Impressions of Posto & Pizza: Now At Assembly Row

A delicious Roasted Garlic Pizza that could also protect you from an army of vampires! I recently enjoyed such a pizza at an old restaurant in a new location, and I look forward to dining there again very soon.  

Chef Joe Cassinelli is the owner of the Alpine Restaurant Group, which currently includes Posto (an Italian restaurant, located in Somerville), the Painted Burro (Mexican cuisine, with locations in Waltham, Somerville, Harvard Square and Brookline), and the Burro Bar (Mexican cuisine, in Boston). Posto first opened in 2009 in Davis Square, Somerville, and recently they relocated to Assembly Row in Somerville. 

I first dined at Posto fifteen years ago, in August 2010, although I was already familiar with the Italian cuisine of Chef Cassinelli, who had previously been the Chef de Cuisine at L’Andana, an Italian restaurant in Burlington, which had been one of my favorite restaurants (but which is now closed). I was impressed with Posto's cuisine, from its Neapolitan pizza to its killer pasta, and it earned a spot in my 2010 List of Favorite Restaurants. Over the subsequent years, I continued to dine at Posto and it continued to earn a spot on my year-end Favorite Restaurant lists. 

With the advent of COVID, and restaurants being forced to close for a time, I didn't dine at Posto for several years. When Posto recently relocated to Assembly Row, I stopped by for lunch, hoping that the quality of the food hadn't changed. I found that the pizza and appetizers were just as good as ever, and I'm excited to return, to enjoy more of their menu options.  

The restaurant is good-sized, with a lengthy bar, and what appears to be a private dining room. There's also patio dining available. The Menu includes Antipasti (such as Carpaccio, Bruschetta, Meatballs, and Calamari), Insalate (from Caesar to Caprese), Pasta (such as Bolognese, Carbonara, and Short Rib), Carne e Pesce (such as Ribeye Steak, Tuscan Seafood Stew, and Swordfish), and Pizza (both Red and White). There are 8 variations of both the Red and White Pizzas, which are Neapolitan style pizza that follow the rules and guidelines of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. 

Juan Gabriel Pérez, the Executive Chef at Posto, possesses over 15 years of experience in making Neapolitan pizzas. It was recently announced that Pérez had placed 54th in the Best Pizza Awards, whose website states: "It’s the only accreditation platform that stays true to culinary standards, free from commercial agendas. Our mission? To break down barriers in the pizza world and spotlight authentic craftsmanship, bold innovation, and diverse voices that are shaping the future of this iconic dish." This is the third year that Pérez has competed in this competition, and he received his highest ranking ever. 

Talking about Pérez, the Best Pizza Awards website stated, "As Executive Chef at Posto Boston he’s praised for his creative flair, seasonal ingredients, and dough innovation. With over a million followers worldwide, Juan blends tradition and modernity, earning a global reputation for craftsmanship and passion that honours pizza’s authentic roots."

For lunch, my dining companion and I started with an appetizer of Arancini, made from crispy arborio rice, lemon, and oregano, accompanied by a spicy sweet & sour tomato sauce. We received five arancini, with a nice, crispy coating and a flavorful and tender interior, with hints of lemon. The arancini were enhanced by the tasty tomato sauce, which was mildly spicy and well balanced. The sauce is also great for dipping bread. 

Another appetizer was the Burrata, which includes prosciutto di parma, watermelon, truffle honey, aleppo pepper, sea salt flakes, and microgreens. The addition of the sweet watermelon chunks was such a great choice, helping to balance the salty prosciutto and the creamy burrata. All of the ingredients worked well together, a nice blend of textures and flavors. A perfect summer dish and a great way to start your lunch or dinner. 

We then selected one of the White Pizzas, the Roasted Garlic, made with bacon, mozzarella, roasted garlic, parmesan, oregano, and aleppo pepper. Wow!! I've never seen more garlic on a pizza, large and plump cloves of roasted garlic. I love garlic so this was quite impressive. The thin-crusted pizza had a nice char, and the crust was also both crisp and chewy. The crunchy bacon was a nice addition too. I previously enjoyed many pizzas at Posto, and it was clear that the quality hadn't diminished an iota. 

