Prezza - Boston

Prezza, located at 24 Fleet Street in Boston's North End, serves high-end, creative Italian cuisine. Chef/Owner, Anthony Caturano has created a fun, yet sophisticated atmosphere. Dimly lit, with interesting artwork adorning the walls and upbeat music playing at the bar, this is as much a date night restaurant as a place to hang out with friends after work.

We started with a glass of Landmark 2004 Syrah and a Geyser Peak 2004 Reserve Cabernet. The former was smooth and mature. The Cab tasted young with a strong berry taste, yet soft tannins. A basket of warm foccacia bread and baguette slices was served with a small dish of kalamata and green olives set in olive oil, perfect for dipping the bread while we perused the menu.

The menu is diverse, with something for everyone, whether you are seeking pasta, seafood, beef or chicken. The Roasted Portabello Mushroom with Polenta, Roasted tomato and Parmesan ($14) caught my eye, but after much hemming and hawing, I finally settled on the Risotto with wild mushrooms, fontina and Parmesan ($15). It was - in a word - extraordinary. Earthy and rich, the mushroom medley, shiitake, portabella and porcini, took center stage in this dish. The risotto was creamy, which I prefer to some chewy, al dente versions I have tried elsewhere. I could have stopped after finishing this dish, as it was both filling, and the pinnacle of the food selections that evening.

My husband started with an appetizer size portion of the Oversized Ravioli, stuffed with egg yolk and ricotta, and served with with shaved black truffles ($10 ea). The Ravioli, set upon the runny yolk, created a perfectly flavorful pillow upon which thickly sliced black truffles (comparatively speaking to most shaved truffles) rested. It was a difficult competition between this and the Risotto for "best dish" that evening.

Next we tried the Fried Asparagus, topped with truffle aioli and served with a side salad of arugula, roasted red peppers and balsamic vinaigrette ($10). The asparagus was served al dente, battered and fried. The batter, while thin, tasted "heavy", likely because the oil in which it was fried needed to be changed. The salad was a refreshing contrast to the fried vegetables, the sweet taste of high quality balsamic complimenting the sharp arugula and sweet peppers.

The Mushroom Soup is cooked to order and consists of braised white beans, roasted tomato, mushroom slices and rosemary, topped with slices of grilled bread, spread with olive oil and garlic ($14). Upon arrival at the table, the soup was a disappointment. For some reason I was expecting a thick and creamy mushroom stew; this soup was thin and tasted like chicken broth, pureed with white beans, olive oil and thinned with water. A bit of porcini broth would have been a welcome enhancement. The addition of salt before each bite helped flavor the dish - and also helped bind the ingredients. The soup was greatly enhanced when pieces of the charred bread was scooped up in the spoon with the broth. By the end of the dish the flavors started to meld, indicating that the soup needed to simmer longer before it is served.

While the Chestnut Ravioli with pulled duck, butter and parmesan was tempting, my husband and I both settled on the Pumpkin Ravioli with lobster, brown butter, sage and mascarpone. Pasta may be ordered as an appetizer ($15) or entree ($28), we selected the former, which was plenty considering the leading courses. The ravioli was stuffed with mascarpone and topped with diced pumpkin and chunks of lobster claw. The sauce of brown butter and sage was abundant on the plate and paired well with both the pumpkin and lobster. We used the bread to sop up every last bit of the heavenly richness.

With tiramisu being one of my favorite desserts, I was disappointed when I found myself too full to try Prezza's version. The portions are large, the food is rich, yet the prices are fair, particularly for Boston. We left happy, full and looking forward to our return.