Carmelina's

North End, Boston · Italian · $$$

The North End has no shortage of red-sauce joints trying to look the part, but Carmelina's earns its lines on pure cooking. The menu swings between classic and modern - gnocchi alla sorrentina alongside inventive pasta specials - in a room small enough that you feel the kitchen's energy. Getting a reservation takes planning; walking in without one means reading the room carefully. Worth the effort either way.