If a restaurant could bottle "Wednesday night turning into an unexpectedly great night," it would taste exactly like Char & Lemon. A group of friends and I came here for what was supposed to be a small but meaningful celebration. What we got instead was an experience where every single detail--from the vibe to the service to the food--felt like the staff had secretly decided our table was the VIP section. First, the service. I don't say this lightly: it was special. The bartenders were dialed in, the servers were warm and sharp, the hostess set the tone immediately, and the manager/owner was literally working the room, clearing plates and checking on guests like someone who actually cares that people are having a great night. That level of hospitality is rare, and it shows. We started with appetizers for the table and immediately realized we had made the correct life decisions. * Fried Brussels sprouts - crispy, flavorful, and the kind of vegetable dish that makes you forget you're technically eating something healthy. * Crostini with goat cheese & blueberry compote - dangerously addictive. If this dish had a warning label, it would read: You will keep reaching for "one more." * Fried calamari - the undisputed star of the show. Not just rings, but tentacles too (the mark of legit calamari). Add hot peppers--another huge plus--and suddenly you realize you're eating calamari the way it should be done. Served with marinara and lemon like tradition demands, but also with a garlic basil aioli that is worth driving across Connecticut for. I'm not exaggerating. I would consider a road trip just for that sauce. Everyone ordered something different--salads, pizzas that looked incredible, and a variety of entrées flying around the table like a well-organized food festival. I went with the Farro Grain Bowl, which somehow managed to be both beautiful and perfectly balanced. Fresh, satisfying, and the kind of dish that makes you feel like you made a responsible choice... even after demolishing half the appetizers. One more thing worth mentioning: the menu walks that rare line of being focused but flexible. Gluten-free? Dairy-free? Vegetarian? The kind of diner who changes dietary identities depending on the week? No problem. The kitchen handles requests with care and zero attitude. Bottom line: If you haven't been to Char & Lemon, go. If you have been, go more often. And if you bring friends who claim "there's nothing on the menu for me," don't worry--the menu will prove them wrong faster than the calamari disappears from the table. Already looking forward to the next visit. read more

Char & Lemon - Mushroom and truffle pizza. Traditional crust. - Pizza Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

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Great food! Great atmosphere! Service is a work in progress. On several occasions I've had a wonderful visit but have noticed it's still sifting through waters of a recently opened business. The first time I went they stopped seating people because the kitchen was so behind. I assumed this was because they were working out the kinks of a new location. The second time I noticed a substantial wait for my meal. Also understandable due to recently being opened. However since then, each time I have noticed the food to be very quick in delivery, excellent in taste, and even was given a free pizza because they accidentally made an extra. Very kind serves and extremely attentive bartenders. I only mention the substantial wait during the first two visits so anyone who has had similar experiences during a visit during the opening weeks may give the location another visit if they had a bad time. Definitely recommend. read more

