Da Laposta - Newton

I have been to da LaPosta several times and I have always been very satisfied. I rarely rate the places I frequent because I generally express my pleasure or displeasure directly to the staff and/or the owner. Some of the latest negative reviews are disgraceful hit jobs with one customer going so far as to say “F this place.” From my experience, one of the first things I notice is the quality of the oil Mario cooks and marinades with. It is true unadulterated extra virgin olive oil. This is virtually unheard of in most restaurants. I noticed it immediately when I first dipped his homemade focaccia in it. The pasta is high quality and always cooked al dente. The prosciutto, the cheeses, the tomatoes and the wines are fabulous along with Mario’s knowledge of what he sells. There is a caveat, however, the portions are normal genuine Italian style portions, not a North End style plate of low quality pseudo Italian grub that will feed you badly for a week when you take it home. Additionally, the pizza is an authentic Neopoletana cooked at 900 F. It is supposed to be thin, light and seared to perfection in 90 seconds. It is not Papa Gino’s or Sal’s enormous tasteless pies. Note to the lady who complained about the pepperoni being sold out: pepperoni does not exist in Italy. Mario is forced to offer it in desperation for those who do not know any better. Another note to those who complained about the chicken parm: that, too, does not exist in Italy, but, alas, business requires compromises. In sum, I wrote this review to defend some really fine, generous and hardworking people. Sometimes, it is also incumbent upon the customer to want to be curious, to ask questions and to understand what quality and authenticity really are (practice diversity, equality and inclusion instead of solely preaching it). Rather than write an angry and scathing review with impunity, why not communicate in person and face to face? Give people, their culture and their life’s work another chance. What is the worst thing that can happen, one makes new friends? One may learn something new? Ohh, what an Fffing nightmare!!! Dietary restrictions: There is good variety of vegetarian options and the staff easily adapts to customer needs and dietary restrictions. Kid-friendliness: Kids seem welcome. However, in real Italian restaurants, kids eat real food like the adults not fries and chicken nuggets.

I went to da LaPosta with my family, and we all agreed there was almost nothing good about this restaurant. I accepted that the price was going to be high for the food when I came in the door, but I expected to at least enjoy my food. We ordered bread for the table, which most places would give for free, and it had no flavor. The dishes that we ordered were chicken parmesan, gnocchi with mushrooms, hot honey pizza, and a bowl of spaghetti for my 10 year old. The pasta had a strange taste and my daughter did not care for it. Seriously, how do you mess up plain pasta? The gnocchi was very oily. The mushrooms that came with it tasted ok, but it was a tiny appetizer size portion, that cost $30. My kids shared the chicken parmesan, which was two cutlets, sauce, and the melted cheese. No pasta, but a side of roasted broccoli. The chicken was over cooked/burnt, and everyone tried the broccoli and said it tasted bad. Seriously, how do you mess up roasted broccoli? Also, I tried the sauce for the chicken, and it was extremely bland, no flavor. The hot honey pizza was ok, but kind of an unusual taste. That it was the best part of the meal was just sad. For desert, my daughter and wife ordered a scoop of vanilla gelato and a scoop of Hazelnut gelato. It was not mine to complain about, but when my wife’s scoop came, it was completely melted. Literally liquid gelato. She wanted to be polite and did not say anything, but later said she was disappointed that the gelato was melted. There is a picture attached where you can see it looks more like a mousse than gelato. My daughter’s had looked ok to me, but she also said that hers was soft and liquid after a minute. All in all no one left feeling they had a good time. The waitress was ok and kept refilling our water. She cannot help the poor quality, size and taste of the food, but I am surprised that she would bring out gelato that was melted. If it had been my gelato, I would have said something. It is no different than getting food and finding out it is raw. My opinion is that this is a bar, masquerading as a fancy restaurant. If you want to get together for a drink, be my guest. If you want to eat and enjoy your food, I would suggest going somewhere else. Going anywhere else. Dietary restrictions: It looked like every dish has cheese. Probably not good for lactose intolerant people. Kid-friendliness: There is no kids menu. We were told to order plain pasta, or a margarite pizza. I would not recommend for young kids. Wheelchair accessibility: There was a ramp.

Echoing other reviews about what a nice surprise dining here was. Late Sat night decision to have dinner, we were the last table to leave and never felt rushed off the outdoor seating. Antipasti was flavorful and who knew figs could taste this delicious. Cocktails were on point and we took a chance on the branzino weren't certain the corn and tomato combo would work and wow did it ever. Server accommodated our request for 1/2 a salad which yet again was fresh and just the right amount of crunch to balance it all out. Better than any North End place I have tried. Vegetarian options: Ordered the antipasti without whatever meat was listed on the menu.

What Pizza place runs out of pepperoni? Da LaPosta did and it was really disappointing. Walked in with no reservation on a Friday night and the place was really busy and loud. The Hostess wasn't sure when we could get seated so we ordered pizza to go. We came back to pick up our pizzas about 15 minutes later and the hostess informed us they were out of pepperoni and replaced it with sausage. Really? Been ordering pizzas for more than 30 years and I've never had this experience. And, the pizza was overcooked. Not going back to da LaPosta.

Fantastic. Food. Period. I think this is the best authentic Italian restaurant I can find around here. I loved all the dish but the fiori di zucca is a unique find outside of Italy, and will remain to be the best dish I had at any Italian restaurant around here for a while. Great service and atmosphere. We will definitely go back. Thank you for your great work!!