I'm very pleased I checked out the new location of Posto and strongly encourage all of my readers to dine there as well. There's plenty on the menu to cater to diverse appetites, and the pizza is some of the best in the area. You can check out their new Happy Hour, which is held in their bar & lounge, Monday-Friday, from 2pm-5pm. All Appetizers are Half-Priced, which gives you a great opportunity to experience some of their menu at a great discount. And I'll be reporting back on my future visits to Posto too. 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Wednesday, July 16, marks National Hot Dog Day and the Silhouette Lounge – an Allston hangout for locals and students – will honor the occasion, from 4pm-1am, by serving up $1* hot dogs all day while supplies last. The Sil also is here to remind everyone about their once-in-a-lifetime offer: free links for ink.

Here’s how it works: Get permanently tatted up – keep the body part PG-13 – with any Sil-related insignia (inspired by its logo, signature art like the winged rat, its namesake, etc.) and your indelible love will be rewarded with a free hot dog per visit for life.

And these aren’t just any hot dogs, these are “Sil Dogs” – all-beef franks nestled in their buns served with packets of ketchup, mustard, and relish – that pair beautifully with the Sil’s free popcorn. BONUS: Be one of the first 50 to order up a PBR Lite and your Sil Dog will be on the house. PBR also will be in the house to gift lucky ones with PBR t-shirts and swag.

*Limit of one (1) $1 hot dog per person with the purchase of a beverage on July 16.

Non-Rant: Choosing A Celebratory Restaurant

Which restaurant should you choose for a celebratory occasion, from a birthday to an anniversary?

The answer isn't always easy, and will depend on many different factors, from price to cuisine. It's a question I've often seen asked on numerous forums, and a question I've been asked by many people. I want to offer ten restaurant suggestions, which will fit a variety of needs, places which I find to be consistently good and definitely worthy of your patronage. These are places I especially love, and which  I've also recommended to many others. 

I also want to note that my list only includes restaurants located outside of Boston. There are plenty of lists of Boston restaurants, but far fewer for those outside of it. In addition, this list is far from comprehensive, but is more just a curated selection of some of my favorites. 

When considering where to celebrate your special occasion, there's a number of questions you should ask yourself, to help narrow down the possibilities. How much do you want to spend? Do you want to splurge, or be more economical in your choice? Will your celebration be for breakfast, lunch or dinner? How many people will be celebrating with you? Is there a specific type of cuisine that you desire? Are you looking for a more intimate venue? Will you be accompanied by children? Does anyone in your group have any dietary restrictions? Do you want an excellent wine list or a large selection of beers on tap? And there's even more questions you can ask as well.

As you consider these questions, and others, here's my top suggestions:

Nick & Andy's (Danvers): Sometimes, you want a breakfast celebration, and my top choice for such would be Nick & Andy's. The food is fresh, delicious and there's plenty of variety. Try their fresh-baked muffins (grilled) or hash browns (those shredded potatoes which are tougher to find locally than home fries). I love their Chicken & Waffles. Prices are reasonable and service is very good. 

Nightshade Noodle Bar (Lynn): For a splurge, Nightshade offers inventive and delicious French/Vietnamese inspired-cuisine, with their own unique spin, in multi-course tasting menus. Its wine and cocktail program is also excellent. It's a more intimate spot and one of my Top Four Favorite restaurants. As it's very popular, try to make reservations as far ahead as possible. However, if you follow them on social media, you will learn when they have last minute available reservations. 

A Tavola (Winchester): For a more intimate spot for dinner, and which serves excellent Italian cuisine, check out A Tavola. Their home-made pasta is superb, and you can also find some intriguing and delicious specials, from chicken fried quail to duck wings. Their Italian cuisine is as good as anything you'll find in the North End and they are also one of my Top Four Favorite restaurants. Their wine list concentrates on Italian wines, and there are many very good choices. And they have regular wine dinners and special events which are well worth attending too.  

Il Ponte (Woburn): Another more intimate spot for dinner, which also serves excellent Italian cuisine, is Il Ponte. Everything is made from scratch, including their home-made pasta and Neapolitan pizzas. Like A Tavola, the Italian cuisine at Il Ponte is as good as anything you'll find in the North End and they are also one of my Top Four Favorite restaurants. Service is excellent and everyone that I recommend dine here has loved it. I'll be celebrating a special occasion here this weekend. 

