Trusty Tresca – Boston

Tresca is one of North End’s pedigree puppies. There isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t love a perfect golden retriever, and there isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t love something on Tresca’s menu.

The golden retriever is the embodiment of the dog behind the white picket fence of the American dream. The Crespelle al Forno is the embodiment of the appetizer dream. Cleverly conceived concoction of eggrolled crepes covering a creamy ricotta and juicy mushrooms, the sautéed mushrooms on the side are just extra slices from the cake of happiness.

The salad (can’t remember the name but it had arugula, parmesean, pears, and pine nuts) is the perfect combination of tasty to make tastier…like giving a Beggin’ Strip-wrapped MilkBone to a puppy. The sweet pear with the light dressing are a tangy enhancement of the bitter green, and the pine nuts add an extra bit of savory. I rarely get salads, but I don’t need a comparison to recognize the quality of this one.

The Pappardelle with Mushroom Cream Sauce was their pasta special that day, replete with long ribbons of pappardelle, floppy like happy puppy ears, sliding down smoothly with the velvety texture of a creamy mushroom sauce. The side of Grilled Asparagus was perfect as well. Sadly for the pasta, spinach and mushroom, however fresh, with cream sauce, however silky smooth, and the portion size, however generous, didn’t really warrant the asking price. That’s why you get to negotiate with breeders.

We skipped dessert so I can’t really comment on that, but I don’t doubt that their desserts are as quality as the food. But why shell out for that when you can crunch on the crispy shell of a Mike’s cannoli across the street?

So Tresca really is Hanover’s pedigree puppy. Expensive but reliable, loyally committed to giving you its best. The Italian food with a pedigree from the licensed breeder Hanover Street comes with a pretty infallible guarantee that your puppy will be one of the best puppies to grace the streets of Boston. But you need to pay for it. And I’d be just as happy paying an adoption fee for the animal shelter’s smartest mutt. Same quality, fairer price. Just know that the standard pappardelle at Tresca doesn’t even come close to the less expensive but absolutely exceptional pappardelle at Via Matta, and when given the choice, I’d go to Via Matta every time.

Important last thought: Bear in mind that I’ve only had vegetarian dishes so I’m not sure I can accurately assess the rest of the menu, which is mostly meat. But if their vegetarian food in any way reflects their meat, I can promise you a palatable plate.

Important final disclaimer: despite the extended dog analogy, their food in no way resembles dog food and considering the outrage Jonathan Swift faced after “A Modest Proposal”, I should probably also include the disclaimer that I am by no means suggesting you should eat puppies. Though if you really needed that disclaimer, I have a rather strong opinion on exactly what you can eat…