Food means so much more than just eating. It’s an experience, it’s a feeling. A good meal can provide you with a sense of satisfaction and well-being, whereas a bad meal can ruin your night (and possibly your week- sometimes it takes a few days to run its course). There are lots of great restaurants in Boston and lots of restaurants that pretend to be great until you look at the check and realize that you spent way too much money for dry chicken. But it’s not just the food that makes a restaurant good, it’s also the atmosphere. The key to knowing a truly great restaurant is when you’re done dining you want to stay or at the very least, come back. Not a lot of places can provide both a good atmosphere and good cuisine. But if you’re lucky you can find one, and lucky for us I did.

For Boston foodies, the South End has become a Mecca for dining out, and for good reason. Every corner is constantly in flux with new restaurants. It runs the gambit from traditional ethnic fare to noveau American, with many places that fuse both. It’s a great place to take a date and amble down the streets of charming brownstones to find a niche in which to eat. Anchovie’s is one such quaint niche, located on Columbus Avenue. The façade is not very ostentatious, it’s easy to walk past it without noticing. The only thing that catches the eye is a red neon bar sign flashing “Anchovie’s” beneath a humble awning. However, if you’re curious enough to venture in you’ll find that the inside is not a place to be looked over. It’s very dimly lit, so at first entrance it seems like a bit of a dank-hole with brick walls and dark wood. But once your eyes adjust, Anchovie’s turns into a really eclectic and irreverent atmosphere.

A wooden donkey hangs from the wall with a sombrero on, vintage posters of pin-up girls are on the ceiling, black and white photos of stodgy old men are hung next to old advertisements for booze. Every corner is filled with interesting curios. The tables are lit with nostalgic fringe lamps, adding to the retro theme of the interior. Anchovie’s is not just a place to eat (although its food is very good) it’s a place to kick back and enjoy yourself and it’s no secret. Good luck getting a table on a weekend night without having to wait. However, they have a full bar with very skilled bartenders that’ll help you wash away the time. Anchovie’s provides hearty Italian food made to order.

One has an option of several different pastas with any of their homemade sauces, from marinara to clam to fra diavolo. They also have pizzas. If you’re feeling really creative, you can opt to add some pizza toppings to your pasta (anchovies, anyone?). You’re free to combine and order anything you want, even fusili with marinara and pineapples, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that. Anchovie’s’ bold, yet stylish atmosphere extends itself to the cuisine offered there, where one can virtually create whatever it is one feels like eating and know no matter what it’s going to be good.

For my first course I sampled their antipasto plate and the mussels. The mussels come with your choice of marinara sauce or garlic butter sauce. I chose the garlic butter. The mussels were good, a bit on the small side, but they still tasted fresh. The sauce was more butter than garlic, but I can’t complain about that because I really like butter (God help me). The antipasto plate featured an assortment of traditional Italian finger foods: prosciutto, mozzarella, salami, anchovies, olives, and a colorful variety of hot peppers. It’s a healthy way to warm up the old appetite and big enough for at least two. Every meal at Anchovie’s comes with a salad and bread. I have to tell you about the terrific dipping sauce provided with the bread. Its olive oil with pureed garlic and hot pepper was really, really tasty. I also tried the house salad dressing, a basil infused vinaigrette that made the salad taste as fresh as if I was eating out of a garden. For my main course, I went for their Chicken Parmesan. Baked in a ceramic dish, the Parm comes out bubbling with mozzarella cheese. Two breaded chicken fillets rest hidden beneath the cheese in a tangy tomato sauce. Chicken Parm is a simple dish and I’m always surprised when a restaurant screws it up, and thankfully Anchovie’s knows how to work it. It’s a generous portion, so if you’re like me you’re going to have a good lunch the following day. All in all, Anchovie’s offered me some wholesome food that left me feeling great. As far as the wait staff goes, I wouldn’t say they’re very accommodating. Water glasses remain empty for longer than reason will justify and you might wait a bit too long for the check. It’s the type of place patroned by regulars who don’t mind waiting, so don’t expect to be treated like gold. The waiter knows you’re going to tip him because you like the joint; he’s just the liaison. The music is great (no trance music here), the customers are as lively as the decor, and most importantly the food is delicious. No meal exceeds $12, so once you’re done eating and paid your check you might feel like you’ve robbed the place. Anchovie’s is a great place to start out a Saturday night-and finish it. Seek it out, enjoy it, and enjoy yourself. Happiness, sometimes, is a full stomach.

Menu items range from $5-$11.95 Anchovie’s is located at 433 Columbus Ave. in Boston’s South End. Kitchen open from 5:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. seven days a week. No reservations. For information call Anchovie’s at (617) 266-5088. If you would like Vanessa to come to your restaurant or if you have any suggestions e-mail her at [email protected]