Tambo 22 (Chelsea): For a splurge, and a more unique cuisine, check out this Peruvian restaurant. It's also a more intimate spot, and should impress your celebrants. The food is delicious, interesting, and hearty. They also have a full drinks program, including numerous Peruvian spirits and a variety of Pisco Sour cocktails. 

The Bancroft (Burlington): Also for a splurge, and for either lunch or dinner, the Bancroft is one of my favorite steakhouses. I've dined there most often for lunch for special occasions, and those lunches have always been excellent. Steak may be their speciality but you'll find plenty of other delicious dishes, from Fried Clams to a Duck Confit Sandwich. 

Pellana Prime Steakhouse (Peabody): Pellana is another classic steakhouse, a place to splurge, with an excellent wine list. Sure, you could easily go to one of the chain steakhouses, but these more independent places will surprise you with their quality. They are also open for lunch. 

Row 34 (Burlington): For both lunch and dinner, this is a great spot for fresh seafood, from oysters to tuna credo, from fried clams to lobster rolls. Their lunch menu even has an excellent Tuna Melt! They also have a very good wine list and creative cocktails. I've celebrated here a number of times, for both lunch and dinner.

Clam Box of Ipswich (Ipswich): For more of a casual seafood spot, I'd opt for the Clam Box, which is my favorite clam shack on the North Shore, providing such delicious, fresh fried seafood. I love their fried clams and their fried scallops are some of the best I've ever tasted, so sweet and tender. Plus, on Fridays, they often have fried lobster tails, such a decadent treat.  

Prince Pizzeria (Saugus): This restaurant has existed on Route 1 for 60 years, and is a place I've been going to since I was a child. It's a large, casual spot for pizza and Italian cuisine, and its tasty pizza is basically its own unique and delicious style. You can easily book a large celebratory party, at a reasonable price. It's a very family friendly spot, and everyone from children to adults love pizza so it's a great choice for all.

What are some of your favorite celebratory restaurants?

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Join Row 34 in Burlington for a special culinary experience celebrating the best of New England's local waters. Chef Jeremy Sewall—renowned for his commitment to responsible seafood—has partnered with Michael Xu, founder of Tackle2thePeople, to bring you a thoughtfully curated dinner series featuring a progression of locally caught seafood at its seasonal peak. 

Each evening will highlight a multi-course menu designed by Chef Sewall, showcasing a variety of fresh catches from the region. Michael Xu will be on hand to share the stories behind the seafood—how it was caught, where it came from, and why responsible sourcing matters. It’s a rare chance to enjoy a delicious meal and deepen your appreciation for the ocean's bounty. 

The dinner will be held on two different nights, July 17 and August 7, each night starting at 6pm

Tickets are $150 per person inclusive of food, beverages, taxes, fees, and gratuity. Seats are limited—reserve your spot HERE and experience the taste of summer, straight from the sea.

2) For more seafood fun, check out a special Bluefin Tuna Dinner at Tonno, in Wakefield, on Wednesday, July 23, at 6:30pm. There will be a multi-course dinner featuring fresh, off-the-dock bluefin tuna accompanied by live demonstration by Chef Anthony Caturano butchering a full tuna.

The dinner menu includes:

First Course: Tuna Belly Crudo, fennel, radish, cucumbers, pickled red fresno peppers, chive oil, blood orange vinaigrette
Second Course: Tuna Tartare, chive oil, crostini
Third Course: Lumache Pasta, seared tuna, tomato, black olives, capers
Fourth Course: Grilled Tuna Steak, heirloom tomatoes, fennel puree, chive oil
Dessert: Strawberries, mascarpone whipped cream, balsamic glaze

Cost: $165 per ticket + tax (which includes gratuity). Dinner also includes one reception Spritz, but all other beverages are a la carte. Make your Reservation HERE.  

Rant: Embrace The Wonders Of Sherry

"There are only two kinds of sherry, the good and the better."
--Jerez saying

What is one of the tastiest, most intriguing, and unique wines that you're probably not drinking? It's most likely Sherry, a fascinating fortified wine from a small region of southern Spain.

