North End restaurants, hit or miss?, try Peruvian inspired Italian
Posted on Thu, Apr 09, 2009 @ 06:38 AM
It seems the North End in Boston is very hit or miss and the list of Italian restaurants goes on and on.....We have many restaurants leaving the North End for the South End, we have seen The Phantom feature the North End vs the South End. More recently even some boutique stores have opened up in the North End as well as a fish market. Is the North End more of a foodie haven then the South End? Well I think much of this debate depends on where you eat in The North End and whether or not you have tried Taranta on Hanover Street.
http://www.tarantarist.com/, Yet another one of my favorite Boston restaurants that is always consistent on all levels.
Taranta is home to Chef Jose Duarte who is not only a wonderful chef, but also a wonderful person. Just think "Green" restaurant!
Named for the Tarantella, the emblematic wedding dance of southern Italy, Taranta, blends Southern Italian and Peruvian cuisine.
Must try dishes include:
Start your meal with the Tavolloza di antipasti meridionali, a nice array of house made southern Italian antipasto then move onto these 2 dishes and be sure to share as the gnocchi is superfilling. Also, you will want your dining partner to try the pork chop otherwise they will have significant food envy. The pork chop has been voted a top dish and is the signature dish at Taranta.
Costoleta di maiale con canna di zucchero e rocoto
Brined double cut pork chop with a sugar cane - rocoto pepper glaze served with a yucca piatella and a sauté of giant Peruvian Corn, spinach and caramelized onions
Gnocchi di yucca con ragu verde stilo seco Peruviano
Cassava root gnocchi with a slow braised "Chicha de Jora" green lamb ragu and shaved parmesan (Spicy)
The Filet en costra de Cafe Espresso, Espresso coffee crusted filet mignon over a parsnip puree and sautéed escarole with algarrobina-vincotto sauce and the Tonno con la Bomba Peruviano-Calabrese Ortopiccante, Pan seared tuna served over braised leeks, and crispy potatoes with a sauce of sweet roasted peppers, capers and "Rocoto" (Spicy) are also amazing!
Another great thing about Taranta is their cooking classes. If you are looking for a great team building exercise or to gather friends, his classes are tons of fun. During the class you will work with many other local visiting chefs or culinary students to prepare a full meal from scratch while drinking lots of fine wine in the process. In addition to the team building, learning new recipes and how to cook, you are also provided with a cd-rom loaded with pictures from the event. This makes the event that much more memorable. Perhaps the Hubspot sales team will sign up in the near future ;) Here is the link: http://www.tarantarist.com/v5/classes.html
Oh and more recently Jose has even started gourment adventures to Peru! http://www.tarantarist.com/v5/adventures.html
Here are some pics from the cooking class at Taranta:
Making homemade gnocchi with brown butter and sage sauce
the finished product!
If you like the looks of the Gnocchi above, click here for a free recipe courtesy of local chef, Nicole Husen.
Gnocchi with Brown Sage Butter Sauce recipe, Click here:
Enjoy!
Brian aka The Boston Food Critic