our orders in, and food was out in no time. They refilled our waters just enough, checked on us just enough without hanging on top of our heads, and really ensured that we were comfortable throughout our stay.
We were too full for dessert so I unfortunately can't comment on that. There was just enough food; perfect portions.
We went around the corner to Mike's Pastry for cannolis to go afterward. Kind of a must if you're staying in Boston, I guess!
Both quality of service and food are important to me when I dine out, so I was pleasantly surprised that both were on par with fine dining restaurants around the nation. Anthony, our (young) waiter, was very attentive, professional and couldn't be stumped by my dinner companion; my surly father (who has Asperger's and can be a pain in the ass).
Without going into too much detail, his meal, which was not prepared the way he ordered, (grated Paramesan came lightly sprinkled on his dish, even though he had ordered it 'without cheese'), was sent back and a new plate, with a different type of pasta - spaghetti, instead of tagliatelle (because he didn't like how thick the noodles were), came out before I could even take four bites of my meal.
Anthony, ever accommodating, even offered to take half off the price of my father's meal because of the mix-up, but we insisted that was not necessary.
The food at the restaurant is definitely homestyle, not in the vein of ridiculously large portions that you'd find at a chain, but in the sense that it could have been cooked by your grandmother. It is that good.
Those who frequented Giovanni's, which inhabited the space prior to Pellino's, won't be disappointed. In fact, the place has had a make-over. However, it is still small, with less than 20 tables.
It's not a place you go to 'relax', but hardly any restaurant in the North End has the amount space which allows one such a luxury during dinner.
The mayor of Somerville was there with his wife the night I was, at the table across, along with their kids. It certainly seemed as if his wife had enjoyed her meal and bottle(s) of wine.
Without a reservation, my wife and I headed to the North End on our last night in town. After spying some long lines elsewhere, I noticed a 2-top table here and we were seated quickly. Sitting next to us was another couple who had been a long-time patron of Pellino's and we got the whole run down of the area, the history of the restaurant and more. What a great ad to our experience while in Boston.
We started with the Bruschetta of which my wife has a small addiction, only second to her guacamole addiction. We were blown away, it wasn't a huge portion, which in ways is actually kinda nice. But the flavor was huge, garlic and fresh tomatoes exploded on your tongue!
Quickly our food came and the talk stopped and the chewing began. I had the very nice Gnocci w/ al Amatricana sauce and we both couldn't stop singing the praises about the freshness of the food. We like a few nice places here in Chicago, but this takes the cake (or cannoli!)
Terrific family-run place, recently moved to the North End from Marblehead. Â I took my wife and three children there for a Mother's Day dinner. Â Having eaten at many pushy North End restaurants we all enjoyed wonderful, friendly, and attentive service on a busy holiday.
We're not big drinkers, so we were grateful for the selection of carefully picked and high-quality wines by the glass. Â For apps we had a tasty Bruschetta and a very interesting eggplant relish with homemade bread, followed by a light crispy fried calamari and a decadent Eggplant Napoleon. Â For entrees I had a lightly crusted sole with a tangy lemon and pino grigio drizzle. Â My wife had a perfect veal marsala. Â Our children had homemade gnocchi with an amazing sauce, linguine with clams, and chicken risotto. Â
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful evening put together by a family that obviously loves what they do and cares for each patron. Â Highly recommended, you will not be disappointed.
Dinner tonight before the Celtics game. Â A friendly welcome then Maria put homemade Italian bread on the table accompanied by a red pepper and eggplant dipping sauce. Â I loved the sauce, but the bread was so good that my wife savored the taste without any topping.
For appetizers we had calamari, lightly breaded and golden brown, and Eggplant Napolean, which was thinly sliced layers of eggplant baked with mozzarella and sliced pieces of Parmisiano in a light tomato sauce. Â It practically melts in your mouth and made a nice counterpoint to the crisp calamari with fresh lemon.
We had pasta dishes for our main courses, Frutti di Mare for her and Lobster and Shrimp Fra Diavlo for me.  The Frutti included plenty of shrimp, mussels and cherry stone clams in a light flavorful tomato sauce.  My Fra Diavlo didn't reach quite the same high level.  The shrimp were jumbo and tasty, but the lobster was tough and stringy.  My bride said that anyone  foolish enough to order lobster in March except in a seafood restaurant did not get to take points off if it wasn't perfect.
