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Figlia
Delicious versions of familiar Italian dishes
BY ROBERT NADEAU
Figlia
(617) 244-8833
22-24 Union Street, Newton
Open Tue–Sat, 5–10 p.m., and Sun, 5–9 p.m.
AE, DC, MC, Vi
Beer and wine
No valet parking
Access up three steps from sidewalk level

Figlia means "daughter" in Italian, an apparent reference to the owner, who is the daughter of the people who owned the old Grotto La Strada, a second-tier North End restaurant that used to be next door to Joe Tecce’s. Some people in Newton call Figlia "The No-Name" because it hasn’t much of a sign. A copper-colored light comes out of the windows, and it looks like a hot restaurant — so maybe it doesn’t need a big sign. Figlia also fills up early and gets really loud, so it sounds like a hot restaurant, but the food is mostly what you would hope for from a second-generation Southern Italian owner and a chef from Northern Italy: improved versions of familiar dishes. For many of us, this is much better than what we might order at a hot restaurant, and Figlia has done well among the many little restaurants of Newton Centre.

Food starts with an excellent impression in the form of a basket of soft, yeasty bread with salty butter. Appetizers are pricey but large, really appetizer portions for two or more people. My favorite was the fritto misto ($12), usually a mixed fry of seafood, but here all squid with some vegetable strips mixed in and a few interesting morsels to one side. The squid rings are truly excellent, as much for the seasoning of the batter and freshness of the frying technique as for the seafood itself. I also enjoyed the strips of bell pepper, one pickled pepper, and zucchini. More unusual morsels included a fried olive (one was fun, but I wouldn’t make a habit of these); a rice ball; and a terrific finger of fried mashed potato. (I could eat an entire dinner of those, but it would be wrong.) The only weak spot on this platter is the dip, a simple tomato sauce that wouldn’t do much for pasta.

Fagottini di verdure e prosciutto ($9) sounds politically incorrect, but is perfect Italian for "little bundles" of grilled vegetables and fresh mozzarella wrapped in three thin sheets of imported ham, with a little more mozzarella melted on top, the bundles resting on arugula and cherry tomatoes. Wonderful ingredients all, and well coordinated with the current low-carbohydrate diets, but this dish didn’t have any synergy, and I ended up taking apart the bundles and eating the individual components. In that style, the grilled eggplant stood out, as did a sun-dried tomato that was lost when I ate slices of the whole bundle. Arugula and cherry tomatoes are the best hothouse salad ingredients around right now.

The mixed salad "La Misticanza" ($6) is a mesclun with a lot of frilly greens, slightly overdressed, wrapped in a long thin slice of cucumber, just as it’s done at Meritage.

My favorite main dish was a veal-chop special ($27), for the quality and size of the chop, but also for the artful undercooking that kept it juicy, and the fine demi-glace sauce. The side of grilled asparagus was also very good, though some pieces of roast potato were underdone. Another special, a fillet of snapper ($25), was also more than competent, with a great piece of fish, a nicely seasoned coating, and a platform of grilled eggplant as well as the asparagus. La bistecca ($25) was a fine sirloin, served well-done as ordered (not by me!), with the asparagus, potatoes, and some rubbery mushrooms.

Linguine alle vongole ($18) is a very good reading, with a nice balance of garlic and top-neck clams. The pasta is probably imported, but possibly cooked a minute longer than I would prefer. With homemade pasta, this dish would scream.

So would the same pasta under the titella di aragosta fra diavolo for two ($42) — two large bowls of linguine topped with a few clams, shrimp, and a lobster claw each; then a copper skillet of clams, mussels, squid, and a split lobster; and a bowl for shells. "Fra diavolo" refers to the very spicy tomato sauce, but it’s only in the bottom of the seafood bowl. Given the price of lobster this year, this dinner would be a bargain even if nothing else in it worked, but all the seafood is well handled, with the mussels showing especially well.

The wine list is all-Italian, but modern enough to include some decent whites. We had a glass of merlot ($7.50) that was soft and fruity, perhaps a little too soft for tomato sauces. Bottled beer ($3.50) is served with a chilled glass. A bottle of sparkling Pellegrino water ($6) is on every table, but you can order tap water. We had an excellent cup of strong, bitter decaf ($2).

Desserts have come a certain distance from the North End, but still include cannoli ($5.50) with nice fresh-fried shells, and a tiramisu ($7) that was a little watery but had good coffee and chocolate flavors. Now that we’re in Newton, we can also have a "chocolate decadence" ($7) that was all of that, flourless and intense, and a very nice apple tart ($6.50) with rich vanilla gelato. Peach sorbet ($7) is served in a frozen peach shell as in Italy; it may have been imported, but it was tasty (the shell is never very tasty — try scooping out a ripe peach yourself).

The main dining room is larger than it looks from outside, and set with pink-granite café tables that will get cold this winter. With the large windows and hardwood floor, it spells L-O-U-D. Sorry, I didn’t catch that. I said it’s a LOUD RESTAURANT. Proud? Yes, they should be, good food. Well, you get the picture. And if you don’t get the picture, you can refer to the framed prints on the walls, which are excellent visual aids to Italian food. That copper-colored light you see from the street comes from many candles, reflected off the textured walls. If I had a choice, I would prefer diffused sound and intensified light, but for many contemporary diners, sound has become a kind of warmth. One warning: there is an automatic tip (18 percent) for parties of six or more, although our fine waiter pointed this out carefully.

Robert Nadeau can be reached at RobtNadeau@aol.com .


Issue Date: December 12 - 18, 2003
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