Massimino's

03/01/09

Below par service & food

by zadnor at Citysearch

Massimino's proved mediocre last night.

We started with a drink downstairs while waiting for a table. The wine cellar is cozy and charming but, like most North End restaurants, space is at a premium so we had to stand at one end. No matter, the wait was only about 30 minutes.

We ordered a glasses of chardonnay and Chianti. The former was delivered promptly but, then, another employee pulled the bartender aside, and whisked him away. Another man took his place and filled the order for which I paid. Before he gave me change he was replaced by yet another man who gave me incorrect change--at least according to the price we were quoted. When I pointed out the error, he condescendingly sneered the price?which had risen $1.00.

We were seated upstairs in a corner beneath a speaker blaring dance music. A woman behind us sat so far from her table--her knees were about even with the table's edge--that no one could pass to reach us. Three different servers, rather than politely ask her to scoot up decided instead to serve us over the diners and dinners at the table beside us. We had to reach out for our plates and glasses and place them on our table while the waitrons either leaned over the couple's table passed Chianti our neighbor's reeling face. Rather than deal with this inconvenience too often, the employees chose to check on our needs infrequently.

The meal itself--sausage w/ vinegared peppers & potatoes and chicken saltimbocca--was so-so. The vinegared peppers were good--tender and tangy--and the roasted potatoes, excellent but the sausage was overcooked so that it was dry and chewy. Tthe sausage may have been good but I can't say because they cooked the flavor out of it. The chicken was fine but I am pretty sure the ham with it was not prosciutto and the herbs and spices were all but nonexistent. The side of pasta was all right with good tomato sauce.

To be fair, others I've spoken to have had good experiences at Massimino's. Would that I had joined their ranks.

• Pros: Downstairs room is charming
• Cons: Indiffferent service, mediocre food

02/04/08

Great Food

by megker22 at Citysearch

We had lunch here and it was so good. The waitstaff was a lot of fun we had great food and a great time.The prices were very reasonable.

• Pros: priced right
• Cons: out of the way

01/24/08

HUGE dissapointment; a regret

by LRPCCC at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I decided to order our food from here based on all of the wonderful recommendations that we have had (as well as the award from Zagat and a few others). This was our last dinner together as I am moving tomorrow and we wanted something really delicious and I have to say that I have never been so disappointed in a meal and I have never complained. I honestly didn't even eat my entree. My boyfriend ordered the veal saltimbocca which is supposed to be stuffed with prosciutto and served with penne. The pasta was dry and the veal was not only bad, but instead of being stuffed with prosciutto, it had chunks of ham all over the pasta and not even stuffed in the veal. I ordered the shrimp scampi, which is my favorite dish of all time and I have NEVER been dissatisfied with at any other restaurant... the pasta was dry and chewy, the shrimp was not fresh and extremely over cooked and there was no sauce on it either. The lobster ravioli was nothing special either. The food was terrible quality and I feel terrible that my boyfriend had to spend so much money on such poor quality food.

• Cons: The food was terrible.