My wife and I always enjoyed dinners and a night out at the former tenant, Amarones. When that restaurant closed we were sad to see it go until we found out what was going on. We really looked forward to Char and Lemon coming into town and erasing the bad karma. So we waited...and waited....and ....waited. We had completely forgotten that this restaurant was supposed to open. The last thing we read was summer of 25 so when it turned fall and into the holidays, thoughts of Char and Lemon went to the back of our minds ,until last week. We have been watching our first grandchild alot plus all the holiday commitments. When we realized we needed a night out to ourselves, we decided to give the new place,which had finally opened recently, a try. We made reservations for 6:15 on Saturday night. We arrived to find quite the crowd. We checked in and the hostess said we would be seated within a few minutes. That was at 6pm. We waited as group after group were seated. Most of those groups there before us so we understood. However, when it was 627 and we still hadn't been seated, I started to think that perhaps we had been skipped over. We were about to check back in when the hostess approached us to bring us to our table. We had some time,while waiting, to look around. They have done a great job with the space. The previous restaurant was more intimate, more upscale looking but definitely smaller. The new space spreads out throughout the entire 1st floor of the building. The lower level, which is the newer expansion, is now the bar area with a rear dining room. The old bar area is now all dining plus an open pizza making area dominated by a beautiful pizza oven. One thing to note was the noise level. This is not a quiet, intimate space anymore. There is a soundtrack of electronic dance music thumping from the sound system. The conversation noise was in constant battle with the music. It was loud enough that conversation with my wife was difficult at a 2 top table. We decided to split a few items for our meal. We started with the fried calamari and a Ceasar salad. The calamari was lightly coated and crisp. It comes with fried cherry peppers and both a lemon aoli and marinara sauce to dip in. The salad was well sized and comes with a parmesan crisp. The salad was crisp and not overly dressed. The croutons were not so good and the parm crisp was nice but pre-made so it was a bit greasy, would have been better fresh made but I understand that would be difficult. For our main we went with a sausage and pepper pizza with added mushrooms. Considering the restaurant lies within New Haven county,the epicenter of the pizza world, we were expecting a good pie. What arrived was definitely less then expectations. First off, when it arrived the food runner decided he would just try to hand my wife the pizza platter. Our table had yet to be cleared and there was no room for anything else. After a bit of juggling, we were left with just the pizza, no plates, no serving utensils,no new silverware. Our waitress came by and we were able to get new plates but were told there isn't serving utensils available. Luckily for our hands sake,the pie was only room temperature. The crust looked more blonde and the Char from the restaurant name was missing. The signature crisp crust that the area is known for was no where to be seen. On top of that, the sauce and Toppings and the dough, lacked any flavor. If I hadn't known what I ordered, I couldn't have identified it. The sausage was advertised as spicy but spicy it is not. The sauce was quiet bland,even the cheese was just there. We were finishing up and I realized I had an email notification on my phone. Looking down I saw that the restaurant had emailed me at 627 moving our reservations from 615 to 630. I don't think I have ever had a restaurant move my reservation time without my request and certainly not after I had checked in with the hostess. I found that a little odd. The place is was extremely busy so I don't think any of the negatives I noted seem to be affecting business. read more

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Wow! This spot was amazing. The detail in this entire restaurant is stunning. My favorite part being the lemon trees that really drive home the name in the most elegant fashion. The food was top notch. I had one of their signature pasta dishes and wow! It was soooo yummy! My cocktail was equally amazing. My friend decided to try a bunch of things and loved them all. She brought home food for the next day too! Our server, Cassie def made our experience special. She was very attentive and also gave great suggestions. We would def request her on our next time in! Francesco also checked on us a few times and he was wonderful as well. Honestly, any staff member we interacted with was great! They def value hiring good people---it's very clear! Such a great experience. The only negative is this spot is 2 hours from me. I wish I could get there more, but am adding it on my list of reasons to get back to CT soon! read more

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The two star is due too much Oil -broccoli being very greasy- doused in Oil. They can comfortably use half the Oil amount & it will taste nice. Maybe add something zesty to offset the natural broccoli dryness. The calamari was good, not chewy but incredibly heavy with the Oil the breadcrumbs soaked up. Maybe experiment with different types Of crumbs? Idk. Chicken Milanese was really crispy and very yummy but a relatively small cut burried under arugula. Still it was the best dish Of the three we had ordered. Service & ambiance were pleasant. read more

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Char and Lemon is my new obsession!!The Garlic Ricotta Dip is amazing!!! Creamy, flavorful and the perfect amount of garlic. The accompanying pita provided a simple dip delivery system that allowed the dip to be the main character. The Berry Crostini special was a bit disappointing. The topping was light and refreshing on a hot day. Any flavors the topping may have provided were cancelled out by the charred bread that it was upon. I realize char is right there in the name but in my world, burnt toast isn't gourmet. The taste and texture are unpleasant and ruin an otherwise fabulous dish. The beet salad was delightful. The toppings were generous and each ingredient had distinctive flavor. The dressing was "chef's kiss"!! A vanilla, basil balsamic vinaigrette that elevated the salad to perfection. The salmon I added for protein had a moist perfectly cooked texture that brought out the best in fish and complimented the salad. The wine list is limited. With such wonderful fresh food it would be nice if there were more options in the wine selection for better pairings. The 2 white wines I tried were fine. They neither interfered with nor improved the food. If you like to people watch, or better yet, dog watch, the outside seating provides a lot of entertainment. We must of have seen 30 different dogs walk and drive by. It sure made us smile!! read more

