Taranta restaurant has creative cuisine
In the late 1970s, only pedestrians with adventurous spirits visited Boston's North End "Little Italy" neighborhood. The walk entailed dodging honking traffic on a four-lane street running under the Central Artery, the dark, dank and dripping steel structure supporting an interstate highway separating Downtown Boston from the North End.
Yet, when reaching the North End's main thoroughfare at Hanover Street, intrepid visitors experienced an authentic ambiance evoking vibrant street life in Naples, Avellino and Palermo.
Cobblers, produce vendors, butchers and restaurateurs spoke Italian more readily than English. Colorful characters abounded. And every turn provided places to taste terrific fresh seafood, homemade pasta with marvelous sauces, tempting slices of Neapolitan and Sicilian pizza, crunchy cannoli pastries stuffed with sweet ricotta cheese, steaming espresso coffee and, of course, vino flowing freely.
Today, after 25 years and $14 billion, the "Big Dig" project has replaced the elevated expressway by sinking and covering the Central Artery. Pedestrians now reach the North End crossing a grand boulevard and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Rivaling beautiful boulevards in Madrid, Paris and Rome, this remarkable public space's well-lighted landscape includes water features, pergolas and boxwood hedges framing perennial lavender gardens.
Monumental changes often bring unintended adverse consequences. But today, Hanover Street's Old World feel still pulsates, albeit with contemporary twists. Recently, as roasted garlic aromas and Italian singing wafted in the mild evening air, flickering wide-screen televisions in the street's bustling pubs offered Italian soccer matches on satellite feeds. And while pizza, pasta and pastry shops remain, new restaurants with inventive, creative cuisine also shine.
For example, Chef Jose Duarte's Taranta Restaurant at 210 Hanover St. (617-720-0052) blends classic Southern Italian cuisines with South American influences. A Peruvian native, Chef Duarte trained in Boston, Florida, New York and Philadelphia before opening Taranta in 2000.
With Hanover Street's frenetic pace just outside the restaurant's open facade, soothing calm prevails inside with white tableclothes and twinkling candles. Artwork on the narrow dining room's brick walls portrays rustic scenes with peasants enjoying the Tarantella, southern Italy's joyous folk dance. Large tambourines and garlic bulb bags add lighthearted touches.
Taranta's starters focus artfully on fresh seafood. Pan Roasted Prince Edward Island Mussels ($14) swim in delicious Sicilian Marsala sauce tossed with Italian pancetta bacon and roasted shallots. Perfectly balanced acidity and caramelized sweetness frame smoky spiciness.
In Coccio di pesce e legume ($15), firm baby octopus, meaty cuttlefish and tender clams meld seamlessly in a piping hot sauce of tomatoes, chickpeas and spicy pancas -- chile peppers native to South America.
Both dishes match superbly with the 2006 Alois Lageder, "Benefizium Porer" Pinot Grigio, Alto Aidge, Italy, a crisp, full-flavored yet well-balanced and refreshing dry white made from organically grown grapes by one of northern Italy's best producers. (Available in Pennsylvania as Special Liquor Order 68023, $21.99: Highly recommended. )
Marvelous pasta dishes include Fusilli Pomodoro della Nonna ($19) -- fresh pasta made in style of Chef's grandmother with San Marzano tomato and basil sauce -- and Pappardelle con funghi porcini ($26) -- free-form cut pappardelle pasta with wild mushrooms and aromatic white truffle oil.
A notable main course, Tonno con la Bomba Peruviano-Calabrese Ortopiccante ($28), features pan seared tuna served over braised leeks and crispy potatoes with a sauce of sweet roasted peppers, capers and Rocoto, a spicy South American pepper.
Petto di pollo ($25) incorporates pan-roasted organic chicken breast stuffed with fontina cheese and spinach with a botija olive compound butter and served over crispy polenta and slow-roasted tomatoes.
Taranta's reasonably priced, thoughtfully chosen red wines include South American C armenères and Malbecs as well as Italian Chianti, Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo, Nero d'Avola, Lagrein and the highly quaffable 2006 Villa Giada, Suri Barbera d'Asti -- a Piedmont red with lively cherry fruit and floral and earthy nuances through a soft, dry finish.
Chef's ethereal desserts include a flute of lemon sorbet with a limoncello liqueur swirl -- an authentic taste of Sorrento in the North End.
Best buy tip:
2006 Mastroberardino Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio, Italy, (Specialty 24191, $11.99): This nifty Chairman's Selection has dusky red color offering cherry and almond aromas with floral hints. Earthy nuances leaven ripe plum flavors framed by lively acidity and silky tannins through a dry finish. Highly recommended.
