Bites Nearby: Casa d'Italia Imported Grocery

Service is friendly and fast in this 30-year-old establishment, which doubles as a grocery store and a deli serving subs, salads, and pasta dishes. While waiting for an order, wander through the aisles of groceries, for chips, imported cookies (pizzelle, biscotti, etc.), Snapple drinks and sodas, and, if you're really adventurous, a can of octopus in olive oil.

What to get at the deli: The ingredients are made fresh on the premises, so it's just a matter of whether you prefer a cold roast pork (porketta) sub or a hot eggplant one, or pasta with homemade sausage or eggplant.

Vibe: It's like walking into a store in the North End circa 1965: a customer or two chatting with the owner while waiting for a proscuitto or chicken salad sub. 

Cool factor no. 1: The fare is not fancy, but neither are the prices: the subs and pasta plates are almost all $5-$7.

Cool factor no. 2: The five different selections of pasta dishes are all made with ziti. For a small deli that wants to offer fresh and fast food, why not?