Best of Boston

Pomodoro’s flavorful, creative offerings reconcile the old Italian with the new. The food retains a simple, traditional character—which should not read as dull or unimaginative, whatever you may have come to expect after numerous “red sauce” menu encounters so often in the North End. But when the menu branches out, it doesn’t wander so far that it becomes vaguely “Mediterranean.” The servings are generous but have other salient features. The dishes aren’t excessively decorative and sprouty, and the atmosphere is casual and friendly. Note of caution: Hour-long waits are not unusual.