Recently my fiance and I went to La Tavola Italiano on Mt. Washington - it does not look like much from the outside, but my goodness was the food fantastic! (And my FI does not enjoy italian food - this is a huge compliment from him!)
Anyways, Carmela and her husband have no formal training (other than learning from their families in Sicily) and all of the food in made-to-order. Sauces, etc. The pasta is homemade that day as well.
It is BYOB with a one-time $5 corkage fee and the food does take awhile, because of the made-to-order. But Carmela and the staff really were fantastic.
make a reservation for the weekend - it fills up fast and there is no bar area to wait at. Also, they cater parties and hold smaller special occasion parties like rehearsal dinners, weddings, First Communions, etc.
Pros: food, staff
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