Pizzeria$$north-endMon-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00
Regina Pizzeria on Thacher Street has fired thin-crust brick-oven pies in Boston's North End since 1926. The original location only, walk-ins, no slices.
Signature: Margherita, Sausage and ricotta pie
Order: The Margherita; the crust is the menu's whole point.
Tip: Avoid the chain locations citywide. Only the Thacher Street original is the historic pie.
Pizzeria$$north-endDaily 11:30-22:00
Santarpio's on Chelsea Street has fired Boston-style thin pies in East Boston near Maverick station in Boston since 1933. Located in North End.
Signature: Cheese pie, Lamb skewers
Order: Plain cheese pie and a side of charcoal-grilled lamb skewers with bread.
Tip: Take the Blue Line to Maverick. Skip the menu, order pies and skewers; the grill is the whole show.
Italian$$north-endDaily 11:00-21:00
The Daily Catch on Hanover Street has run Paul Freddura's Sicilian seafood kitchen in Boston's North End since 1973. 20 seats, open kitchen.
Signature: Calamari meatballs, Squid-ink black pasta
Order: Black pasta aglio olio, hand-ground squid-ink linguine with chopped calamari.
Tip: Twenty seats; the line forms by 18:00. The new takeout window two doors down at 331 Hanover skips the wait.
Italian$$$north-endDaily 12:00-22:00
Damien DiPaola's Carmelina's on Hanover Street has run regional Italian in Boston's North End since 2012. Reservations available, family-style sharing.
Signature: Sunday gravy, Carbonara
Order: The carbonara with smoked pancetta and pecorino, the kitchen signature.
Tip: OpenTable bookings four weeks ahead. Sunday lunch family gravy at 13:00 is the easy seat.
Seafood$$$seaport-fort-pointMon-Sat 11:30-22:00, Sun 11:30-21:00
Row 34 on Congress Street has run the Fort Point oyster room in Boston since 2013. Named for row 34 in Duxbury Bay, 20 East Coast oyster varieties daily.
Signature: Duxbury oysters, Lobster roll
Order: A mixed dozen of East Coast oysters and the crispy oysters with sriracha aioli.
Tip: The bar runs the same menu without the reservation lead time. Tuesday nights walk in easily.
Seafood$$$north-endMon-Fri 11:30-21:30, Sat-Sun 11:30-22:30
Neptune Oyster on Salem Street runs the city's defining raw bar in Boston's North End since 2004. 42 seats, no reservations, hot-buttered lobster roll.
Signature: Hot-buttered lobster roll, Oysters
Order: Hot-buttered lobster roll on a butter-toasted split-top bun.
Tip: Put your name on the iPad at 16:30. The wait at 18:30 runs 90 minutes; weekday lunch is the easy seat.