Antico Forno Mussels, A Best Bite

The Cozze Piccanti (Sautéed mussels in a spicy plum tomato sauce) at Antico Forno in the North End were the highlight of our shopping trip last weekend.

 

Get to Antico Forno a lot faster than we did. 

It's been on our list of places to try for a long time. Now, we'll be walking over to the North End just to satisfy a craving for these mussels.

In those first few moments of sitting down in a new place, we look around, see what everyone else is eating and who seems to be having a great time.

 

Cozze Piccanti 

A big dish of mussels arrived for the women next to us. It quickly became apparent that we were in the presence of a wise Nonna (Italian Grandmother) who knew exactly how to savor this dish. She would free each mussel, carefully spoon a portion of the sauce into the shell and then slurp it like an oyster.

The first item in our order was settled. We had to have Cozze Piccanti, and we had to try her mussel technique. 

Our bowl of mussels arrived perfectly cooked in a sauce with just the right zing of heat. It only took a few of the bivalves to perfect our free, sauce, and slurp technique. We thanked our neighbors with a toast from our big pours of Chianti and Montepulciano.

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photos: © 2010 Penny Cherubino

 

Antico Forno

93 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113 (map & links to reviews )
(617) 723-6733

www.anticofornoboston.com