The Square Deli

Arguably the best sandwich in Boston I was not let down by Monica's…read more The line was long on a Sunday but very orderly and went smoothly. The sandwiches themselves are massive and freshly made. The bread is the right amount of soft to crust. All in all I wouldn't change a thing it's definitely a must go.

We stopped in before heading to TD Garden for a Hockey East championship game... I think my wife's…read morecomment was, "this is easily the best italian I've ever had". She was talking about the classic (cold cut) italian - I had to disagree because I thought that the steak italian in my hands was the best sandwich I'd ever had. From the soft bread, with loads of flavor, to the contents... it hit at a 10/10 level. Be prepared for a wait - they don't operate at lightspeed. But, in my opinion, the wait and the steep price is aboslutely worth it!

Italian sub

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Monica's Mercado 10/2022

Pauli's

4.3(1.7k reviews)

Locally owned & operated

Family-owned & operated

Last stop before I went home and it was great. Went at 10 am and they serve the entire menu so you…read moredon't have to wait till 11. The roll is great, on the more expensive side but worth it. The place is small so I would grab food and enjoy at the park.

I was recommended to go to Pauli's for lobster rolls. I had previously tried a lobster roll out in…read moreWestborough, and I was genuinely disappointed. This place redeemed whatever it was I had in Framingham. The place is pretty small. I just ordered at the counter, and the person taking my order was super friendly. Wish I got their name for a shout-out. There's not a lot of seating in the establishment; it feels like the place is meant for a very quick meal. FOOD: I got a hot buttered lobster roll and it came with a side of chips. I actually ran into the owner while I was there, and he had explained that their lobster rolls are unique in the sense that they actually toss their lobster meat in a pan with butter. You can really taste it. Buttery lobster heaven. Would definitely come again if I'm back in Boston. I could probably eat ten of those hot buttered lobster rolls in one sitting and have no regrets.

LOBSTA ROLL

VITO CHICKEN CUTLET SUB

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STEAK & CHEESE SUB

Bricco Salumeria and Pasta Shoppe

4.4(185 reviews)

Walking into Bricco feels like a memory, one that is unfortunately not my own, but one that I'm…read moreappreciative to be welcomed into. It harkens to a bygone era of Italian grocers with such authenticity, today it conveys an almost suspiciously genuine quality. It's as though I'm on the set of a movie as local shoppers briskly enter the shop & point to which hanging salamis and hand-shaped pastas they want to take home. Due to a condition (living in Tennessee), I'm only able to have the chicken Parmesan sandwich here about once a year. It's a sandwich I reminisce about with my family and work into conversations with friends and strangers alike. The bread is fresh and chewy, the sauce bright and acidic, and the chicken lightly breaded, perfectly fried, and tender. You can taste each ingredient in every bite. Every element is perfectly executed in its own right, yet somehow made even better in harmony. Recently while devouring my third of the massive sandwich, a little chicken cutlet tumbled to the ground. I'm talking: the GROUND. Outside. Pavement. When no one was looking, I slyly dipped down, picked it up, and ate it. I'm not necessarily proud of this action, but I'm also not ashamed. If you didn't believe the 5 Second Rule before Bricco, let the chicken Parmesan sandwich convert you. Taste and see!

Down the mysterious looking alley hides a charming deli and bakery!! As we were on a food tour, we…read moredidn't have time to wait in line to buy sandwiches from the cute deli, but after watching the ladies making pasta through the window, I did manage to make my way down the stairs to the bakery for a look and got talked into buying a sfogliatelle from the lady standing behind me. The bakery is cash only and sells a variety of breads: baguettes, ciabatta, sourdough, & olive bread. In addition to the sfogliatelle, they sell muffins, croissants, and focaccia and muffins. The sfogliatelle was pretty good, the pastry was crispy and flaky and the lemon ricotta filling was very rich and creamy. I would've loved to have a couple loaves of the bread, but there was no way I was going to be able to bring it home as I was already maxed out with my carry ons!

