To celebrate Administrative Professionals Appreciation Day (in our office, the only people who acknowledge this day is our administrative professionals) we took a long lunch at Quartino on State Street.
I was a little skeptical of this place because they describe their menu as Italian-style tapas. But how can a pizza or a bowl of pasta be considered tapas? I'm still not sure, but I was 100% on board.
We were a bit overwhelmed by the menu. There were so many choices and everything sounded so good! We decided just to throw out a few things we thought sounded good and went with it. And by a few, I mean several.
Since this is a tapas style restaurant, they just bring out the dishes as they are ready from the kitchen. I actually enjoy this process because every time I spot a new plate coming toward our table, I get excited over and over again.
Courtney had the cheese fondue picked out weeks before, so that was definitely on the list. This was the first thing to arrive at our table in a cute little cast iron pot with a tealight candle as the heat source. The bread was soft and chewy and the cheese was light and creamy and delicious.
I couldn't stop eating it. Even AFTER everything else we had, I was still dunking whatever bread I could get my hands on. It would be such a shame to waste so much ooey gooey yummy cheese!
First came the pizzas. We ordered a Margherita and Quattro Formaggi. They were pretty similar but oh so good. I would definitely come back just for the pizza. The crust was thin and crispy. There was just enough sauce and cheese and the fresh basil leaves on the Margherita added a fresh touch.
Since no one else in the group is vegetarian, we ordered some fried calamari which everyone seemed to love.
Next was the Salumi Salad with aged salami, peppers and cheese.
Then there were the meatballs. Even I could admit that these looked pretty tasty. The meatball was smooth and drenched in a marinara sauce dolloped with ricotta cheese and fresh basil.
Since I am still recovering from my wisdom teeth extractions, I was trying my hardest to chew fest but I was struggling to keep my plate clear as more and more food came out from the kitchen.
I snuck in an order of the Pureed Potatoes, because what's a meal without potatoes? These were super light and creamy and topped with a Parmesan cheese crust.
Then we had a variety of pasta dishes. There was Gnocchi with an Arugula Pesto. Normally gnocchi dishes can be pretty heavy, but this was light and delicious.
For the meat-eaters of the group, there was braised pork ravioli with some type of crispy meat on top.
Next, was my favorite pasta dish: The Cavatelli with tomato sauce, fresh basil and ricotta cheese. I could eat bowl after bowl of this one.
We also ordered two of the popular Penne alla Vodka. I really love vodka sauce and this dish reminded me why. It was a little bit spicy and so good.
Although that seemed like a lot of food for just 8 people, and it was, we had no problem clearing every single plate.
AND we still had room for dessert! Because there's always room for dessert.
Courtney, Sam and I are in LOVE with Tiramisu so when we found out that it was available, we knew we needed it. We split one piece between the three of us, but I honestly could have eaten the whole thing on my own.
A couple of people also ordered lattes and cappuccinos. We chatted for a bit longer and then had to head back to the office. I was so full and ready for a nap!
I would absolutely revisit Quartino time and time again. Every dish was amazing, the atmosphere was fun and the service was great as well. Five stars for sure!
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