poy: Arancini

Showing posts with label Arancini. Show all posts

Monday, August 22, 2011

101st Annual Fisherman's Feast

Summer time in the North End is marked by a slew of weekend long festivals embracing years of Italian tradition. The 101st annual Fisherman's Feast honoring Madonna Del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help) took place on August 18th through 21st.

During this poignant four day long celebration North and Fleet Streets are closed down prohibiting motor vehicle traffic, in other words, the party outside my door step is non stop. Pedestrians flock, the smells of sausage and fried dough waft through the air, carnival games and red white and green vendor booths line the streets, all the while various bands take the stage playing music loudly from 11am - 11pm.

I embrace the feast, as its name rightly infers, by indulging in all things gluttonous. This year happened to include deep fried oreos and ice cream filled cannolis.

Since I know you're curious, here's an at home close up of the powdered sugar topped fried dough stuffed oreo. Unreal. They come six to a bag, much to my absolute shock. (I ordered "one" and he starts to pile them in a bag...um.)

Of course, the usual Arancini or two were not to be missed.

And since photo shoots ensued last year in epic proportions this year, as you most likely already gathered, I decided to let Instagram capture the scene.

Bright lights twinkle against brick facades, carney booths explode with colorful items to be won, Italian shout joyfully amongst one another while locals and tourists meander in the beer gardens and dance in front of the bandstand. It was a heck of a celebration, as usual. Until next year....

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Summer Lunch Series Part 1: Galleria Umberto

If you're new to the blog, the Summer Lunch Series debued last year when I decided my Fridays off would be dedicated to lunching in the city. I have every Friday from June through August (minus the 4th of July week) off thanks to "flex time" a program offered by my employer where I opt to work four-ten hour days instead of five-eight hour days. It's a change of pace that I look forward to every summer. SLS 2.0 commenced this past Friday at a North End pizzeria that neither Adam or I had ever been to despite living in the neighborhood for three years.

That has largely to do with their lunchtime only hours: 11am - 2:30pm (or until they run out of food) and the fact that for a long while we never even knew this place existed, regardless of its location directly on Hanover Street. We entered through an industrial garage door stepping into an airy space with high ceilings and up to a long line of patrons. I was immediately charmed by the old school, seemingly authentic, no frills atmosphere. Plain Jane wooden tables and chairs offer casual cafeteria style dining. Frames evenly spaced along the wall on one side boast faded photographs of Italian cities.

The opposite side reveals an alcove where dueling painted wall murals highlight a large scale map of Italy and what appears to be a scene inside a Colosseum.

Random decor flanks the wall including a cornucopia of flowers and a vertical row of plates with Italian landscapes.

The line moved much fasted that I initially would have expected, ten minutes, tops! Counter service is prompt and friendly, dictated by a small menu of Italian specialties, the highlight of which is their Sicilian style pizza by the slice.

One can also choose from calzones, arancini, panini and drinks including soda, beer and wine.

Note the ridiculously cheap prices - I didn't even know such lows were possible in this day and age. I think they've been the same since they opened in 1975 (kidding) but at they very least, I bet the same menu boards have been hanging behind the counter.

Galleria Umberto accepts cash only, so come prepared. Their Sicilian Pizza ($1.45) is a basic preparation, in other words don't expect an array of toppings from which to choose, what you see is what you get!

A thick hearty crust is both chewy and crispy, the tomato sauce is sweet, flavorful and doesn't overwhelm. The cheese is thick and bubbly, fairly greasy and deeply browned blanketing the square slices that come straight from the oven to your plate.

It was absolutely phenomenal, some of the best pizza around for sure. Adam and I both raved endlessly while admitting how ashamed we were for being locals and waiting all this time to come here.

Galleria Umberto's Arancini ($2.75) is a traditional Italian favorite. Being no stranger to these deep fried rice balls (a North End festival staple) we ordered one to split.

The delightfully crispy exterior reveals a layer of fluffy yet compact white risotto encasing a stuffing of ground beef and peas ever so subtly coated in red sauce. The meat and peas mingle while a heaping portion of thick gooey mozzarella cheese cascades over the top.

Arguably some of the best Arancini around, this and the pizza are even better when washed down by a cold, refreshing Miller Lite ($2.75).

You couldn't find a cheaper option for the harmonious pairing that is a slice of pizza and a beer around here if you tried. Lunch cost us $12 in total, that's it!

The line out the door may seem daunting, but I felt the short wait was easily worth our time. It's a quick, cheap and immensely satisfying lunch option whether you're a local working / living nearby or a tourist embarking on the Freedom Trail.

Kicking off a summer of lunchtime adventures, a Sicilian pizza haven with mid-day only hours proved Galleria Umberto was the perfect choice to celebrate the meal du jour.