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Table Mercato

4.3(88 reviews)

2.8 mi•North End

The only thing that makes this location a five star is indeed the sandwich itself…read more The service was not great. We almost felt that we were inconveniencing the workers and the wait time is absurd for in person orders. But I have to give credit when it's due, this was by far one of my favorite sandwiches although they are pricey, you can easily feed a party of four with a nice bag of chips on the side. We were blessed with being able to try the table sandwich. The focaccia was fresh along with the mozzarella and arugula. Since we made an online order which quoted us 45 minutes, our sandwich was ready in 20 so unfortunately, the chicken cutlet was not as fresh as we would've liked. Sidenote, the first day we attempted to order in person they quoted us an hour, so we decided to place an order of the following day. Highly recommend placing the order and staying local to be safe. Despite all the sandwiches, well worth the weight, just don't have high expectations for service We love the ambience of a little Italian market, and it was very well kept

This place went viral last year... and for good reason! The…read moreinside is pretty small with no place to sit. While you can order there, it does seem like it takes some time for the sandwiches to be made. There is a sign saying that for the weekends to expect up to an hour wait for your sandwich. That being said, I ordered ahead online and my sandwich was ready when I got there. (This was a Thursday afternoon). I got the vodka chicken Parm after seeing it online and it definitely lives up to the hype. And yes, it is ~$30. The sandwich is huge. It has huge cutlets in it which are very filling, and perfectly made. It ended up being enough for two people, so find a person to share it with! The vodka sauce in the sandwich was sooooo good, definitely one of the best I've found in boston. They also provide you with a whole container of sauce to dip your sandwich into (highly recommend doing that). What lost the star is that I felt there wasn't enough basil. For that huge sandwich, there was actually very few bites with basil. I wish there was more of it, and I also wish there was some other green in there like arugula. Other than that, it's a great sandwich. I'd definitely get this again!

Indoor market

The table

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Monica’s Pasta Shop

4.3(32 reviews)

Have walked by a million times and finally stopped in today. Picked up a pound of pacceri and a…read morepound of bucatini. We also got a block of guanculi and some fresh grated reggiano. They also had other meats, cheeses, olives, and sauces. Total was $44.44 which I thought was reasonable for the high quality ingredients. If you are lucky enough to find street parking in the North End-most spots are free for 2 hours.

I was on the hunt for a great fresh pasta shop in Boston to gather some treats to take home on our…read moreflight to Indianapolis and Monica's popped up on Yelp. The staff was incredibly friendly in this cozy little pasta shop in the north end neighborhood. We selected a pasta nest for each family member and bagged them up for the road. The next day we thoroughly enjoyed our fresh spinach paparadelle and bucatini. Chef's kiss The store also offers a variety of classic Italian items like cheese, risotto, and Moore. Definitely worth a pitstop as you work your way through this tasty neighborhood.

OMG!!! I found my favorite lemon iced tea!

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Our Prepared foods, Imported Meats & Cheeses and more!

Carmella's Market

4.6(92 reviews)

2.9 mi•East Boston

•$

If you are in East Boston and want a no-frills, seriously good sandwich, this is the spot…read more I had the Dante's Inferno with roast beef, peppers, and hot sauce, and it was incredible. Packed with flavor and more than filling even in a small size. The setup is simple. You walk in, order, and go. There is limited seating, but that is part of the experience. The woman behind the counter was also really helpful in guiding me to the right choice, and she nailed it. I will absolutely be back next time I am in the city. This place is a must for a great sandwich.

Old school. No frills. Good service, great food! The lady running the front does a great jobread more

Check out area

Dante's Inferno

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Outside the market

Sunny Girl

4.8(123 reviews)

2.9 mi•North End

One of my favorite breakfast places in all of Boston! I have loved everything I've ever gotten…read morehere, and I continue to go back all the time. This is the spot that I will take people to for breakfast when they visit...because you can't not get Sunny girl. I love the Lox sandwich, but pro tip: add in a fried egg. It goes sooooo well. Everything else is also good, especially the torta one, but the lox one is so unique. The citrus salad on it...just amazing. The store itself is a small shop and in the summers has outdoor seating. I've eaten in the outside area a few times, but I usually pick it up and take it back to my apartment. I think in a pinch you could eat outside, but inside is honestly way too tight because it does tend to get crowded. That brings me to my next point, I strongly recommend ordering online. While it's nice being able to order there and ask questions, you should be prepared to wait in a long line if you go in the weekend. It's safe to say this is a popular spot among locals...and everyone else. But rightfully so, the food is truly outstanding. A must try, and I can't wait for their new location in Southie!

