62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Salem

Head 30-minutes north from Boston and your reward is extraordinary Italian food at 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar in Salem, Massachusetts. Chef-owner Antonio Bettencourt’s restaurant is known for its outstanding homemade pastas and other Mediterranean-influenced dishes.

Settle into the elegantly rustic dining room and start with a few Italian small plate selections. The spuntini take the place of traditional appetizers so that everyone can sample more flavors. Mid-priced ($6 each,  3 for $15, or 5 for $25) and  inventive, they are a delightful way to begin your meal. Be sure to order the bacala. These salt- cod fish fritters are accompanied with a lemon caper aioli- a modern take on a very traditional Friday night Italian-American dinner staple. The roasted beets with ricotta salata and pistachios makes a pretty presentation and the housemade mortadella is a real treat.

The homemade pastas at 62 are among the best you will ever eat. The garganelli pasta (it’s similar to penne) with braised duck, dried cherries, and kale ($12/$24) is Chef Bettencourt’s signature dish and a wonderful example of balancing savory and sweet. Or tuck into a bowl of big, eggy pappardelle with wild mushroom, black truffles and a perfectly poached egg ($12/$22). Go all out and order from the main courses too- they are executed extremely well. The veal braised with figs and radicchio on a bed of soft polenta ($25) is a stand-out.The red snapper with grapefruit supremes, shaved fennel and green olive tapenade ($24) is not only full of nuanced seasonal flavors but a wonderfully, unexpectedly light winter dish.

The wine list is almost exclusively focused on Italian vintages, with many wines available by the glass. Comforting desserts like the chocolate terrine with homemade hazelnut gelato ($8) and warm toffee pudding ($8) are a perfect match for Chef Bettencourt’s earthy cooking. Service counts here too-you will have a seamless experience from the young, personable staff.  And that, along with the outstanding food, ranks 62 up there with the best in Boston .

62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, 62 Wharf St., Salem (map), dinner only and reservations are essential on weekend evenings.

iStopOver Boston received a complimentary meal to review.

Photo Credit: 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar