Preferably handicap-accessible (or reasonably so), fairly affordable, won’t need a reservation for, and with great food.
I really don’t know the area at all.
I’m not a Bostonian, but Neptune Oyster on Salem St. and Trattoria Il Panino on Parmenter St. about a block off Hanover were both stellar my last trip there.
Not sure I can get you all three of those by telling you my favorites, but here goes:
Euno www.eunoboston.com/
Daily Catch dailycatch.com - This website is for sale! - dailycatch Resources and Information.
Neptune Oyster http://www.neptuneoyster.com/
I would say that you should make a reservation for any restaurant in the North End if you’ll be eating at typical dinner hour (between 6 and 9). For lunch and non-peak hours it is less important.
I would also encourage you to phone each restaurant and ask about accessibility. I am not sure of you mean you need wheelchair accessible, or crutches, or limited stairs, etc.
There are lots of great restraurants there, but an awful lot of them aren’t easily accessible by wheelchair – the nature of the North End (old buildings, absurd ancient road layout) means that you have tiny restaurant spaces crammed with tables and chairs, and generally elevated so you have to climb stairs (and there’s no room to put in a ramp). Bummer of a situation.
Hanover Street is one of the wider streets in the North End, and the restaurants there tend to be ground-level, with more space, so they’re likely to be more wheelchair-accessible. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten in any of the restaurants on that street. Here’s an interactive map you can check out, with some restaurants marked. (by no means all of them)
http://www.boston.com/travel/boston/neighborhoods/north_end/special/northend_map/
Here’s a listing of Hanover Street redstaurants:
and here’s a listing of North End restaurants:
Oh - another consideration is that because the buildings in the North End are quite old, it’s not uncommon to find a restaurant that is wheelchair accessible for the dining room but the bathrooms are not accessible.
As far as accessibility goes, it’s for a big-ass stroller. A step or two is not a problem, but space between tables is.
If all you’re looking for is great Italian food in Boston, the North End isn’t actually the end-all be-all. There are fantastic Italian places to be found throughout the city, and the ones outside the North End tend to be both less crowded and less overpriced. My personal favorite is a tiny little place in the Fenway called Trattoria Toscana, which for my money is the best Italian food in the Boston metropolitan area. It’s near Fenway Park, but is located on a small side street, so it doesn’t get much foot traffic.
I’m not necessarily looking for the best Italian food, but rather something in that area. It’s just where everyone can get with minimum hassle.
I was just looking at Neptune Oyster and it’s a little pricy.
Has anyone been to Davide Ristorante?
Trattoria is a safe bet. I’ve been to the one in Quincy Market.
It definitely is!
I have a soft spot in my heart for La Famiglia Giorgio - we used to go there a lot in broker times. It’s not sophisticated gourmet, but it is tasty solid Italian-American fare.
That looks great!