Sunny girl is a very popular spot for breakfast - especially on the weekends! Be prepared to wait…read moreit out, even if you order ahead on Toast. We always get the English muffin, egg, and cheese sammy without the special sauce. My hubby likes these too. He also most recently had their salmon lox bfast sammy with an egg and he loved it. Don't forget to get an orange or grapefruit juice - not fresh squeezed but it's Natalie's which is the next best thing. They also have a collab going with Weesh bakery and we tried their cookies n cream pop tart. It was so tasty! Would love it if they have more flavors to choose from next time. They have a couple of tables out front where you can sit with your pup or if those are filled, just chill on the wall of the flower garden. This place is pretty small so doubt they have bathrooms but if you go across the street, there are public restrooms in the building where Starbucks is - just keep walking toward the harbor and you'll see the entrance on your left.

Meatless truffle shuffle

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Turkey #1

Sam LaGrassa's

4.4(1.3k reviews)

3.4 mi•Downtown

To start, the sandwiches are a little pricey, but they are very tasty. I have successfully split…read morethem with a friend, and that makes the value more reasonable. But I'm actually writing about the company's website and phone recording. Once, on a prior holiday, and today due to a winter storm, I wasn't sure if the restaurant was open. In both cases (where the restaurant turned out to be closed), the website (appropriately) didn't allow online orders, and (more importantly) THE OUTGOING PHONE RECORDING WAS UPDATED WITH CURRENT INFORMATION. In an era where businesses barely have phone numbers to call, or employees who answer with something other than 'hello', is rare (and by the way, this is the fault of management if they don't properly train their staff). THANK YOU FOR HAVING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER IN COMMUNICATING YOUR HOURS TO THE PUBLIC. I, for one, appreciate it.

Sam LaGrassa's is a Boston legend that's lost its way…read more As a local, I used to defend Sam LaGrassa's to anyone who called it a tourist gimmick. It was the gold standard for a real sandwich in the city. Sadly, the magic has faded. Between the soaring prices and the shrinking portions, the value just isn't there anymore. You can taste the "corner-cutting"--the flavors aren't as bold as they used to be, and the sandwiches feel noticeably smaller even though the cost has increased exponentially - I mean $30 for a sammy?! It should have gold in it! Even then, I'd keep coming once in awhile if the service was worth it. but honestly - the staff seems burnt out even bright early in the morning. It's hard to justify the premium price for a shadow of what this place used to be.

Inside

Caesar Salad

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The Gobbler on a roll

Neptune Oyster

4.2(6.8k reviews)

•$$$

A Boston must-try, Neptune's is a tiny restaurant (like, 20-25 people max seating) that will very…read morelikely have a line when you arrive. Unless you wanna wait an hour or so, it's best to arrive 30min before they open to beat the rush. It's incredibly cramped and rushed inside, and you may need to share a table with others if you're a smaller party. Food is quite pricey but well worth it. We ordered the oysters (they've got a variety so you can choose), clam chowder, lobster roll, cioppino, and johnnycake. Oysters were fine, but the clam chowder was absolutely dismal. Not sure what happened, especially since it's so highly rated, but it was extremely watery and almost completely unseasoned. It could've definitely used salt at the very least. If I didn't know it was from Neptune, I'd have given it a 2/10. To my relief, the lobster roll was the total opposite. Succulent, juicy, heavenly. It was like being in Maine. The cioppino was also very good. The Johnnycake was an interesting but fun way to end the meal. It's a sweet pancake-like cornmeal covered in a syrupy glaze and topped with smoked bluefish paste, crème fraiche and caviar. I've never had anything like it. Nothing was super overpriced, but I personally prefer next door (Paulini's), which is much cheaper and while it isn't as good, it also doesn't require waiting in an hour in line. However, I think Neptune's is definitely worth a try as long as you're willing to wait in line.

Ambiance: good ambiance pretty spacious they can fit bigger parties like 5. I would expect bar…read moretable if you are a small table. Service: the service was good and fast Food $$: they are known for the oysters and lobster rolls. There was a long line for it but worth Audience: Solo Trip [X] Family Friendly [ X] Friends [X] Date Spot [X] Recommendations/tips: go right when it opens