Caffe vittoria to north station3/24/2024 ![]() ![]() Our final stop of the evening was to Lucca for a three-course dinner with wine parings. We also had a chance to taste the shop’s housemade mozzarella, which I can safely say is some of the best fresh mozzarella I’ve ever had. We watched as DePasquale’s pasta maker extraordinaire sat at her work station and hand-filled every piece of pasta. The list of fresh pastas seemingly goes on forever, with mouthwatering combinations like artichoke and goat cheese, eggplant and fontina, and prosciutto gorgonzola and fig. Our final stop before dinner was DePasquale’s Homemade Pasta Shoppe located on Cross Street just around the corner from Hanover Street. It was perfectly refreshing, tasting of nothing more than lightly sweetened grapefruit juice. Frank highly recommended the grapefruit sorbet and several of us took him up on that suggestion. Gigi did however blow me away with their sorbet selection. To be honest, I liked the gelato at Caffe Vittoria more, as I found it to be creamier and the flavors more well-balanced. ![]() There we heard from owner Frank DePasquale as we enjoyed flavors like tiramisu, bacio, and caramel. I am looking forward to macerating strawberries in it and putting the mixture on top of vanilla ice cream. Raymond recommended topping bitter greens with it. Following the cheeses, we tasted three olive oils, and finally the sweetest and thickest aged balsamic that we were fortunate enough to each take home with us. The Piave was slightly softer and creamier while the Moliterno was harder in texture with nutty and earthy flavors from the truffles. This was followed by a cheese tasting that included a blue cheese, Piave, and Moliterno al Tartufo, an aged sheep and goat’s milk cheese that is injected with black truffles. The Salumeria’s own chef Raymond led us in a tasting of three cured meats: prosciutto, porchetta and speck. All of the employees were friendly and eager to help you find what you were looking for. It was not just the product selection that reminded by of the shops in Italy, but the layout of the shop and the atmosphere inside. There was a massive selection of salumi, Italian cheeses, prepared foods, and just about any item from Italy that you could imagine: olive oils, vinegars, pasta of every shape and grain, Italian biscuits, canned tomatoes, and so much more. It absolutely reminded of the small food shops I visited all over Italy. Next up was Salumeria Italiana, a shop I had never seen even though it is just steps off Hanover Street. It is definitely worth making a trip to the North End for, and I just might venture out there the next time a craving for coffee gelato hits. I tried a hazelnut and pistachio, but my favorite by far was the coffee gelato. Though a gelateria was included in the day’s itinerary, we were not about to turn down his generous offer. The manager, Armando, talked to us about the history of the Caffe Vittoria and their commitment to offering authentic Italian food and beverage, right down to the Lavazza brand coffee.Īrmando told us a little bit about their gelato selection and then offered to bring out a few flavors for us to try. While we chatted, we enjoyed plates of plain and chocolate-dipped cannoli, anise toast, biscotti, and cookies along with cappuccinos and mochas. Something that I learned, the company originated in Lucca, Italy, a city I am fortunate to have visited not once but twice. We also heard more about the history of Bertolli from our guides for the day, Lauren and Carly. We made ourselves comfortable inside and once the whole group arrived, we did introductions and shared tidbits about our favorite Italian foods and whether or not we had been to Italy. The space has a charming old world feel to it and with classic Italian pastries and drinks to complete the experience. Our first stop was Caffe Vittoria, which claims to be the first authentic Italian cafe in Boston. Nine area bloggers were in attendance for a tour that included five wonderful, food-filled stops. On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to take part in a six hour long food tour of the North End hosted by Bertolli. ![]()
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