Inexpensive, Excellent Italian Meals...

 May I suggest that you Framingham locals try the "Fratelli Italian
 Eatery" in the Trolley Square mall.  It's counter service, which means
 you pay half as much for good food and don't have to add 15 percent to
 support an underpaid waitress.

 The food is very good.  I've had the Veal cooked as Parmesan and
 Saltimbocca; they were both well executed and served with linguine or
 ziti in a good sauce.  We're talking $7.00 for an excellent meal.

 But the high point is their pizza.  Imagine this: a hunk of dough
 pushed out into a rough square, topped with sliced plum tomatoes and
 mozzarela cheese.  It's an authentic Italian pizza and may not be
 quite what you expect.  I loved it.

 For restaurant pizza lovers I would suggest Gianni's on Edgell Road in
 Saxonville.  Good authentic American pizza, it's what the Union House
 used to make.  Nowadays the UH overloads the dough with so much oil
 that it is inedible.

 BTW I was disappointed by my last visit to La Cantina.  The Mozzarella
 they used for the Veal Parmesan was so salty that I couldn't even
 finish eating it.  I remember their pizza as good restaurant quality
 but it's been a long time; maybe I'll order one this weekend and see
 if they are as good as I remember.

 Bob

 >Someone wrote:
 >I lived in Framingham for 25 years and I find that Marconi's on route 126 on the
 >Framingham / Ashland line is a much better restaurant although difficult to get
 >into on a Friday or Sat. night.  (always crowded).  The atmosphere isn't real
 >homey but the food is excellent, the portions are large and the prices are very
 >good.
 >
 >Barry R. wrote:
 >
 >>If you would like to try a very good Italian restuarant:
 >>
 >>         LaCantina Restaurant
 >>         911 Waverly Street (Rte. 135)
 >>         Framingham, MA  01702
 >>         Tel.(508) 879-7874
 >>
 >>The prices are very reasonable (to inexpensive), portions are
 >>plentiful, tastety, and preparred to your liking.  The decor is
 >>set in and old Italian family style motiff.  Enjoy, it's worth
 >>the trip.

 >For restaurant pizza lovers I would suggest Gianni's on Edgell Road in
 >Saxonville.  Good authentic American pizza, it's what the Union House
 >used to make.  Nowadays the UH overloads the dough with so much oil
 >that it is inedible.

 I'm not sure what your definition of authentic American pizza is, but
 Gianni's pizza is very close to inedible. It's your standard crappy
 New England pizza with soggy crust. On top of that, the sauce is
 unevenly spiced, neither tangy nor sweet, obviously the canned
 variety, and not a good one.
 If you want really good pizza in Framingham, there is only one place -
 Hartford Street Pizza, corner of 126 and Hartford, about a mile south
 of Rt. 9. A nondescript small place making excellent pizza. Do try
 their crushed garlic pizza, it's great.
 Oh, and while I'm on the subject of Framingham, don't try Franco's
 pizza. It's the very definition of corrugated cardboard, very much
 akin to Papa Gino's, only even more tasteless.
 But, in reality, the only good american pizza (or good pizza, period),
 can be found in NYC. Any small place in Manhattan will have great
 pizza any day of the week. In my traveling in this country and
 elsewhere, nothing compares to standard thin crust pizza that can be
 had there.
 Mike.S

 www.gis.net/~mikest