We're big fans of the Oxford Char & Lemon, and it's one of the few CT restaurants we'll drive about 45 minutes to a couple times a year. We're actually about the same distance from C&L's two month old Guilford location. We decided to try Guilford this time. Our experience was generally pretty good, but there are a few opportunities for improvement. The good. The atmosphere is cool. The Guilford C&L has similar colors (pops of yellow), branding and an upscale feel. Once our server realized we were in her section, she was friendly and efficient. I ordered the Paccheri Alla vodka and I added a chicken cutlet. The chicken was well breaded and cooked. The sauce was tasty and on par with the Oxford C&L. I also shared the calamari and the Burrata App with a Blueberry Sauce Special with my Family. The calamari was tender and the marinara sauce and the lemon aioli were both very good. The Burrata App was original and was well plated. The misses. After we were seated and given menus, we waited about 10 minutes and were not approached by a server, or given water or asked if we wanted beverages. As a hostess walked by, I told her it did not seem that a server knew they were assigned to our table. She took care of it right away. There was at least one issue with each of the food orders I tried. The breading fell off the calamari rings as soon as you touched them with a fork. Our bowl was lined with pieces of fallen breading when we finished the actual calamari. The grilled bread that came with the Burrata App was not properly grilled. It was thin, and too soft and flimsy to be a good partner to Burrata, Arugula and Blueberry sauce. I've had the Paccheri, which is a large tube pasta that captures sauce really well, at the Oxford C&L a few times. I love it. The Guilford presentation looked off as soon as it arrived. It looked flat. Not adequately sauced. I noticed that about one third of the Paccheri tubes were broken, so they looked like pieces of flat lasagna. This was a sign that they were over-cooked and/or weren't carefully transferred from the water to the sauce, and/or weren't carefully sauced. I also later noticed that much of the vodka sauce and sundried tomato pieces were under the chicken cutlet and/or pasta. So there WAS a proper amount of sauce. It just wasn't plated well. The flavors were all there. The texture, given that many of the tubes broke apart, was better than I thought it would be. My server and the manager both offered to re-make it btw, which I appreciated, but I didn't want to be wasteful since the flavors worked. The Guilford C&L is relatively new. I assume they'll work past issues like this. I wouldn't ordinarily be this detailed about such issues. But as I said, I'm a big C&L fan and I want to see them do better in Guilford. 3.75 Stars read more

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The only reason I'm giving 4 stars is bc the wait was so long but honestly we didn't mind waiting. Nice bar area that we got drinks at while waiting. Pizza is so yum and the lemon pasta dish is great as well. Would recommend for date night or girls night but maybe try to make a res! read more

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We loved our visit here! Very welcoming, server was friendly and helpful and our food was delicious! The restaurant is quite large and had a wonderful clean atmosphere. We had a lemon and chicken pizza and Brussels sprouts! Both were delicious and my cosmopolitan was outstanding!!! Will be back for certain! So many great things to look forward to! read more

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This place at 5pm was completely packed with people ! The lighting and decor is fancy and happy . We were seated in a back room . It is LOUD . It was very loud in the back room . We were are a table - and our backs kept getting bumped into through out our time there . For some UNKNOWN reason there were two giant flat screen TV's blaring sports , even though the reataurant was filled with families and no one looking at the Cricket match . We had the blueberry Baratta , fall salad , potato pizza and the gnocchi bolonase . ( light and fluffy ). The meat sauce was heavenly . We will be back next weekend ! ** note **. Reserve a table if you can ! read more

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Char & Lemon's original location is one of our favorite restaurants, so we were curious to see what their new location was like. We visited during their soft opening, and we were really impressed at how quickly the courses arrived from the kitchen. The dishes we ordered were consistent to the quality we're used to in Oxford as well. They've clearly taken the time to train, because the service and overall experience were excellent! We enjoyed their pizza, pasta, garlic dip with fresh pita, and burrata special, with tiramisu for dessert. Such a great addition to the shoreline area! read more

