A North End gem for casual take out and dine in. Off the beaten track and tucked away from the craziness of Hanover and Salem Street, Hot Tomatoes is known to North Enders for giving good food fast.

Located smack dab in the heart of the North End on Hanover Street, Modern Pastry is a legendary staple of the notorious Italian District. Here you will find an eye-full of sugary sweetness from chocolate-covered almond biscotti to overflowing ricotta cannolis, gelato, and cappuccino. This family operated business is full of the diverse citizens of Boston on given day, which means, be prepared to wait in line. Modern fulfills specialty orders and ships nation-wide.

This is a great place to go if you want to hang out but not dance, featuring relaxed music mixes by Party Ben. The atmosphere is comfortable, you can take your friends or a date. The decor had textured white columns, dark wood furniture with black trim for the bar and tables, rich red seating in the lounge area. Wednesday nights they have a Frank Sinatra impersonator, which you think might be a bad thing, but this guy is excellent and is worth the trip alone. You really have to stop by sometime just to hear him, take my word for it. DJs keep the action moving on the dance floor on the weekends. Red Sky is below the Millenium Hotel in Faneuil Hall. (Why is it at a different address then?)

Cheap and delicious pizza, with a thin and crispy crust and a sauce that's slightly sweet. The slices are enormous (the equivalent of at least two average slices or 1/4 pie), so don't order a second one until you've finished the first (which had probably gotten cold by then anyway). Tons of different toppings, and unique choices such as Shrimp Scampi. People who don't like the tourist traps are drawn to 'mom and pop'-style places such as this. Most slices are under $3, so what's not to love? Bonus: beer and wine served. Every night: Get a 2.00 14 oz. Draft with Any Pizza Slice!

People come from all over the area to get takeout from Billy Tse. There's a continuous flow of people coming inside to pick up their steaming bags of food. I spoke to one woman waiting in line for her order, and asked what was so special about the food here. "Have you ever eaten here?" she laughed as she pulled out her credit card. Pan-asian cuisine is served here, that's otherwise rather hard to find, like 4 different regional versions of fried rice to start (Taipei, Singapore, Thai, and Yung Chow). There is a good selection of vegetarian dishes, like the Enoki Mushroom and Eggplant ($9.95) or Spicy Family Style Vegetable Bean Curd ($8.25). Try the Lake Tung Ting Jumbo Shrimp for ($17.95) or the Lamb in Coconut Curry ($13.95). For an inexpensive sushi fix, stop by on weekdays from 11:30am to 4pm for one of two-dozen sizable lunch specials, priced at $7 or less.

There are only 7 tables in the whole place, and this is the perfect restaurant if you want a full-on "Lady and the Tramp" spaghetti & meatballs experience. Charming--venetian masks and cupids decorate the bright red walls. They sell jars of their red sauce so that you can impress guests with your cooking at home. Don't worry, I won't tell.

This is more like a pizza/pasta/sandwich restaurant, but with classy North End atmosphere. The waitress is the sweetest thing, with her fiery magenta hair. Customers think that she's new every time she changes her hairstyle. "No, only my hair is new." she tells them with a smile. Rustic style Antipasto, Mussels, and Calamari are the traditional starters, and you can follow one of these up with Pumpkin Tortellini in a creamy marscapone sauce for $13. They serve a Puttanesca Pizza, as well as the Vongall Pizza (choice of red or white clam sauce) if you're feeling more daring ($10 for a small). For the carnivores, try the Grilled Lamb tips ($13) or Classic sirloin burger ($10).

Entrees here will cost between $12 and $26, and they have a Kid's Menu with items under $10. You can add fresh homemade pasta for $3 more. There's a lot of seafood available, and the Veal is a category on its own. Try the Al Dente Special, where they throw everything but the kitchen sink into it: veal, chicken, shrimp, broccoli, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red and yellow peppers, all tossed together in a white wine garlic butter sauce for $18.95. The only negative is that they don't allow splitting of entrees.

Wait, what? A Chinese restaurant on the North End strip on Hanover Street? Some restaurants might be able to meet the challenge, but the only thing going for this place is that it offers something completely different. Looks exactly like any old Chinese restaurant, and if for some reason you must have your crab rangoon when you're surrounded by award-winning Trattorias, then by all means get it. This place is so tiny that they don't have tables, takeout or delivery only. You will find all of your Chinese classics here - General Gau's Chicken, Peking Raviaoli, Curry, Egg Foo Young, Mu Shi, Szechuan, etc. Most items are between $5 and $10. Lunch specials and combination plates available.