We decided to forego dessert, but had superb Cappicinos. Â Our cups were filled with wonderfully flavorful coffee topped with an inch of thick froth sprinkled with cinnamon. Â Perfect!
Having focused on the food, I must mention that the service was very friendly and professional. Â In addition, the decor and presentation are simple and comfortable. Â The only improvement I would suggest is slightly larger tables, but that's not likely in the North End.
We'll be back..
My boyfriend wanted to take me out for my birthday in the North End on Saturday...but of course, by the time we wandered out at 9 pm most places had lines out the door! So we veered off on Prince Street and luckily, came upon Pellino's!
We were warmly welcomed by the owner/chef Frank Pellino, even though it was late at night near closing time. We spent the next hour or so marveling at every dish that came our way--even the eggplant olive oil dip that came with the bread was fantastic! The red sauce on the mussels appetizer was so good that my boyfriend was eating it with a spoon (I would usually not approve, but that sauce really was amazing).
I had the sole and my boyfriend had the veal parmigiana and both were excellent. This is true homemade Italian cooking at its finest--the flavors were rich and complex and everything was cooked to perfection. My fish was delicious and my boyfriend loved the veal. Even the broccoli that came with my fish was outstanding--perfectly seasoned, and cooked to the exact tenderness that it should be (not too gummy but not too hard/undercooked)!!
We both agreed this was one of the best meals we've ever had, so I felt like I had to write a review and give Pellino's the props it deserved. Since this location has only been open for a few weeks (moved from Marblehead, as other reviewers have said) it wasn't that crowded yet, but I'm sure once people catch on this place too will have a line out the door.
Saw a Groupon Now Deal for Pellino's and decided to give it a try. Â Frank Pellino (chef and owner) met us at the door and saw us to a table by the windows. Â Complementary bread and olive oil with tomatoes and garlic started the meal; both were delicious. Â The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable and recommended an excellent Italian wine. Â My husband had the linguine with mussels/shrimp/calamari (Fruitti de Mare) and I had the linguine with clam sauce (Vongole). Â Both were excellent. Â Mine was particularly good as the clams were very fresh and had no grit. Â We did decide to have the lava cake, which was probably the best dessert I've ever had in a restaurant. Â The ice cream on the side was light and fresh; more like a not-too-sweet whipped cream. Â If you do get the lava cake (which I highly recommend) count on the excellent cappuccino or espresso to cut the richness. Â
Throughout the meal, the service was attentive without being intrusive. Â The ambiance is typical of what I love about the North End; romantic, quiet and very, very Italian. Â Marble counters, linen napkins and excellent cuisine.
In talking to the waitress, this location has only been open for about three weeks. Â For now, it is not as crowded as the frenetic restaurants on Hanover street (one block over), but I can't believe that's going to last. Â Once people find out about this gem, I'll have to wait in line, but it will be worth it.
Life's short, eat dessert first!
I'll tell you first thing I'm getting next time I sit down at Pellino's, and I will be sitting down again at Pellino's, are the biscotti's. Amazing way to finish the meal so it's gotta be perfect to start the meal.
I was there this past Tuesday night, had reservations and a great seat up front with another couple. The hostess, waitress and even my friends were all nice. We all started with salads (not the hostess and waitress, just my friends. We had the caprese (loved it with homemade mozzarella), mesclun greens salads and all were great. Eggplant special was excellent and so was the Chicken Risotto dish and the Chicken Bianco. Wine rounded the night out and all was perfect! Chef / Owner came out and thanked us for coming and I'll tell you... Such a nice dinner spot, a welcome addition to the North End considering the crappy restaurant before Pellino's refurbished the whole inside making it cleaner, better and inviting.
We'll be back!
Fantastic. Â Absolutely fantastic.
I came in last night for dinner and was very impressed with this new restaurant. Â I love lamb, so I ordered the full rack and it was cooked perfectly, had a wine sauce/glaze over it that was delicious. Â Also got the mushroom appetizer to start.. filo dough wrapped mushrooms/different cheeses and it was also really good, and not something I've seen on other North End restuarant menus. Â It's really refreshing to find a place that has some genuine culinary creativity. Â Service was also good, friendly waiter and nothing went wrong in that department. Â All around good restaurant.
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