Carlo’s Cucina Italiana

Carlo’s Cucina Italiana is a family-run Italian restaurant on Brighton Avenue. Homemade fusilli with sausage and broccoli rabe, gnocchi Sorrentina and linguine with clams give the pasta section some range. The clam preparation offers a choice of white wine or tomato sauce, while other dishes move from pasta into chicken, veal and seafood.

You’ll find familiar preparations such as Parmesan, Marsala and saltimbocca, along with stuffed eggplant and salmon with spinach and fontina. It’s a menu suited to sitting down for a full dinner, with Italian wine, beer and cordials available alongside the food. Takeout is also offered if you want pasta at home. The restaurant is at 131 Brighton Avenue, among Allston’s busy stretch of independent restaurants and music venues.