By Tommy Tobin, Staff Writer
Looking for big flavors and hearty portions? Look no farther than the La Famiglia Giorgio’s Ristorante. Nestled in Boston’s famous North End, the restaurant is a great go-to spot whenever you’re looking for a great meal for a good price.
The North End offers a vast array of options for you to spend your food dollars and sorting the signals from the noise can be a challenge. Fortunately, delicious dishes, a large wine list, and a family atmosphere welcome you when you come to La Famiglia Giorgio’s.
Family is everywhere here: Maryann helps guests find their tables and her favorite dish (two meatballs on pasta) is on the menu. Whether you get Little Al’s Favorite or the La Familgia Special, your meal will be full of flavor.
The menu is extensive, clocking in at more than eight pages. Navigating the menu can take some time. Fortunately, The Citizen is here to help.
To start, keep it simple. The place offers some interesting combination options, such as calamari with buffalo sauce. Our dining party went with just the calamari, and we were glad we did. The squid was crisp and flavorful. That said, layering eggplant parmesan on a veal cutlet over your choice of pasta was definitely a good decision. The entrees were made better by their juxtaposition and flavorful perfection.
Second, pastas here are ordered by choosing one of nearly twenty sauces. The vodka sauce is particularly good, and the red sauces are as classic as they come.
Third, sometimes the menu needed a bit of decoding. EVOO means Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The Challenge plates are not for the faint of heart. You’ll get a free t-shirt if you eat 6 pounds of lasagna or three pounds of chicken parmesan.
Finally, some hidden words to the wise. Between 3:30pm-4:30pm, La Famiglia Giorgio’s closes for lunch and sets up for dinner. If you’re arriving around this time, call ahead to see if they’ll seat you when you get there else you’ll have to wait for set-up. The next tip is the Student / Teacher Discount. If you have a valid student or educator identification, you can get 10% or more off your entree. The student discount means getting a great meal for an even better price! In case you’re wondering, no, the discount does not apply to the $45 challenge portions.
Overall, La Famiglia Giorgio’s offers delectable tastes and an excellent North End experience. The Student Discount makes it even more worthwhile to take the journey over from Cambridge.
4.5 / 5 stars
La Famiglia Giorgia
(617) 367-6711
112 Salem St, Boston, MA
http://lafamigliagiorgios.com
Hours: 11am-9:30pm (S-Th), 11am-10:30pm (F-S)