GLOUCESTER, MA – We headed to Gloucester for the last July birthday celebration. We stayed at the Hotel Beauport which is right on the water and is a perfect location to walk to dinner.
Our celebration was at Tonno. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor dining. It was a warm night, and it was more comfortable and nicer to sit inside. We had a lovely round table and for those that are reading my articles, you know that I love round tables for a group. Anthony Caturano owns Tonno and he also owns another Tonno in Wakefield and the popular Prezza in the North End of Boston. Reservations are essential and we saw several parties turned away.
Tonno is the Italian word for Tuna and it is caught fresh by Anthony. All the group could say is WOW. The tuna was so fresh and tasted like the sea. It was so good that we put in a second order.
The next appetizer was the mussels, tomato, and fennel broth with grilled bread. The mussels were large and plump. Another outstanding appetizer.
We then had the tomato and mozzarella salad. The tomatoes were so sweet and tasted like eating candy. The mozzarella was creamy and a perfect spread for the crostini that was served alongside.
For the entrees, most of us had the grilled swordfish, potato, olives, and capers. The picture shown was a split and it was a huge portion. Glad that we shared as we were definitely getting full. The non-fish eater in our group had the Caesar salad with chicken and she declared it delicious. We also ordered the white beans and the asparagus for the table.
The restaurant allowed us to bring in a cake and it was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
Gloucester is a nice place to visit and Tonno was definitely a winner. We can’t wait to return!
Tonno, located at 2 Main St., Gloucester, Mass., will take you about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes to get to, depending on traffic and where in Manchester you leave from. Click here to view the menu. Hours are: Mon.-Thurs., 4-9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Reservations strongly encouraged – 978-879-4795, or reserve online.