Coppa

Just minutes from artisan market Formaggio’s and The Buttery, Toro’s sister restaurant is arguably one of Boston’s best restaurants since opening in 2009. Helmed by experienced restaurateurs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonette , Coppa serves Italian-style tapas and superb pizzas. My mom loved a zucchini bruschetta so much that we developed our own recipe at home, but nothing compares to the original. It is hard to get a table for a reason; the food is fabulous, the restaurant is small and cozy, and it doesn’t take reservations. It’s hard to pick what to recommend because it is all so delicious, but a few inventive items are the bone marrow pizza topped with beef tongue and horseradish and a twist on the traditional spaghetti carbonara, which steps things up a notch with sea urchin speckled throughout. The menu isn’t only for culinary daredevils, however, with equally delicious margherita pizzas, simple pastas and a long list of stuzzichini, small Italian bar snacks.