Toscano's in Harvard Square

I have a good friend that I try to get together with once a month.  This month she suggested we go somewhere for pasta and immediately I suggested Toscano's.  I've been wanting to go here for a while now.  It's a great restaurant, with great service, yummy food, and a wonderful interior. 

The restaurant has a bar, lounge area and then a more formal dining room area.  Both parts are great but it was nice to get seated in the dining room area on this night.  It had been a while since I'd seen this friend and it was nice to have a "fancy" night out. 

In an unusual twist for me, I ordered a pinot noir instead of my usual bubbles!  This place has an excellent wine menu and this pinot noir did not disappoint.  We were both celebrating the start of vacation and it was fun to toast to that.

We started with the caprese salad which featured burrata instead of traditional mozzarella. The tomatoes were fresh and the burrata was salty and creamy. 

We each ordered pasta.  I got the rigatoni toscano which featured double smoked bacon and a tomato cream sauce.  The noodles were cooked perfectly and the bacon added so much flavor to the light cream sauce.  My friend got the pappardelle Bolognese bianco which included veal, pork, and beef with ricotta which she said was delicious!

Toscano's is definitely a quality restaurant and definitely a go to place in Harvard Square, which is running out of go to spots with all of the restaurants that have closed over the past few years.