A Perfect Afternoon in Boston

So me and my roommate set out for the Back Bay Boston Pride block party today because we didn't have enough time to get all the way to Jamaica Plains. But alas, when we got there at about 12:15 it was pretty dead and we decided for the $10 it would cost us each to get in, we could get a good lunch and dessert in downtown Boston instead.

So we kept walking. And we found ourselves walking through Quincy Market where we each picked up a new boyfriend.

A Scottish lady took our picture for us while criticizing their fake British accents. Too funny.

But there were too many annoying tourists and screaming children there for us, so we kept walking and found ourselves in the North End, where I of course asked, "Have you ever been to Pizzeria Regina?"

Upon receiving "no" for an answer, we had finally determined our destination. I was very afraid that there would be a line halfway down the block on such a nice Sunday afternoon, but we were seated right away. And our food came out almost immediately. The fastest service I've ever experienced there. (And lucky thing because we were starving after walking the 5 miles there.)

We ordered a small plain cheese pizza. It definitely did not disappoint. And the small is the perfect size for two hungry college kids. We scarfed it right down!

Our waitress didn't really say more than two words to us, and our drinks were never refilled (as usual at Regina's), but other than that, it was another perfect meal at the best pizzeria in Boston.

And during the course of our meal, it also came to light that my roommate had never tried a cannoli. (WHAAAA?!?)

Well, it was the perfect time to discover this. Naturally, we walked our butts right over to Mike's Pastry and ordered that girl a cannoli. Amazingly, there was no line and we were served immediately (now I know the perfect time to go to the North End to avoid the crowds). She decided on the chocolate mousse cannoli and immediately fell in love.

I, however, was more in the mood for something cold, so I decided to just try the first gelato we came across. It ended up being at the Gelateria a few doors down from Mike's. I asked the server what her favorite flavor was and she said Coconut. Well she didn't need to tell me twice! It was $5 for a pretty small cup, but I guess that's how gelato goes in Boston. As far as taste, I couldn't find anything wrong with it at all! It was a delicious, strong coconutty flavor, and perfect for a hot summer afternoon! It was creamy but still had a slightly icy texture to it. I had no complaints. Which is why I was surprised that it got such terrible reviews on Yelp. I guess I've never had gelato anywhere besides Boston, so I'm by no means a gelato connoisseur, but it tasted delicious and that's all that matters!

So we took our desserts and settled down on the Greenway to inhale consume them.

Overall, a gorgeous day and the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I got my North End fix for the month and it all cost only about $10 each.

Fantastico!

Antico Forno

Hello all and Happy Friday!! (aka 2 days until the most important day of my life thus far....i'm not exaggerating)

But anywho...luckily an old friend from high school is going to college in downtown Boston so I finally had an excuse this semester to go downtown and walk around and eat delicious food! After some online research, I decided we should try out Antico Forno in the North End on Salem St. Aside from getting yelled at seconds after walking in the door for wearing a Giants hat, I would have to say it was overall a great experience! And this mostly stems from the price! For two of us, the total came to $24!!! And the food was delicious! And it was perfect portions. My friend...a male...finished it all of course. But I have enough leftover to enjoy for dinner as well. Not bad for $11! I really don't think you could possibly find cheaper Italian food in the North End that tastes that good!

I got the Gnocchi di Patate.

It was very good! The sauce in our dishes was still bubbling when it got to our table and it stayed hot throughout the entire meal. (A plus when it's 25 degrees outside). The gnocchi was perfect consistency..my friend didn't believe me that gnocchi was made from potatoes. The tomato basil sauce was was great and you can never go wrong with mozzarella cheese melted on top.

My friend got the Rigatoni with Sausage (only it had some Italian word for sausage that I can't remember).

He claimed it was the best sausage he'd ever had in his life, however, I would disagree. It did have a lot of flavor but it did not have any heat to it. Maybe it's just me..but I think sausage should be at least a little spicy. Also, I thought it was weird that it was topped with ricotta instead of mozzarella, but again that's probably just a preference of mine. His sauce however, was probably the most delicious tomato-based sauce I have ever had in my life. For rizzle.

After we left there, all fat and happy, we decided it was time that we both lost our gelato virginity. I had passed places selling it in the North End all the time but had never tried it. So alas, we went into the first place that we found that sold it and ordered a cup of tiramisu gelato. It was very very good! (And it better be for $5 for this tiny cup).

And I apologize for the lack of picture, but once I took the first bite this was the next moment that I was not shoveling gelato in mouth long enough to take a picture. And look at how adorable those spoons are!!!! Like little mini shovels. I died. But then again, it doesn't take much.

Overall, a very good day! I did get accosted in the street quite a bit for the Giants hat I was wearing. (And I'm pretty sure someone through a bottle cap at me, but when I looked around they had disappeared). But the one person who looked and said "GO GIANTS!" made it all worth it. So to quote my new best friend from downtown Boston...GO GIANTS!!!!