"If you want to test the accuracy of an AI image generator, type “Italian-American restaurant North End Boston” into one and see if a picture of Ristorante Lucia pops up. In a neighborhood saturated with red sauce Italian joints, Lucia is the reddest and sauciest of the bunch. A ceiling fresco featuring Jesus and the boys looms over a dining room crowded with white tablecloths and thick wine glasses waiting to be filled with delightfully mediocre Chianti. Open since 1977, the food at Ristorante Lucia is almost beside the point. You’re here for the aforementioned vibes and, if the weather’s nice, the outdoor seating in the church courtyard next door. Nothing here is groundbreaking, but order the veal saltimbocca in a bright white wine sauce, buttery shrimp scampi, and the chicken marsala, which is one of the best in town." - Tanya Edwards