As a long-term lover and fervent advocate of Sherry, I enjoy taking the opportunity, to spread my passion for this wine, to intrigue others to give it a try. Sherry remains a niche beverage in the U.S., and most of the Sherry imported into the U.S. is sweet. As such, many Americans, including many wine lovers, have not encountered the myriad joys of dry Sherry. It's dry Sherry which is enjoyed the most in Spain, and there must be a very good reason for that fact. 

In less than two weeks, I'll be opening my oldest Sherry, the Bodegas Yuste Conde de Aldama Palo Cortado, which is said to be at least an average age of 130-150 years old. I previously wrote about their Amontillado, referring to it as "perfection in a bottle." You can check out that prior article for a lengthy and interesting history of these ancient Sherries. 

It's extremely difficult to find these Sherries any longer, and I'd buy more myself if I could find them. Fortunately, I still have several in my cellar, so I can enjoy them a few more times. How much do you think you would pay for a wine of that great age? $500? $1000? More? You might be shocked to learn I paid less than $200 a bottle for these Sherries, making them a superb value as well. One of the reasons I paid such a low amount may be due to the relatively low demand for Sherry. 

Sherry sales have been on a decline for years but recent reports indicate it may be making a tentative comeback. In April 2025, a Sherry article in Forbes stated, "Sales of sherry have declined since its heyday. People drink less but are more demanding and ask for higher quality. Premium sherry is increasing its sales; inexpensive sherries and cream sherries (many will remember Bristol Cream) are decreasing." A November 2024 article in Sherry Notes also indicated that sales of sweet Sherries have been continuing to decline, but sales of dry Sherries have been faring better, although mainly Fino and Manzanilla Sherries.

As I've written in my History of Sherry, it's a cyclic wine, which has undergone numerous ups and downs through the years, and has always founds a way back up. So, I can easily understand why Sherry consumption might see another upward swing in the future. More consumers definitely need to explore the diversity and wonders of Sherry. 

Sherry education is essential to the promotion of Sherry consumption, to get more Americans exploring this intriguing fortified wine. Here are some items that hopefully will motivate you to discover more about Sherry.

• The Sherry region has a lengthy, fascinating history, extending back a few thousand years and may even the source of the Atlantis legend. 
• Palomino, the primary grape of Sherry, may have been planted by the ancient Phoenicians. Every sip of Sherry is a taste of history.
• Sherry may have been the first wine brought to the New World.
• The Mayflower, before it sailed to the New World by the Puritans, was used to transport Sherry.
• Aged Sherry is one of the best values in the wine world. You could buy 50 year old Sherry for $50-$100, far cheaper than almost any other aged wine on the market. 
• Francois Chartier, who has written on the science of food and wine pairings, states that Fino Sherry is the "King of Food Pairings."
• A Sherry Bodega is radically different from the average wine cellar, helping to make Sherry possess its distinctive nature.
• Here are 10 Things you should know about Sherry.
• And here are 5 More Things you should know about Sherry.

Locally, Sherry is starting to get a little more visibility, albeit more in the form of Sherry cocktails. I enjoy such cocktails, but I would like to see more people enjoying Sherry on its own too. If you enjoy the flavors of Sherry in cocktails, then why not try the flavors on their own, without other flavors clouding the issue. Try a Fino or Manzanilla, an Amontillado or Oloroso. Or maybe even a Palo Cortado. And then you can move onto some Sherry variations such as En Rama.

Unfortunately, most restaurants rarely list Sherries on their wine lists, and when they do, it's commonly on their Dessert wine list, where they offer sweet versions. Have you ever dined at a restaurant where the sommelier recommended a Sherry with your appetizers or entree? Probably not, unless you have dined at a local Spanish restaurant, and even then, although they might have Sherries on their wine list, they still rarely seem to recommend them to diners. 

Locally, the best place to enjoy Sherry is at Taberna de Haro in Brookline, which may have the largest Sherry list in the region. Some of the other Spanish restaurants in the Boston+ area also have a few Sherries on their wine lists too. Non-Spanish restaurants need to embrace Sherry too, especially considering how well it pairs with a wide variety of foods. The popularity of Sherry would grow if more restaurants and wine stores promoted it. 

Take a chance and buy a dry Sherry, to expand your palate and taste something new. You can thank me later when you find a new favorite.