Restaurants in Belmont

Fresh from his homeland of Brazil, Chef Rodney Moreira set himself on a path to become a master of Italian cuisine, beginning humbly as a prep cook at Pizzeria Uno. Ultimately, Moreira found his culinary muse, cooking his way up the ladder to his current position as head chef at Porcini's Italian Restaurant, where he holds numerous awards for his pasta and risotto. Building a menu off of these staples, Moreira crafts Italian- and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine finished with homemade sauces and fresh herbs. The restaurant's nightly specials and permanent entrees include grilled swordfish steak and pounded veal cutlets, and pair easily with varietals from around the world represented on the carefully curated wine list. The intimate dining room features the warming tendrils of a crackling fireplace, and the garden patio invites guests to indulge in meals under a sky filled with more stars than the sun's rolodex.

Within an unassuming brick storefront near the river, Avellino's loads up tables with hearty portions of family-style pasta, pizza, and calzones. Boston's Hidden Restaurants praised the subs filled with "some of the best homemade meatballs that this writer has had in the Boston area." Other pages of the gargantuan menu hold dishes designed to tantalize steak-lovers, carb-counters, and those who simply like the way spaghetti feels in the palm.:m]]

After resettling in the United States at age 9, Naples native Francesco Pellino worked hard hours each week as a dishwasher and chef's assistant to pay his way through college. Though he graduated with honors in accounting, Francesco's passions lured him back to the food industry. He opened his first establishment as an energetic 28-year-old, taking the chance to showcase his zeal for authentic Northern Italian cuisine. Rustic and self-described as "somewhat peasant and chic," each of his dishes shows the care in which it's crafted. House-made ingredients such as Francesco's own no-yolk salad croutons, fresh ciabatta bread, and handmade-to-order plates of porcini mushroom ravioli infuse the menu to leave his guests as satisfied as a zamboni in Antarctica.

Pellino's Ristorate's quaintness extends to the restaurant itself. Tucked in a cozy corner house with exposed-brick walls lined with bottles from the expansive and carefully curated wine list, the upscale dining room hosts meals and inspires Shakespearean soliloquies at starched white tablecloths.

Inside Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant, companions gather around a traditional mesob, a table woven from colorful straw, for a communal dining experience. Upon the mesob’s concave surface, servers nestle a broad platter that holds a family-style meal neatly scooped out onto a foundation of spongy injera bread. Diners dive in together, tearing scraps of injera, which they use to pinch turmeric-spiced bites of beef, lamb, poultry, and veggies from the menu's selection of specialty dishes. Between bites, patrons can sip tej, a wine fermented from hops and raw honey that is served hot or cold. After meals, rounds of warming coffee signal the repast's end as clearly as the gong that sounds at the end of a Shakespearian soliloquy.

Bombay Mahal Restaurant's executive chef fuses traditional Indian flavors with contemporary twists to create a menu of truly innovative Indian fare. He harnesses the slow, steady heat of a traditional clay tandoor oven to seal in meaty juices, bake naan, and scare away thieving snowmen. The bustling kitchen whips up fresh creations such as curries, tikka masalas, and the specialty seafood masala with pan-seared scallops and shrimp. Thin, flaky crepes called dosai pay homage to southern India, and a vegetarian menu doles out dishes from the western and northern regions. The dining space emulates an exotic setting, swathed in a soft red glow that washes over exposed wooden beams and a divider carved with ornate designs, which are usually reserved for picnic tables vandalized by art students.

Allston Diner forges hearty breakfast platters all day long, filling a significant gap in the area's dining scene with its "down-South comfort food," according to a feature in the Boston Phoenix. The cooks ladle sausage gravy over house-made biscuits and top crispy cornbread waffles with golden-brown pieces of fried chicken. They also do their best to accommodate a range of diets by whisking together vegetarian-friendly omelets and vegan pancakes.

Much like the menu, the dining room toes the line between a nostalgic diner and a contemporary urban eatery. Backless stools line the front counter, and turquoise trim adorns the walls and booths. Even the tables embrace this whimsical eclecticism, featuring carefully arranged collages of comic-book panels and napkins that are made from hand-woven cotton candy.