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Char & Lemon is a fairly new restaurant, beautifully renovated from the last restaurant that was there. Whoever is running the restaurant is doing a great job with their staff, they were friendly and attentive without hovering. We started out with an order of crostini. It was unique and delicious. The crostini of the day was burrata, blueberry compote, prosciutto and pistachios. We ordered 3 pizzas, an New Yorker (traditional pizza), a roasted potato and a pesto chicken. They were all outstanding. We also had a couple of cocktails, a Shake This, tequila, aperol, lime and jalapeno agave and a Campfire Mule, bourbon, maple syrup, ginger beer and lemon. Both were outstanding. read more

Char and Lemon was a great experience. The octopus appetizer was cooked to perfection and had a great grilled flavor-very tasty. We had a very unique pizza which is the reason we went. Not disappointed at all. Very modern decor and fast friendly service. Prices were fair- parking good. We've recommended to friends and we'll be back. read more

Char & Lemon is a Neapolitan-style pizzeria and contemporary Italian restaurant that opened in Oxford, Connecticut in September 2021. It was founded by Kevin Heslin and his business partners in the Lemon Group. The pizzeria is located inside the Quarry Walk shopping development along Route 67 in Oxford Town Center. The area had previously been the Haynes Stone Quarry for nearly two decades. Char & Lemon's main focus is wood-fired pizza with a modern twist, but they also prepare pasta dishes, Italian-influenced entrées, salads, appetizers, small bites, desserts, and an impressive list of wines, beer and craft cocktails. They also have a brunch menu for the weekends. The name 'Char & Lemon' is a reference to the char of their pizza crust as well as the bright, freshness of lemon. A second location opened in Guilford in October 2025. My wife, sons and I recently stopped at the newly opened Guilford location of Char & Lemon for dinner. We had previously visited the original Oxford location and loved it. The new Guilford location is a prime spot situated along the beautiful Guilford Town Green. We really liked the interior with all of the lemon yellow accents and the artificial lemon tree decor. We were seated right under one of the aforementioned trees and felt like we were in the Amalfi Coast. My wife and I started off with some delicious cocktails: the "Autumn Fizz" (vodka, apple cider, prosecco, lemon juice) for her and the "Bourbon Blush" (bourbon simple syrup, cranberry, lemon juice) for me. For the table to share, we ordered our two favorite pizzas: the "Margherita" (San Marzano tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella) and the "Char & Lemon" (bufala mozzarella, lemon basil mascarpone, arugula, shaved parm, fresh lemon juice). They were both amazing as always. Our younger son prefers pasta over pizza, so he enjoyed a plate of "Paccheri all Vodka" (vodka sauce, sundried tomatoes, parmesan, basil). We also tried some shareable plates that included the "Burrata" (blueberry, pistachio, prosciutto, blueberry compote, crostini) and the "Spinach Artichoke Dip" (w/ housemade pita). I also enjoyed a "Smoked Maple Old Fashioned" (rye, maple syrup, citrus bitters), which hit the spot with some nice smokey notes. For dessert, we tried their "Zeppole" (fried dough, cinnamon sugar, sweet cannoli cream). The staff must have read our minds, because we felt like this decadent dessert was made for us. I must tip my hat to the wonderful kitchen and wait staff because we had a truly memorable dining experience. We highly recommend Char & Lemon and hope to be back again and again! read more

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Hi, Where should I start? First, I'm not a fan of stepping in wet grass or mud. There is a family tradition that our close friend invited us to. Putting my phobia aside, it was nice seeing the colorful turkeys--they were beautiful. After that, I joined my friends at a new restaurant in Guildford called Char @ Lemon. The atmosphere was great, the wait staff very nice, and the food amazing. Pictures are below. I recommend eating there and then walking over to Waze to get dessert and enjoy a free game of Pac-Man. read more

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Great brunch menu. Really cute decor. We enjoy the casual ambience and nice large restaurant with a lot of seating. Downtown needed a casual place and bar that is big enough to fit both families and adults having a night out. Glad to have something back in the spot and would say that the music tends to be too loud so hopefully they decide to lower it as it can make it hard to enjoy your meal or talk to others at your table. read more

