Advantage: Boston. Paradiso gets points for turning bread into ice cream.
ITALIAN HOUSEWARES
North End: When you walk into Salem Street True Value Hardware (89 Salem St., 617-523-4759, www.salemstreettruevalue.com), turn left for motorized and hand-cranked pasta machines, forms for rolling cannoli, espresso pots, espresso cups, gnocchi boards for forming those delectable dumplings, pizzelle irons, milk frothers, and of course, all-important sausage grinders.
Federal Hill: At Tony’s Colonial Food Store (311 Atwells Ave., 401-621-8675, www.tonyscolonial.com), housewares share the shelves with their companion food products, so you have to look a little harder. The espresso pots are with the espresso beans, for example, and the restaurant-style cheese grater is across from the wheels of aged Romano, Parmagiano, and Grana Padano.
Advantage: Depends on whether you also need a quart of paint or a kilo of artisanal dried pasta.
ENTERTAINMENT
North End: A night at Improv Asylum (216 Hanover St., 617-263-6887, www.improvasylum.com) is so funny that you couldn’t make it up - even if the cast of the Main Stage Show revue does. Nostalgia is the theme this winter in the new revue, “Life Before Sext.’’
Federal Hill: Hookah bars offer the hottest night life on Federal Hill. There are at least three choices, including ultra-slick Skarr (292 Atwells Ave., 401-338-3975, www.skarrri.com). Lebanese nibbles combine with cocktails and music that you feel more than hear.
Advantage: Boston. We’d rather laugh than cough.
DELI MEALS TO GO
North End: It’s easy to become paralyzed by the choices at DePasquale’s Homemade Pasta Shop (66A Cross St., 617-248-9629, www.homemade-pasta.com), where pasta maker Zoya Kogan creates 50 shapes and fillings. Some of that great pasta goes to Bricco Ristorante, but the cases are still full of such treats as smoked chicken and marscapone ravioli or squid ink and tomato pappardelle. Great artisanal cheeses are available to sprinkle on top.
Federal Hill: Some Providence restaurants get their pastas from Costantino’s Venda Ravioli (265 Atwells Ave., 401-421-9105, www.vendaravioli.com), and you can, too. But Venda Ravioli also has cases full of gorgeous prepared foods, like braciola cooked in marinara, stuffed rolled eggplant, and even artichokes filled with crabmeat. Heat the eggplant or chicken parm in your own oven. Your dinner guests need never know.
Advantage: Oh, just kill us now. We’ll eat twice.
