After a few days in Boston asking random people I happened to talk to about which restaurant they felt I absolutely must eat at while in Boston, the consensus seemed to be on Regina Pizzeria in Little Italy. This is a seemingly nondescript corner location, very easy to miss were it not for the constant line of people outside waiting for a table, often stretching around the block. I highly recommend stopping by off-hours. I chose to stop by right after a heavy rain storm. I figured there would be nobody outside waiting in the rain. It was also a late Sunday afternoon. Even then all the tables were occupied, so I made a beeline for the very small bar in the corner. It was Perfect.
The staff were quick, friendly, short and often times entertaining. In an establishment such as this, there are no pretenses. You would do well to know what you want. There is little hand-holding. The menu is simple and if you still can’t make up your mind just order that day’s special. The atmosphere is very relaxed and un-apologetically unpretentious. I ordered a glass of red wine with my pizza and the bartender immediately informed me the wine was freshly squeezed from the mop that morning…LOL!!! My kind of joint! The selection was mostly from the California North Coast so I figured it was it can’t be that bad. I could be biased though. π
I had some great conversation with the staff and other traveling patrons who stopped by for a slice of Boston’s finest. The pizza here is some of the best tasting I have had. It is that good. It has a certain warmth that comforts and makes you feel like everything will be okay. I can now see why Bostonians recommend this joint. Here are a few highlights:
Whenever you’re done enjoying your pizza, I highly recommend going for an endless walk and getting lost in all the streets and alleyways of Little Italy. For a moment I felt as though I was somewhere in Europe like Paris or Madrid. The architecture is so old and well preserved. It amazed me that all these buildings were still fully occupied by everyday folks. A true testament to the men who built them and their craft. Below are some random shots. Another highly recommended eatery was Mike’s Pastries. It is a true landmark establishment. As far away as 5 blocks, I began noticing people with Mike’s Pastry boxes. As suggested, I merely walked in the opposite direction of those people and eventually ended up at Mike’s Pastry, however the traffic/crowd there was insurmountable. I shall make it a point to visit them next time I’m in Boston.
After hauling my camera gear with me all week I needed a break. I only took my Canon Powershot G15 out with me this time. It performed spectacularly for any point and shoot and gave me lots of creative options. The RAW files aren’t much different than those from my DSLRs and allowed me to recover some of the highlights and shadows. I’m impressed. I’ve posted before about that camera here: Sweet Deal: Canon Powershot G15
It’s hard to get good pizza in California. But Boston, New York and Chicago, it’s hard to find bad pizza. I think if you serve bad pizza in these cities, you end up as part of someone’s concrete basement. I miss it.
I like the building shots – very cool. And the pizza shot has me drooling.
Thanks Mike! Let’s connect this week. I’ll touch base with you shortly.