Well we visited on a Saturday night. It was so loud when I opened the door I hesitated, wondering if I could deal with the noise. Once seated it was much better..not a lover of sitting alongside others but is what we were given. My pizza was missing something or wasn't quite cooked right. This picture is of the 8.00 in shrimp, spinach white pizza and garlic bread. We each ordered a pizza and tried the garlic bread (lots of whole pieces of garlic) Service was lacking It was certainly busy and hopefully they fix little things and stay! read more

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Food was very good. Pizzas, burrata special app & calamari were delicious. Truffle fettuccine special was not very truffley. Service a little disjointed- water carafe was taken away which we expected to get back, but had to ask for it to be returned. Blossom boutique cocktail was delicious! Good atmosphere although a little loud. Nice theme to the decor. Overall, a good experience & we will go back. read more

This restaurant turns out to be a fine place to have a lunch. We were seated at a spacious, comfortable banquette, and service was prompt. We ordered and split their "godfather" pizza, a 13 inch pie with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and mozzarella cheese. Nicely baked, and served nice and hot, it was a delicious pie with lots of content and a nice crust. This time the noise level was more subdued. This lunch turned out to be quite a value, costing only marginally more than the "fast food" chains in town. Definitely go for the pizza- they have quite a variety of these. It gives us yet another option for a restaurant lunch. read more

Terrific service and the best, freshest Italian food we have had in Guilford. Very fun decor and a great location on the green. We will be back! read more

Wow! What a wonderful birthday dinner we had there for our son! The fried calamari and wings were fantastic! We loved the char and lemon pizza. And they surprised him, singing happy birthday with a massive dessert (delicious zepoles) to share. read more

Char & Lemon - Pizza Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

Very good food and friendly staff. Reasonably priced. The atmosphere is nice but if you are looking for a quiet night out, not so much. Then again that just means the place is hopping and if you are looking for that type of vibe, your definitely should go and check it out read more

Recently discovered & have enjoyed each experience; love the restaurant interior layout & atmosphere; the servers & front desk management seem eager to help with any questions or menu changes as due to dietary issues, I am very particular as to what I can eat. This week for 2nd time I am enjoying a rather 'simple pizza' just San Mariano sauce with Extra Mozzarella Cheese which I ordered "not fully baked" & when warming up a few slices at a time, tastes just like it came out of the oven: for me "less is more" & the sauce taste is exceptional IMHopinion. I also brought home their Beet Salad a 2nd time and ingredients are light yet tasty accompanied with a Lemony Caesar type dressing & includes Goat Cheese & large Walnuts. Their Eggplant Fries are delish too. I will continue to enjoy their delish offerings & hope our community does too. Ms. Lonnie S., Guilford CT read more

This was such a good experience! Our first time in the Guilford location and it was such a nice pleasant time. The service was consistent and friendly. It was such a busy time on a Saturday night. The food was AMAZING!! Absolutely recommend! I shoulda taken more pics of the food it was all too good. read more

Char & Lemon - Garlic ricotta dip - Pizza Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

Great new place in Guilford. Been there twice. Food is very good and tried multiple items. Note: it is a loud environment. Not the place to go for intimate conversation. read more

Such an incredible atmosphere! I have celiacs disease so it can be a little tricky to eat out at times. Everyone was super accommodating and gave me a ton of options for me to enjoy, celiac safe!!! I enjoyed the Bucatini limone and the brussel sprouts (both gluten free!!) and my friend enjoyed the eggplant parm fries which looked incredible!! All in all fantastic experience 10/10 would recommend! read more

Char & Lemon - Yummy cocktails!! - Pizza Near Me - Guilford, Connecticut

I was excited to try this new restaurant. I liked the inside ( think industrial ). Now as to the food. My partner ordered the large scallop dinner ... was told they melt in your mouth. She received three large scallops and a splash of sauce ..Price about $ 35.00. Mind you just three large scallops and dash of some sauce. I ordered the seafood pasta, I asked if bread was provided for this dish, service girl said no but I could order rolls for $4.00. Well I got my bread which was 3 burned slices of bread ... I guess they would call it Chared. Oh by the way the bread not rolls which was $5.00 not $4.00. As to my dish It was a bit of sea hunt to find most of the fish that were described on the menu. the sauce had no flavor. So after all this I will not be going back . Too many other better restaurants near by. read more

