Massachusetts Restaurant Is One Of The Hardest Places To Get Into

Whether it's via an app, directly through the restaurant's website, or the old-fashioned way of picking up the phone, having a reservation seems to be an essential part of eating at your favorite restaurant these days. TimeOut recently detailed the establishments across the country that have been the hardest to get into so far this year, and a Boston restaurant is among them.

Stressing the demand of some these high-end city spots, TimeOut says, "Some of the toughest reservations in America are just simply impossible to get—unless you’ve been headlining at Madison Square Garden."

Furthermore, many of them won't take walk-ins or stand-by guests, they have become that exclusive. In context, although this may be frustrating for dine-out enthusiasts if you think back to what we saw in the restaurant industry during the not-so-long-ago pandemic times, this is good news.

People want to be out. In fact, the pandemic inspired many new restaurants and entrepreneurs as people discovered some unique cooking skills they never knew they had. Furthermore, gathering around a table with friends and family and having a nice hour where you sip a drink, share an appetizer, and then devour a plate of exquisite cuisine is invaluable.

So, mixed among the fine-dining fancy spots in other major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami was this North End Italian spot.

Located along the legendary Hanover Street (307) Carmelina’s. The expected wait time to get in is a minimum of two months. Carmelina's opened in 2012.

The design of this establishment is that it looks like an open-kitchen. "Carmelina’s is traditional Sicilian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist from Executive Chef Damien DiPaola and Chef di Cucina Michael Hollenkamp," they say.

Their wine menu is almost as extensive and detailed as the food portion of the menu. Appetizers include lamb lollipops and garlic shrimp. When you get to the pasta and main course section you will notice it is hard to settle on just one dish. Here, you have a choice of popular plates such as lobster fra diavolo in a spicy tomato vodka sauce, wild mushroom penne, spaghetti with littleneck clams, and veal saltimbocca. The best part is that all of them are reasonably priced.

So, how do you get into Carmelina's? "Reservations are posted online with no real pattern, and while off-times are usually still available day of, eating here at reasonable times will require months of planning," TimeOut says. They do have a reservation booking section on their website. Currently, the next opening is on July 8 at 1:30 PM.

I'm a guy who moved from New Jersey to Boston; growing up, Sicilian pizza was pretty easily available. I incorrectly assumed that all Americans enjoyed this kind of pizza selection. However, when I moved to Boston, I realized that it's much harder to find that delicacy here. But there are also a few unique places that are cooking up Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts.

As an expert on Sicilian, I will tell you that it has to be prepared properly in order for it to be worth the calories. Here, I will detail three establishments where you can find great Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts. Sure, you may have to travel a bit, but these places are worth your time.

Before we cut into this delicious style of pie, let’s define our terms. Traditional Sicilian pizza is cut into square or rectangular-shaped slices. The crust is thicker and crunchy. Though this pizza is obviously heavier, it still can be topped with your favorite pizza add-ons. A sprinkle of oregano is a subtle but often important finishing.

Though strip pizza in Rhode Island is similar, one significant difference with Sicilian is that it is not baked on a focaccia style dough. In fact, Palermo Pizza NJ defines what distinguishes Sicilian Pizza and what makes it different from regular pizza. “The dough rises differently with this kind of crust because more oil is used in the recipe as opposed to a regular pizza crust recipe,” they said, when describing how this is made in a rectangular pan.

In Massachusetts, the three locations that are serving up great Sicilian Pizza are quite different from each other, but have this menu item in common. One of them happens to be a favorite of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tucked into a quaint New England, Harvard Square street, Pinocchio's is where you need to go if you want Sicilian pizza of all varieties. It's also where you will see Mark Zuckerberg's photo all over the wall. This was the go-to spot for Zuck while he was attending Harvard. In fact, it's a place he still makes sure to stop into when in town. As for the pizza, there are 20 different toppings you can find atop the hot Sicilian pies. These pies come in a 9-slice or 15-slice size option. The 15-slice pie comes in two boxes and can feed up to nine people. During the school months, Pinocchio's stays open until 2 am on weekends.

At 289 Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, Umberto's can be easy to miss. However, once you recognize their old-school sign, you know you are in for a treat. They are old-school: it is a cash-only establishment where the large trays of piping hot Sicilian pies are continuously served. Typically, it's cheese only, but you will not be disappointed as no other flavor is needed. The single line usually reaches the door, but it moves quickly. It also gives you time to decide which arancini (their famous rice ball) you'd like to add to your order.

Leone's Pizza and Sub has been family-owned and operated since 1954. They are located right on Broadway and open seven days per week, from 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Their Sicilian pizza is the standard menu option here. It is available by the slice, in a half tray or full tray. The whole tray also comes in two boxes (16 slice) and costs $40. Their Sicilian pies also come in a tomato basil option and a spinach and garlic. Leone's sub menu contains over 30 options. This includes a fried meatball sub.

Right in the heart of Cleveland Circle, Pino's is a fan-favorite of Boston College students. Though the crust is a perfect combination of pillow and crunch, the secret here is actually in the sauce. Pino's describes it as "delicious, garlicky tomato sauce with in-house seasoning, cooked on a pan." $20 gets you nine Sicilian slices at Pino's. If you want to add variety to your order, they also have alfredo pies, white pies, and buffalo chicken. Like Pinocchio's, Pino's stays open until the early morning hours on the weekend to help accommodate the college crowd.