This Boston Area Is A Hotspot For Traditional Italian Food

Boston is as steeped in food history as it is any other kind, ranging from JFK's favorite restaurant, The Union Oyster House, to Amrheins, a bar and restaurant founded in 1890. But immigration trends led its North End to become a veritable Eden for traditional Italian delights, from every type of pizza in the U.S., to zeppoles, to old-fashioned espresso.

In the 1900s, Italians immigrated to America in droves, settling all over the northeast. Primarily Southern Italian groups settled in the North End of Boston, bringing all their businesses and, more importantly, their food. As Italian immigrants and their descendants spread throughout the suburbs, the restaurants grew as well. Word-of-mouth advertising coupled with new satellite locations lent these businesses more name recognition until the North End became synonymous with high-quality Italian food.

Increased foot traffic led to a symbiotic effect that created a greater nightlife presence, which encouraged people to eat there more, and so-on. By 2025, the North End became a late night pizza spot for college students, dinners for businessmen, and a source for sweets for any celebration. The businesses providing these services are some of the most beloved in the city, drawing crowds and lines just about every night.

If you want to find some of the best places to eat on the North End, you'll have to head to Hanover Street. The main thoroughfare of the neighborhood, it boasts some of the oldest and most successful restaurants in the whole city.

Since 1926, Regina Pizzeria has been one of the busiest spots in a city known for its amazing pizza. On a recent visit, I learned that on a weekend night, you'd best show up early, as they regularly have lines out the door of hungry customers willing to brave Boston winters. Even if you avoid every mistake with homemade pizza dough, you won't be able to make a crust like Regina's. They've used the same oven for almost a century, which it credits for amazingly crisp but chewy crusts. Combined with a spicy yet sweet sauce, Regina's earned its spot as one of the best places to eat with signature style and old-school methods.

If you're looking for something sweet, look no further than Modern Pastry Shop. Cakes, cookies, and cannolis are its bread and butter, but you can also find ricotta pies, macarons, and torrone (nougat candy) in ample supply. Open since 1930, Bostonians have carried little white boxes of Modern's treats for decades, to the point where it had to open another location in Medford. If you ever get lucky enough to go there, be sure to try a chocolate-dipped cannoli with Chantilly cream and pistachios for one of the best desserts you'll ever have.