First time at Char and Lemon, Guilford CT. Restaurant was spacious and well decorated. Food was very good, service was great. However, the music was wau toooo loud. Had to talk very loud to hear across the table. read more

It was pretty good food and service, but there was way too many people for me to enjoy my time here. I had to almost yell just so the person I was with could hear me over the over people. If you come here form out of town don't count on the people here knowing that you shouldn't be laughing like a gremlin in a restraint. read more

I have never been so disrespected in my life. I had a very bad experience with the food after going for lunch. Two people in our party got sick by the time we got home. I called and asked to speak to the manager for a couple reasons. First to let him know what the two of us ate in order to prevent anyone else from getting sick and secondly, to see how he was going to handle the situation. With that being said, the manager took no accountability, was extremely disrespectful, made unwarranted accusations and gave no regard for the situation. It's hard to believe, being a new business in town that he would treat his customers in that manner. I definitely will not take the chance of eating there again. "word-of-mouth goes a long way!!!" read more

Food was good, service was good, have been here twice it was good both times. Desserts are on the small side interior is done very well, it is comfortable and spacious. We will go back. read more

I've enjoyed everything I've had...Except the pizza. I have only had it there once, to be fair. But it was bland. I ordered a white pizza with spinach, mushrooms, and chicken. They forgot the spinach. Which may have been part of the reason. But, there's nothing remarkable about the crust. I will try again and update. Everything else,as I said has been delicious. read more

This was our first time at Char & Lemon. I'd rate the food and service as average. Everything is à la cart. For what you get the meals are overpriced as the entrees do not include salad not even bread ! If you've been meaning to check it out you better hurry as I suspect the restaurant won't be around long. read more

The servers and bartenders are such a beautiful light. They bring an amazing essence to the restaurant and make every visit a delight. I would love to give 5 stars, but the owners behavior deters me from doing so. I've seen him yell at his hardworking employees and apparently he doesn't allow them meals while they are working. I'm very disappointed to hear about how the owner treats the employees, but the employees are amazing nonetheless. read more

Such a great vibe! The food was delicious. For apps had charred octopus, crispy Brussel sprouts and slow braised meatballs. my favorite pizza is the char and lemon. Bucatini Limone pasta is insane. Our server, Cassidy, had the sweetest personality. I have this place a strong 5 star!! read more

So happy Char and Lemon opened on the Guilford Green. Great atmosphere, very good food, kid-friendly. Highly recommend.

Great vibe! Fun, good energy with excellent food and service! Wish the bar was bigger! Highly recommend.

Was asked/ told to leave shortly after getting the check back, the service is horrible and are lucky to get served in a reasonable time, Would not recommend. They disrespect the small town vibe and service you would get at the surrounding restaurants. Would give it under 1 star if I could. read more

Terrible service, terrible food, terrible customer service. Wants 85 characters. Can't say more than disappointed. Guilford location.

The place looks amazing as it's been completely renovated and expanded from the previous business. I was there with a larger party (8 adults, 1 child). The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of food and drink choices. They do NOT have a kids menu but our waitress offered kid friendly options that were slight modifications to existing dishes. We got a few appetizers, I really enjoyed the Arincini which was non-traditional, it had bacon and jalapeños but it was subtle and delicious. We also got the humus which was standard, flavor-wise it didn't stand out but the bread it was served with (likely what they use for the pizzas only nicely puffed up is very tasty and comes fresh out of the oven. We also got the eggplant parm fries which were crispy and delicious. My wife and i split the Char & Lemon pizza & the meatball appetizer. Never in a million years would I think lemon on pizza but it works! I'd definitely get it again. Their pizza crust is crispy on the outside but a little doughy on the inside...not undercooked, just nice and soft and really well done. The meatballs are hands down the best I've ever had! Large but not packed tight like a baseball. Soft and seated on a bed of their wonderful red gravy - they're so good I can't wait to get them again. Dessert we split the Tiramisu which was also non-traditional served in a glass and just as good as anything I've ever had in Bostons north end. A couple in our group got the apple crisp which they both got very serious while eating it and only made pleasure sounds until their plates were licked clean. This place was great, we will be returning soon and it's definitely going to be our "go to" when we get visitors from out of town. read more