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Boston Restaurant Blog -- July, 2007

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Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Lunch at La Cantina Italiana, Framingham

Not to state the obvious, but I absolutely love old-school Italian food. From lasagna to ziti to manicotti to fettuccine to ravioli, I can't get enough of any and all pastas. Because of this, even Italian restaurants that are of average quality sometimes please me. But I must admit that I was a bit disappointed with my meal at La Cantina Italiana in Framingham over the weekend.

La Cantina Italiana (not to be confused with Cantina Italiana in the North End of Boston, by the way) is an old-fashioned red-sauce restaurant located on Route 135 just west of downtown Framingham. The place looks the part, both inside and out, with slightly tacky but endearing touches that one might also find at places such as Greg's in Watertown, The Chateau in Waltham, and the Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale. The inside is pretty big, actually, with plenty of two-toned booths and larger tables for families to sit at. And the old photos on the wall are a nice touch, adding a bit of history to this World War II-era restaurant.

I only wish the food had been a little better at La Cantina Italiana, though. There were some high points, including a very tasty minestrone soup that had big chunks of potatoes and lots of other vegetables. And the house salad was excellent, with a homemade dressing that had lots of zing to it. But unfortunately, the entrees were not quite up to par; the pizza didn't have much flavor, with the crust being rather doughy, while the lasagna was decent enough, but it was cooked unevenly, with one side being dry and tough while the other side being one big gooey mess.

I haven't read much about La Cantina Italiana online or in restaurant guides, so I am not sure how the other dishes are there. But if folks can recommend other dishes that they enjoy at this restaurant, I'd like to hear from them, just in case I do head back there one of these days.

Related Blog Entries: Framingham restaurants, Italian restaurants

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on July 4, 2007.
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