Joia Restaurant and Lounge

Joia on State Street gives Italian dinner a choice of settings: the dining room, a lounge or the patio. The menu makes room for carbonara and cacio e pepe alongside gnocchi alla Sorrentina and pasta filled with porcini mushrooms. Meatballs with ricotta and eggplant involtini are options for starting the meal, especially if you want a few things to pass around.

There’s more here than pasta. Braised short rib appears among the larger dishes, and tiramisu or panna cotta can take care of dessert. Joia also serves breakfast and lunch, which makes it useful beyond a dinner reservation. The location near the waterfront lets you add a walk along the harbor before or after eating.