Nappi Restaurant is world-famous in Medford for being an old-school Italian eatery and having no set menu. They just applied for outdoor seating again, and that would be nice. They are BYOB with no corking fee. Cash only. The restaurant is run and owned by Joe Nappi (Chef) and his wife Anna (FOH).
If you go at lunch, be aware that the butter will be rock hard since it's just out of the fridge.
If you go at lunch, be aware that the butter will be rock hard since it's just out of the fridge.
The very nice inside is fairly small, and those Italians can be loud! The window tables to the right seem to be reserved for Joe and his friends.
Imagine my surprise when I was given a lunch menu with prices. On the menu, it said Porkchop with vinegar peppers ($14.95), and she asked if I wanted spicy peppers! Of course. I asked for the pork chop to be cooked pink, and after some discussion, she said she would see what she could do.
They did come out pink, and when the chef comes out, he agreed that's how they should be cooked. The food was delicious with properly fried potatoes, and the vinegar peppers were HOT. Much to my surprise, I got two pork chops and didn't expect that. The bread was fresh and soft, the butter was not.
Lunch Ziti Carbonara —$10.95 on the menu, $12.95 on the check. I had to ask if the Carbonara had peas? No. Mushrooms? No. So, it's a proper carbonara. Getting spaghetti instead of ziti was no problem. The pasta was cooked nicely, but the creamy part had split. The bread was fresh and soft, the butter was not. The barriers for the outdoor seating are in place.
When I got here for lunch in early May, the outdoor seating was in place. Almost warm enough to have lunch outside. The only good thing about the Covid-19 pandemic is that we will see a lot more outside seating, and I hope it will continue.
It's Friday, so a lunch Clams w/ Spaghetti —$13.95 on the menu, $14.95 on the check— seemed appropriate. The spaghetti was cooked al dente, the clams were tender, the bread was soft, the butter was not. They were really busy today at lunch, so the sound level was really overbearingly high.
Lunch Pork Cutlet Parmigiana w/ Pasta ($13.95). Chicken parm has no appeal to me at all. Normally it's just white meat and a bland tomato sauce. However, a pork parm is right in my ballpark. When Chef Joe brought the dish out, he said he made the pasta sauce especially for me. Normally it's just the pasta. How nice was that! The sauce was excellent. The tomato sauce with the parm was nice and bright, and the pork was tender and juicy. The pasta was cooked al dente, so I have nothing to complain about. Not too busy at lunch today, so the noise level wasn't bad at all.
Stuffed Calamari ($18.95) with Squid Ink Pasta (+2). The Calamari was perfectly cooked and was meltingly tender. The stuffing was subtle but so are the taste of calamari. The pasta was, of course, cooked al dente. The sauce was excellent and seasoned really well. Two of the three bigger pieces actually had stuffing. Suspect that the third stuffing had fallen out and was mixed in with the sauce. As you can see, there was plenty more calamari mixed in with the pasta. It was an excellent dish.
I might never finish this write-up since I saw a stuffed pork chop on the specials menu! And I bet the stuffing is on the inside! Sorry, just a poke at everyone that serves the stuffing on top. That's called baked and not stuffed.
What's the difference between squid and calamari? About $5 a pound. Squid and calamari are two different beasts. Squid is cheaper and tougher; calamari is more tender and expensive.
Haddock Pizzaiola ($15.95) with penne. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the penne was al dente. It was a big piece of haddock. The tomato sauce was excellent, and made with fresh tomatoes, and was seasoned really well. The name comes from the seasoning you normally use on a pizza.
Address: 370 Salem St, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 391-7900
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