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Dining Out
The Boston Globe
by Bella English

X&O European Trattoria
1388 Hancock St., Quincy
Telephone: 617-479-1900
Hours: Monday - Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (light food until midnight), Friday 11 a.m. - 1 a.m., Saturday
4 p.m. - 1 a.m., Sunday 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
Credit cards: All major cards
Access: Fully accessible

The first thing you notice about the X&O European Trattoria is its sleek beauty; it looks as if it belongs on Newbury Street. The month-old restaurant in the heart of Quincy Center is all dressed up - and, one hopes, going places.

There are the wine-colored leather banquettes, the mustard and green walls, the frosted glass partitions, the wood floors, the gold drop lighting, the ceiling fans, all anchored by a long, polished bar at which the blender and espresso machines seem to be in perpetual motion. The staff is attentive and professional. The sound system plays jazz, and the place is a fine setting for a power lunch or a romantic dinner.

But the X&O is prepared for children, too, with a selection of pizza, soups and pasta. Granted, most of the pizza choices are boutiquey, such as pizza mascarpone ($8.95), with mascarpone cheese, prosciutto, sliced tomato, and basil, and the Mediterranean ($7.95), with feta and mozzarella cheeses, basil and Kalamata olives.

The pizza purist in our group, age 7, settled happily for the plain pizza margerita ($6.95), and the 13-year-old loved the classica ($6.95), with homemade crust, creamy tomato sauce, and pepperoni. All are cooked in a brick oven.

But clearly the X&O is more a place for adults. The restaurant had been open only two days when we paid our first visit, and it seemed they needed to fire up their ovens a tad. Our lasagna ($8.95) and the moussaka ($10.95) arrived only lukewarm, not steaming hot. Despite this quibble, the moussaka was especially pleasing, with layers of potatoes, eggplant and ground beef, teamed with a creamy béchamel sauce light enough to complement, not smother, the other ingredients.

The lasagna was about three inches thick, again cooked in a light tomato and meat sauce that did not overpower the rest of the dish. We took the leftovers from both home. Boneless pork loin ($11.95) consisted of two center-cut slabs, marinated in oregano and rosemary and accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, which had the lumps we like.

We had heard that the place was owned by Greek family, so on a return visit, we tried other Greek dishes, including souvlaki ($11.95). Two skewers bulging with pork, onions, peppers and tomatoes were delivered on a plate with carrots and squash in a balsamic sauce. The grilled veggies added a nice smoky flavor to the tender pieces of pork. The dolmades ($11.95), or Greek stuffed cabbage, was a spicy mound of ground beef and rice wrapped in steamed leaves and topped with a tangy lemon sauce.

Although the Gregoriades family - father, mother, son and daughter - own the restaurant, they hired an Italian chef whose taste is reflected in many of the dishes. We loved the panini, a fancy version of a grilled sandwich. Five kinds are offered, all served on homemade focaccia. We tried panini rustica ($7.95). Melted mozzarella, salty proscuitto, and arugula with the crunchy bread offered a pleasing contrast of textures and tastes.

A luncheon special one day was fettuccine in a wild mushroom sauce ($8.95), which was light and earthy. The angel hair pasta with fresh tomato and sweet basil ($8.95) reminded us of why we love Mediterranean food so much: The emphasis is on simple, fresh ingredients.

For dessert, stick with those made on the premises; the others, imported from an area bakery, were disappointing. We loved the loukoumades ($4.95), a sort of fried Greek dough made by Mary, the matriarch of the Gregoriades family. She tops them with syrup, cinnamon and walnuts. Her baklava ($4.95) consists of two large triangles, the phyllo oozing with honey. (We had to run our finger over the plate for the last sweet drop.) The tiramisu ($4.95) is also homemade; we liked this version because it was light on the espresso.

The fallen chocolate cake and the pistachio pyramid (both $4.95) - made by an outside baker - looked better than they tasted; both were a bit on the dry side.

X&O does drinks well, from fresh-squeezed juice to smoothies to frothy hot chocolate to espresso and cappuccino. There are several beers on tap, as well as a decent wine selection.

The X&O offers the best of both worlds: You feel as if you're in the Back Bay, but you're paying South Shore prices. return to top

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