Key to price codes
Price codes are based on price of a typical entree:

  $ Less than 7.50
 $$ 7.50 - 15.00
$$$ More than 15.00

Key to review colors

 Positive review (green light)
 Mixed review (yellow light)
 Negative review (red light)

• Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria $$ - 475 Winter Street - 781-684-0650 (menu)
• Campania Trattoria $$$ - 504 Main Street - 781-894-4280 - Handicapped accessible.

  • 2002 02 08 - Peter Endicott - Campania - I've had two delicious meals there. Very expensive, but worth it. Tough competition for Il Capriccio.

• Biagio Ristorante & Bar $$$ - 123 Moody Street - 781-891-0100

  • 2007 03 23 - Renovations to a narrow building between the railroad tracks and the river finally completed, Biagio opened late last month. We arrived a little past 6 on a Friday, and entered into the impressive marble floored lobby featuring a curved wooden staircase leading to a fresco ceilinged 2nd floor. Beyond the lobby is the bar, and to the left was the entrance to the long, narrow dining room. Promising to finish in time for someone with a 7:30 reservation, we were led to our polished wooden table. The wood floored room was bordered on two sides by large windows in the brick outter walls and tan stucco walls with wood trim, separated from the bar by large arches with plants. The menu featured antipasti from $9 to $12.50, insulata from $7 to $9, barragrezza (raw bar) from $9 to $26, and side dishes from $4.50 to $7.50. Pasta, classsics, and entrees run from $14 for an Angus sirloin burger to $34 for boullabaise a la Marsaille. Jennifer chose a caesar salad ($8), and chicken florentine ($22), while I ordered a glass of the sauvignon blanc ($7.25) and the grilled yellow fin tuna putanesca ($26). 3 pieces of foccacia were soon delivered, along with garlic olive oil and a red pepper tapinade. The bread and trimmings were just right. The salad was crisp, with just the right amount of dressing and cheese slivers, and would have been perfect if not for several pieces of overly brown romaine. The appetizers were removed, the crumbs removed from our table, and shortly thereafter the entrees arrived. The chicken was served over a layer of spinach, covered by the cheese sauce with capers. Orzo and a sauce with peas and bits of proscuitto surrounded the chicken. The dish was judged to be very good, though the orzo was a bit al dente for her taste. The other dish was centered by a polenta cake covered by spinach and broccoli rabe, and flanked by 2 generous hunks of tuna, with a tangy sauce containing several types of olives, and capers. The tuna was medium well, as ordered, without being overdone, and was complemented nicely by the reddish sauce. By the time we were well into our entrees, the room had filled with diners, and the noise level was pretty high with many people in the room. Ideally, the restaurant would be split into smaller rooms for noise control, but the narrow space with the kitchen at the back limited the possibilities. The portions were large enough that we declined any of the deserts, in the $6 to $12 range. The service was very attentive without being obtrusive. The meal, with one drink, came to $66.41 before the tip. We'd recommend this restaurant, but be sure to have a reservation if you come on a weekend night.

• Chateau Restaurant $$ - 195 School Street - 781-894-3339

  • 2002 09 - The Chateau has been a family tradition for years in Waltham. They serve a huge number of diners, and the Nocera family has done a lot for the city. But how is the food, really? On the positive side, the bread served with every meal is incredibly delicious (and loaves are available for purchase for only $1.50). The prices are very reasonable, and the portions large. The salads were crisp and tasty. But neither of our entrees, the calimari listed as a house specialty, nor the veal parmigiana, was exceptional. This is decent Italian food, at a family friendly price and location, but doesn't measure up to the quality offered at the several smaller restaurants in town. But in terms of value and dependability, I have to give them a good rating.

• Dominic's Italian Bakery & Deli $$ - 987 Main Street - 781-899-3817
• Ristorante Gemelli $$ - 560 Moody Street - 781-893-0025

  • 2006 10 06 - Gemelli's opened earlier this year at the site of Ritcey's Seafood Kitchen, a long time local favorite. On a Friday night the new restaurant was about one third occupied when we arrived. The place features a small, irregularly shaped, but comfortable dining room. Wood trim and muted red walls add a touch of class. Jennifer ordered a caesar salad for 5.95, and the Pollo y Broccoli for 12.99. I ordered Cappelini Al Giorgio, 14.99 from the menu with entrees from 8.99 to 17.99. Pieces of warm bread were soon delivered along with a dish of olive oil with pesto and tomato sauce. The salad arrived with a plate of anchovies on the side, and was large enough for both of us. Both of our entrees were as described on the menu. We each rated our meal as good but not exceptional. While we were unimpressed by the pasta selections, we would like to try the Neapoliton style brick oven pizza. The service was very attentive throughout our meal. The two person table was a bit on the small side, and dishes needed to be removed when our entrees arrived. Give this place a try, but give it some time to catch up to the other moderately priced Italian restaurants in the area.

  • 2007 04 15 - Review from Norma - Assigned to identify a good Italian restaurant for a special small group, we have been eating our way around Waltham's Italian restaurants for several weeks now. I know good Italian food. There is a lot of it in the town, but none better than at Gemelli's. To be sure the place is not pretentious -- no tablecloths, no flowers, no cushions on the chairs -- but charming all the same. We've eaten there twice now, the first time the place was so packed with families that we had to wait. Each time I've been impressed by the high quality of the marinara sauce, the delicate, homemade baked zucchini appetizer, the eggplant dishes, and last time the exceptional ravioli in a butter and onion sauce. And it's a long time since I've had a canoli as fresh and lovingly filled as we found there [even in the North End!]. The service was also outstanding, both times. I am looking forward to going back as soon as I can to sample more of these truly homemade delicacies. They deserve some limelight!

• Il Capriccio $$$ - 888 Main Street - 781-894-2234

  • 2001 12 28 - Lincoln Ross - We went to Il Capriccio early in 2001. The food was incredibly tasty, the service was very good, and the bill was enormous. I think we spent something like $140 for two people. Never would have done it except that we had a $100 gift certificate.

  • 2002 02 08 - Peter Endicott - Il Capriccio - Been there more times than I can count, but not as much as I'd like. Sure, it's expensive, but the food is outstanding. Absolutely top tier with a relaxed atmosphere.

• Ristorante Marcellino $$$ - 16 Cooper Street - 781-647-5458 - 11:30 AM - 10 PM Monday - Thursday; 11:30 AM - 11 PM Friday and Saturday. Handicapped accessible. (photograph)

  • 1999 08 27 - Ristorante Marcellino occupies two floors of a building near the Charles River, adjacent to the Embassy lot off of Pine Street. Downstairs is a large open dining room in view of the kitchen, and there is a seasonal, open air dining room and bar upstairs. The featured appetizer was mixed salad greens with grilled lamb, goat cheese, roasted peppers and tomato vinaigrette ($11.95) as an appetizer. The Pinot Grigiot wine ($5.50 a glass) was served in a stylish rippled glass, and was promptly delivered with a crispy thick crusted bread served with a small bowl of olives and oil. We had a well prepared Insulata Mista ($5.95) as our salad. We both had a special of the day. Jennifer had the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and a treacle sauce with steamed spinach ($21.95), and reported that the meat was prepared just as ordered, with ample portions of the other ingredients. I had the swordfish with vinaigrette, mashed potatoes, and green beans ($22.95). The swordfish was just right, and the green beans were fresh and delicious. The service was prompt and attentive for the entire meal. Reservations are highly recommended, particularly for busy weekend evenings.

• Tuscan Grill $$$ - 361 Moody Street - 781-891-5486