Teatro
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Overall Rating: Sick Meals (88 out of 100)
177 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02111
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Phone: 617-778-6841
Nuzzled near Loews Boston Common in the Theater District, Teatro (Italian for "Theater") serves up a mouthwatering, modern approach to classic Italian dishes. Teatro is an ideal spot for sick meals before catching a show.
Our History at Teatro
We dined at Teatro on two previous occasions. This review is based on a recent visit on a Friday evening at 7:30pm.
Appetizers
Teatro's appetizer menu includes several pizzas, salads, and carpaccios as well as calamari, mussels, and roasted squash soup. The main attraction for us, however, was the Teatro Antipasto for Two ($24). A hearty treat, the antipasto consists of ultra-fresh white bean puree, delicious rice balls, thinly sliced prosciutto and salami, marinated olives, roasted red peppers, beet salad, eggplant caponata, and a sampling of three fine cheeses.
Salads are $7 for one or $12 for two. In the past, we've tried the Caesar as well as the mixed greens, and they are OK, but not spectacular. The other appetizers are pricey, averaging over $13, but the quality is excellent.
Rating: 9
Main Dishes
For entrees, you can choose from six pastas as well as grilled sirloin, crispy lemon sole, mustard-glazed Atlantic salmon, and braised Kuroboto pork shank. The pastas are available in two serving sizes - a small portion for an appetizer or first course and a larger portion for an entree. We shared the crispy lemon sole, served with asparagus and saffron aioli, and an entree portion of the rigatoni with classic ragu Bolognese. The portions were substantial and the food was fabulous. During a previous visit, we enjoyed the orecchiette ("little ear"-shaped pasta) with spicy sauce and broccoli rabe. On our next visit, we plan to try the angel hair pasta with gulf shrimp.
The pastas range from $10 to $16 for a small portion and $18 to $24 for an entree portion. Other entrees range from $23 to $30.
When dining at Teatro, to get the best of both worlds, we recommend that you share pastas and the other entrees within your party.
Rating: 9.4
Drinks
Teatro features a full bar, including a selection of after-dinner drinks. We enjoyed a bottle of Prosecco - Zefiro (Veneto, Italy) for $29, which is also available by the glass for $8. The majority of the wine list is available by the glass as well as in a carafe (half bottle). The house white and house red are available for $24 per bottle. A mixed drink menu offers a variety of libations at a whopping $11 per glass; many of these drinks integrate Prosecco.
Rating: 8.5
Service
We sat immediately upon arriving for our reservation. Our waitress was prompt, knowledgeable, and patient in answering a variety of questions.
The server who brought out the antipasto asked us if we had previously tried Teatro's antipasto. We hadn't, so he described the components of the dish - which was nice. However, he described the dish in about 10 seconds; we knew no more than before he began the description.
One other note: we made this reservation on OpenTable, but Teatro marked us a no-show. Mistakes happen. Nonetheless, it is a little annoying.
Rating: 8.6
Ambiance
The Teatro web site does a fair job in conveying the ambiance. Music fills the room. Dishes and silverware clatter. Lively conversation abounds. Indeed, the high-arched ceiling gives the room a theatrical presence.
Seating in the dining room felt a bit uneven. When seated in the center of the room, you have ample room to enjoy a relaxing meal. When seated on the sides of the room, many parties are packed in like sardines.
When you enter Teatro, a small bar area greets you. Teatro's full menu is available at the bar. The bar can get chilly during the winter.
Rating: 8.5
Et Cetera
Trivia: Chef/owner Jamie Mammano is also the chef/owner of Mistral
Menu: Check out the menu here
Reservations: Teatro is on OpenTable
Parking: Valet parking is available for $15 starting at 7:00pm. Additional parking is available at the Boston Common parking garage, the Ritz Carlton garage, and the Washington Street parking lot located behind Teatro.
Dress: Teatro presents an elegant yet casual dining environment.
Labels: Italian, Sick-Meals, Teatro, Theater-District
