Il Faro (CLOSED)
21 Main Street, Medford, MA 02155
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The city of Medford has a number of good Italian restaurants, including Bocelli's in South Medford, Pasta Lina's in the east side of town, Avellino's near the Somerville border, and Giuseppi's in West Medford. And while Il Faro in Medford Square might not be the best of these dining spots in this northern suburb of Boston, it is certainly a very, very good place that also happens to have what is perhaps the nicest atmosphere of all of these terrific restaurants.
While Avellino's and Giuseppi's are closer to Italian kitchens and Bocelli's and Pasta Lina are charming in an old-world kind of way, Il Faro is a bit more upscale in appearance than the others. The main room is exceptionally nice, with muted, earthy colors giving it a mellow feel, while the dim lighting makes it a perfect place to linger over a bottle of wine. And the side room is perfectly suited for family or business gatherings. In addition to the environment, the service at Il Faro is outstanding, with waiters and waitresses who obviously enjoy working at this restaurant. In this era of sometimes shoddy service, it is refreshing to have people who take pride in what they do.
And what about the food at Il Faro? Well, it is everything you would expect from a classy Italian restaurant; fresh salads, excellent wines (especially the Montepulciano, a sweet, buttery red wine), delicious bread, and freshly-made entrees that are more than satisfactory, including the mussels (which is an appetizer, but can be made into a full dinner), and the risotto with porcini mushrooms.
Il Faro is definitely a restaurant that is worth checking out if you like a mix of Southern and Northern Italian cuisine in an attractive, romantic environment. And while this writer probably gives the wonderful Pasta Lina the nod as the best Italian restaurant in Medford, Il Faro is nevertheless a restaurant that helps make the city of Medford a hotbed of fine Italian dining spots.
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