Pomodoro   

If you tend to be drawn to the restaurants with flashy signs, fashion-centric crowd and seductive interior design, you'll likely overlook Pomodoro, which means you'll miss a chance to have one of the finest dinners in the North End. A proverbial diamond-in-the-rough, Pomodoro's modest, casual North End nook has eight tables, each of which provides a killer view of the open kitchen, from which irresistible aromas and the excited clatter of pots and pans flow all night. (A sister eatery in Brookline Village is more expansive, hushed and suitable for big gatherings.) The ambience isn't upscale elegance, but once you try the food, the lackluster dcor is pretty much irrelevant. The focus is in the kitchen, the way it's been in Italy for centuries. Once you've scored a seat (reservations are recommended), a small brigade of servers swoops in stealthily with mineral water, crusty bread and pristine olive oil. The staff is knowledgeable and intrusive. They know their regulars and treat first-timers with all the gracious hospitality as those who've been coming for years. They're always prepared to answer questions about the menu, which features a wide range of antipasti starters and delicately crafted entrees, like Seafood Fra Diabola, a seafood stew with spicy marinara sauce. Other offerings have included linguine marinara served with lots of garlic and fresh herbs, seared salmon with semolina pudding, Chilean sea bass poached to order, and roasted duck leg with mushroom ragu. Regulars return for the specials -- all in keeping with the rustic abbondanza motif.