Pomodoro

Pomodoro - 319 Hanover St (North End, Haymarket)

This place has definitely been on my radar for some time as a top notch restaurant to try out. I think I ate there a couple years ago with some friends, but if so they have since changed the layout and I don't even remember what I ordered.

The description on the website is pretty accurate: it is a tiny restaurant, though the decor and low lighting makes it intimately romantic. I would not really recommend going with a group larger than four here.

The menu is simple and has more of a seafood tilt than most North End restaurants I have been to. It is also more sophisticated than your average Italian place. You won't find any chicken Parmesan here, yet the items are familiar enough that you won't find yourself stretching too far from your comfort zone if you don't want to. I opted for the Seared Salmon Filet and I must say it was fantastic. The portion was worthy of the price and the salmon was prepared perfectly. It had some sort of green sauce over it that was mildly sweet and spicy at the same time and the risotto cake matched it perfectly. The arugula offered a fresh, tangy change of pace from the salmon and risotto flavors. I paired my dish with a light red but you could also go white if you want.

The one disappointment on the night was the service. The waitress was handling the whole restaurant and she was very nice, but after seating us and pouring our waters, she forgot about us for quite a while while running around to the other tables. She did end up giving us a complimentary fried calamari appetizer, but we noticed that every table had one so maybe we weren't that special. In all it was a great meal and I would go back in a second, though it's moderately steep price tag ($20-30 entrees) prevents it from being a weekly option.