Giulia
Photograph by Trevor Reid The pappardelle with wild boar? The tagliatelle with fresh porcini? At Giulia, it's hard to know which pasta to try. Which is why our MO is to skip the rest of the (quite good) menu and gorge on as many of chef Michael Pagliarini's rotating varieties as possible. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, giuliarestaurant.com.
Giulia
With so many great Italian restaurants in the Boston area, competition for this category is always fierce, but this decade-old trattoria from chef Michael Pagliarini and his partner Pamela Ralston remains at the head of the pack for good reason. Several reasons, actually: its pretty, rustic ambiance; superb local sourcing; spectacular grilled and roasted meats; and, above all, delectable pastas rolled out every day on a long table that seats big parties at night. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, giuliarestaurant.com.
Giulia
This Porter Square gem won us over with its chewy, emmer-flour-based farro casarecce alone, tossed with red-wine-braised duck, sweet cherries, and foie-gras butter on the night we tried it. But in truth, any of chef Michael Pagliarini’s pastas—painstakingly crafted on a reclaimed-white-oak table at the back of the restaurant—are worth the trip. Cap off your pasta odyssey with a creamy scoop of pistachio gelato. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, giuliarestaurant.com.