Rocca
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Overall Rating: The Sickest (92 out of 100)
500 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
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Phone: 617-451-5151
Rocca brings Ligurian cuisine, the cuisine of the Italian Riviera, to Boston's South End. Great food, impeccable service, and an energetic vibe make Rocca one of the sickest meals in town. And there's lots of free parking, too!
Our History at Rocca
Rocca opened in April 2007. Our first visit was on a Friday night at 8:00pm.
Appetizers
Rocca offers "tastes" as well as larger appetizers. Tastes range from $3 to $7 and include marinated olives, fritti di pesce, a meatball slider, and prosciutto and fontina pizetta. Appetizers range from $7 to $12 and include marinated sardines, crispy veal medallions, hot & sweet scampi, antipasti, and white bean minestrone. We tried the fritti di pesce for $6 and the sardines for $9.
Served with salsa verde, the lightly-breaded fritti di pesce (fish sticks) provided a light, refreshing start to our meal. Thinly-sliced mint danced off the marinated sardines. Portions were modest yet satisfying.
Rating: 9
Main Dishes
Rocca's menu includes pastas many of which are available as appetizers or entrees. Prices range from $10 to $17. Homemade pastas include hand-rolled trofie, potato gnocchi, corzetti, and spring green panzotti. We ordered the trofie for $10. The melt-in-your-mouth trofie was served with delicious pesto sauce. We shared this dish and it quickly left us longing for more.
Entrees range from $19 to $24 and include roasted whole fish, chicken Genovese, grilled leg of lamb, and veal involtini. We chose the roasted whole fish and grilled leg of lamb, both for $24. Like the trofie, the main show did not disappoint. The roasted whole fish was a large, soft burrida infused with fresh herbs and served with a flavorful mix of olives, perfectly-roasted potatoes, tomatoes, and pine nuts. Tender and mouth-watering, the medium-rare leg of lamb was served with escarole, fava bean pesto, and white beans.
Rating: 9.6
Drinks
We explored Rocca's drink menu, ordering the scandalo al sole for $11 and a Monterosso martini for $10. The scandalo al sole consisted of Patron Silver tequila, Grand Marnier, and limoncello with lime and ginger beer. The Monterosso martini was mixed with Grey Goose Orange, fresh orange juice, and mint. These drinks were creative but they did not quite hit the mark.
On the other hand, Rocca's wine menu presented good variety and was neatly divided into light, medium, and bold whites and reds. Bottles started in the mid-$20s. A glass of the house wine was $6.
Rating: 8.1
Service
Rocca rendered "Wow!" service. Our waitress presented an informative overview of the menu along with her recommendations. Pacing was perfect; we were never rushed, making for a decidedly relaxed environment. The Queen of Sick Meals accidentally broke her half-full wine glass; Rocca staff rushed to our rescue and incredibly offered a free martini of her choice.
Rating: 9.8
Ambiance
Rocca spans two floors. The first floor is a sleek lounge and bar. The dining area is on the second floor. Both floors serve up a lively, aromatic scene.
Placid patio seating transports you to a world far from gritty Harrison Avenue.
Rating: 9.3
Et Cetera
Trivia: The Rocca Rundown is a blog that documents Rocca's creation.
Menu: View the menu on Rocca's web site
Reservations: Rocca is on OpenTable
Transportation: Rocca offers ample free parking in their own lot.
Dress: Casual
Hours: Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:30pm to 10:00pm and Friday and Saturday from 5:30pm to 11:00pm.
Labels: Italian, Rocca-Boston, South-End, The-Sickest
