By Andrew Berlanstein
Northeastern students no longer have to trek to the North End in order to get authentic, hearty Italian food.
Trattoria Toscana is just a five minute walk from campus across The Fenway. When the time comes this autumn to impress someone special, whether it’s a co-ed or your parents, give your wallet a break and your taste buds a treat, take the trip to this tiny Tuscan gem, Trattoria Toscana.
To create an intimate atmosphere is the goal for the restaraunt, said owner and head chef Zamir Kociaj. Kociaj opened Toscana more than two years ago. With little advertising, the restaurant’s reputation was spread by word of mouth, often from people who were diverted while visiting the popular Thai restaurant, Brown Sugar, located directly across the street. Toscana, located at 130 Jersey St., serves some of the city’s best, fresh handmade pastas with tried-and-true sauces to satisfy almost any palate.
Passing through the velvet curtain at the front of Toscana is like taking a step into the hills of Tuscany. Walls, plastered with gentle oranges and yellows, give the feel of an Italian sunset. The pungent aromas of basil and red wine permeate the intimate and romantically-lit dining room. This is a true Tuscan kitchen.
The menu is small, but reliable – any choice is a good one. Appetizers feature a trio of crispy, rustic bread served with a choice of saut’eacute;ed portobello mushrooms, chicken liver pat’eacute;, spinach and sausage. Traditional options like Caprese salad are also mixed exquisitely using juicy tomatoes underneath slices of mozzarella, speckled with seasoning, dollopped with olive oil and served on a bed of basil.
Entrees are split into two sections, primi Piatti and secondi piatti (first plate and second plate).
Primi piatti offers eight enticing pasta dishes like rigatoni alla norcina with ground Italian sausage in a silky, rich mascarpone tomato-cream sauce or pasta del buongastaio with pancetta, grilled zucchini and truffle oil. Both are definite crowd-pleasers.
Meanwhile, secondi piatti serves up more meat-centered dishes, like the oven-roasted lamb shank and grilled swordfish garnished lightly with lemon and capers. Secondi piatti features other traditional Italian entrees like the melanzane alla parmigiana: eggplant parmesan, finely layered in a fashion that makes each bite melt in your mouth.
Deciding on what to order can be confusing, given the three sections, and over-ordering is all too common. Portion size is kept on the smaller side, but an appetizer and either one primi or secondi dish is more than enough to leave a stomach full.
The staff at Toscana is also top-notch, keeping water glasses constantly full and answering any questions accurately and quickly – especially when it comes to wine. Toscana features an extensive Italian wine list that includes some of the finest dry reds to complement any and all of Kociaj’s dishes, with most bottles topping out around $30.
Dessert is typical fare, but, if your stomach aches for more the homemade tiramisu, layered with ladyfingers, rich coffee and freshly whipped cream, interests almost every customer.
Trattoria Toscana is all about good Italian cooking, and the tiny, quiet dining room defines romantic. It could very well be the best date spot in all of Boston. With prices from $7-$8 for appetizers and $13-$20 for entrees, Toscana makes it easy to impress without typical Back Bay rates. Reservations are not accepted, but they are rarely needed as this space is usually occupied by only a few students and neighborhood residents. Crowds can be an issue during events at Fenway Park, but with the Red Sox season coming to a close, this is a temporary concern.
