"Tony & Elaine’s could have felt cheesy pretty easily. It’s a newer restaurant in the North End that was designed to look and feel like an old-school spot—think white-checked tablecloths and red-sauce classics like meatballs and chicken parm. These types of places usually feel like they were designed by somebody who watched one season of The Sopranos and decided to open a restaurant, but Tony & Elaine’s is just a great casual restaurant that’s perfect for pregaming the Bruins at TD. The service is welcoming, the wine pours are heavy, and the rigatoni alla vodka is a top contender for the best in Boston." - Team Infatuation
"Tony & Elaine’s could have felt cheesy pretty easily. It’s a newer restaurant in the North End that was designed to look and feel like an old-school spot—think white-checked tablecloths and red-sauce classics like meatballs and chicken parm. These types of places usually feel like they were designed by somebody who watched one season of The Sopranos and decided to open a restaurant, but Tony & Elaine’s is just a great casual restaurant that’s perfect for pregaming the Bruins at TD. The service is welcoming, the wine pours are heavy, and the rigatoni alla vodka is a top contender for the best in Boston. photo credit: Tony & Elaine's RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE" - Tanya Edwards
"The vibe and kitschy red-and-white tablecloths at Tony & Elaine’s make us want to Lady and the Tramp a strand of spaghetti from their cacio e pepe with that special someone. Our love language, it turns out, is dining in red banquette booths underneath framed paintings of cherubs and photos of Ferraris. The fact that the food is also excellent is an added bonus. For appetizers, get the arancini and a plate of meatballs. While the portions here would never be described as petite, this is one place where two people should order a third pasta to share, because yes, they really are that good. Our favorites are the eggplant parm, the bolognese, and the pasta alla vodka. There’s only one option for dessert, but that’s OK, because the plate of three mini cannoli is hands-down the best in the North End." - lala thaddeus, tanya edwards
"A lot of people think of Tony & Elaine’s as a good winter spot. When it’s cold, the Chianti and wood-paneled basement seems to wrap you in its arms like a hug from an Italian Mister Rogers. But real ones know summer nights are the best time to go, when the party moves outside to an alley patio with a giant Italian flag, meatballs, and red wine that seems to magically refill in your glass in a way that feels biblical." - tanya edwards
"Tony & Elaine’s could have felt cheesy pretty easily. It’s a newer restaurant in the North End that was designed to look like an old-school spot—think white-checked tablecloths and red-sauce classics like meatballs and chicken parm. These types of places usually feel like they were designed by somebody who saw Goodfellas once and decided to open a restaurant, but Tony & Elaine’s is just a great casual spot that’s perfect for pregaming the Bruins at TD. The service is welcoming, the wine pours are heavy, and the rigatoni alla vodka is a top contender for the best in Boston." - tanya edwards, joel ang, dan secatore