Antipasti
 

From the very moment you walk in the door of the restaurant you've chosen to visit, your appetite either begins to grow or diminish. As you walk to your table, the authentic italian food steaming on the plates at other tables, the music - the entire design of the restaurant - all plays into how hungry you are, and how much you will enjoy your food.

The best restaurant will provide you with an atmosphere that accentuates the type of food you are eating; as authentic italian food goes, small tables and frescoes on the walls are very common efforts toward recreating a traditional italian environment. But no matter how well the restaurant is designed, when your appetizer comes cold and half-cooked, heaped onto the serving plate in disarray, the mural on the ceiling is no longer quite so interesting.

Antipasti - italian for appetizer - is the most important part of any meal. As the first dish you receive, it is a sign of what's to come, and can make or ruin an entire meal. Several North end restaurants are best known for their antipasti; from seafood such as stuffed calamari and shrimp cocktail, to more familiar pasta dishes like eggplant rollatini or broccoli fritti.