With its single window and spiritless restaurant sign, Carlo’s Cucina Italiana in Allston is not aesthetically pleasing or promising from the outside, but provides a pleasant and welcoming interior.
Brightly colored murals of the Italian countryside cover two walls. Almost every table was full, which was an auspicious sign, although this further aggravated the room’s space issue. Our waiter asked us several times to push in our chairs, and one of our guests had to switch seats so that people could more easily maneuver around us.
Another aspect of Carlo’s that immediately stole our attention was our waiter, Guy, who greeted us at the door. Extremely friendly and personable, he even asked our names and where we were from. Though he came off a little strong at times, it was all in good fun and he certainly was the life of the night, making a lot of jokes.
Carlo’s had high-caliber service. The staff made lots of accommodations, such as seating us immediately despite not having all of our party present. Furthermore, we took notice of the timely appearance of bread to start the meal followed by the equally timely appearances of each course as well as our never-empty glasses of water.
Most of the dishes were well presented and visually appealing, mixing a healthy blend of colors while still looking neat. The food proved relatively praiseworthy and came in generous portion sizes. The overall taste, however, did not match some of the better Italian restaurants in Boston or the surrounding area.
The gnocchi alla Sorrentina ($12.99) was delicate and satisfying yet lacked variety apart from the little bits of spinach, tomato and mozzarella cheese sprinkled in the potato pasta.
The fettuccini alfredo suffered the same issue to an even greater degree; it came out as only a plate of noodles which, though agreeable, was still ultimately standard. This made it the least memorable of our choices.
The linguine con gamberoni ($21.99) was the most colorful dish, with fresh herbs, baby tomatoes, and large shrimp that tasted fresh if not flavorful. In contrast, the chicken parmigiana ($16.99), although flavorful and satisfying, was less than visually appealing. It consisted of two thin slices of breaded chicken stacked on top of each other, with the melted cheese, still in its original square shape, above.
The homemade tortellini ($12.99) made up for the chicken’s shortcomings. Clearly the best dish on the table, the tortellini was served in a classic tomato sauce with fresh herbs. Its flavors were crisp yet comforting—a true Italian favorite.
Keeping with the restaurant’s theme of large portions, the flan ($6) for dessert was presented as a generous slice, accompanied by small mountains of caramel and whipped cream. It boasted a smooth texture and airy flavor for a great finish to our meal. The lemon sorbetto ($7.50) was beautifully presented inside of a real frozen lemon. Its taste was refreshing and simply delicious, as one would expect from such a dessert.
As a whole, Carlo’s had a nice selection of food, but for a similar price, one could find even more impressive Italian options, especially in the North End, such as Francesca’s or Il Panino. For those who do not have too far to travel, Carlo’s is a sure bet, especially for more than just the food. But for those who already are going to make a trip, the North End is worth the extra mile.
Sarah Cardwell-Smith and Alex Johnson can be contacted at [email protected]
