Step Aside Fruit. There’s A New Orange In Town.

The North End is a great place to go without an agenda in mind.  There are always restaurants and cafes and pastry shops to discover for quick nibbles here and there.  This was my mission when I found, sitting outside Bacco Risorante and Bar, the sign that always goes straight to my heart: “Happy Hour: Half Off Appetizers.”  I eagerly powered through the door and took a seat at the bar.  The bartender was gracious enough to walk me through the best choices of their Italian antipasta selection.  I went for the recommendation of the Arancine, fontina and basil risotto fritta with oven roasted tomato ragu.  And it was quite what I was hoping for.

Arancine, as I learned, means “little oranges” in Sicilian.  And don’t they?  If you squint your eyes, kinda.  Behind that glistening flash-fried crispy exterior lies a gooey risotto interior.  A quick swirl in the garnish of vinegar, oil and tomato sauce made me swoon with each bite.  I was sad, though satisfied, when I finished my last bite, I remembered that there will be other happy hours with other new mini-meals to try.  Like most people these days, I’m on a budget that requires creativity and research to find new ways to indulge my hedonistic ways.  And find them I shall.