Tresca

Ray Bourque’s Tresca is an Italian restaurant in Boston’s North End, designed to evoke a restored old-world Tuscan villa. The menu blends contemporary Italian and Mediterranean cooking with traditional recipes, including a veal chop Parmesan served with pasta Bolognese, house-made ricotta gnocchi with wild mushroom ragu and spinach, and a veal-and-sirloin dish with cipollini onions, fire-roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella and whipped ricotta. In Italian, the name means intrigue.

Chef-owner Rich Ansara leads the kitchen, bringing experience from Meadhall, Amrheins, the Palm Restaurant and Appetito, and he makes a point of meeting guests in the dining room. The restaurant’s namesake, Ray Bourque, is one of the NHL’s great defensemen: he played 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins, served as the team’s longest-serving captain and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001.

What to Know

• Private events range from intimate parties to business meetings and large receptions, with customized menus and wine pairings.
• A private table can be booked on the restaurant’s balcony.
• Bourque holds NHL records for career goals, assists and points by a defenseman and won the Norris Trophy five times.
• Fireside dining is listed among the restaurant’s features.