Tonino

Tonino’s is a hidden gem.
This is my boyfriend and I’s second time visiting and it’s our favorite date night.
The ambiance is so cozy and warm, the food is so fresh and amazing, and the service is unmatched. Tonight we were celebrating our anniversary and Our waitress (we’re so sorry we didn’t catch your name!) made the night so much better - checked on us but wasn’t obstructive.
We ordered a pizza to go while we finished our drinks and she brought us 2 small glasses of a sparkling wine to “keep us company” and even brought us a tiramisu to go 🥺🥲.
Thank you so much and we can’t wait to be back!!!

Went with the wife for a date night.
Reserved a table just in case because we saw how popular this place is and it doesn't disappoint in that regard, especially with the small yet cosy feel inside. I had done some research on the menu before we arrived, so although we knew what we wanted we were open to hearing recommendations from our server because this was our first time dining at Tonino.
These recommendations would not be ignored, as coming in, we knew we would order a pizza bianca but didn't know which.
However, as we told our server we wanted the "small" that consisted of mortadella, pecorino, and house pickles, our server knew that we should try the ricotta and hot honey with the pizza bianca. That recommendation did not disappoint as the sweetness of the honey and the creaminess of the ricotta paired perfectly with the crispy and crunchy, yet airy bread of the pizza bianca.
Shortly after, the mortadella, pecorino, and house pickles arrived on a platter.
Now the mortadella had a nice aftertaste and pecorino cheese is always great, but their house pickles were easily the best pickles I have had in my life, hands down, not even close. In the end my wife ordered the bucatini and I ordered the rigatoni.
The pastas themselves on both dishes were clearly handmade as labors of love to the customer.
I do want to preface my thought on my main dish by saying that am not too cultured in terms of palatte or food exploration.
That being said my rigatoni dish's sauce and topping of guancile I believe it was, was a bit too rich for me.
But if that is the only complaint I can find about this establishment, then so be it. My wife (a slightly more travelled diner) told me that her pasta and the culmination of the mouth feel, flavor profile, and freshness made her believe this is a top 5 dish she has had in her life. If you are ever in the southern part of Boston and want AMAZING italian food, stop no further tham Tonino.

Had to make a reservation two months in advance, but happy to report that Tonino was well worth the wait! The interior is lovely—very cozy with classy decorations. The pizza is available for take-out, but the pasta is only available for dine-in, so we tried as many pastas as we could stomach.
Unfortunately, the special advertised on the wall wasn't available, so we ended up getting: - Taleggio Cappelletti ($26): This dish only comes with 8 cappelletti, so the portion size is more akin to an appetizer, but this was my favorite of the pastas that we ordered.
Rich, cheesy filling with a subtly sweet sauce.
Delicious. - Lumache ($26): Second favorite.
Very al dente (borderline crunchy; too al dente for my friend, but I liked the bite).
Some tangy notes from the creme fraiche.
Portion size was better than the taleggio cappelletti, but I wish there were more or larger cuts of mushroom. - Chitarra & Clams ($28): Wouldn't get this again.
Very peppery, and the flavor didn't pack a punch like the other two pastas.
Chitarra wasn't al dente, and the clams were quite small.
Breadcrumbs were good. - Tiramisu ($14): Also available for take-out but had to get it because it's their signature dessert.
I was in heaven.
The mascarpone was runnier than that of other tiramisus that I've had, but I liked it like that.
Very smooth and creamy.
Loved the sporadic bits of salt too. There were two servers who waited on us throughout the night.
Both were friendly.
There's complimentary still or sparkling water, which was a plus.
5% kitchen appreciation fee, which is higher than the usual 3%. Overall, highly recommend this place.
I think it is my favorite Italian place in Boston now!