It was 7, nobody felt like cooking, so we got in the car and drove over to Vintage, figuring we'd check out the new restaurant in the "old" building. Got there to find there was a 90-minute wait for a table. Whoa, how'd it become so popular so fast?

So we got back in the car and drove up to Mandarin Gourmet in Brookline.

Tavolo Pizza could open tomorrow in the new Carruth building, Lower Dot reports.

ParkwayBoston.com reports Vintage is getting bought by Alfredo's of Quincy (pending a city liquor-license transfer, natch).

Earlier:
West Roxbury restaurant pulls up steaks.

Ed gives a thumb's up to the takeout at the Square Corner Cafe, the new place on Washington Street (a door down from Robyn's):

... All in all, we had a great first impression and can see ourselves getting something here about every week this summer. ...

Courtney Scott-Howard reviews the Hanover Street restaurant:

... For my entree, I selected the lobster and crab-stuffed ravioli in a pink sauce. I don't frequently order this dish, as I often find the lack of any discernible shellfish to be a disappointment. Not at Strega. The delicate pasta is jammed with lobster and crab and the sauce is creamy and mild, served with plenty of Italian bread to sop up every ounce. ...

Boston Restaurant Talk has the scoop. Dishing adds some details on the new owners' plans. The venerable downtown eatery was shut in 2006 for not paying its taxes.

Comellla's, the Centre Street place known for its large pasta "messes," goes before the city licensing board next Wednesday at 10 a.m. to make its case for a beer and wine license.

The West Roxbury Neighborhood Council voted last month to support the petition.

Larry Davidson gives a three-quarters thumbs up to Ivy, a nouveau-Italian place in Downtown Crossing the Ladder District:

Ivy wouldn't be near the top of our list, but we would definitely return when we're in the neighborhood.

Also, he wonders what the deal is with the restaurant trend of serving wine in what appear to be gallon-sized glasses.

It's no Tutto Italiano in Readville, but Santoro's Sicilian Trattoria on Bridge Street in Dedham is a good alternative to the other Italian delis in Dedham, Seth Gitell writes.

Tammy sings the praises of Comella's, which serves "messes" (big heapin' helpin's of pasta, sauce and some meat or veggie stuff) in West Roxbury, West Newton and Wellesley:

... The dish that we have had twice is called The Paisan's Mess ($10.99/$32.99/$43.99 for the various sizes). It is a combination of "the base", extra shells, extra eggplant (which is breaded and fried) and extra lasagna. One bite and you can't stop shoveling this amazing slop down your throat. While the prices might seem a bit intimidating, these portions are LARGE and WELL WORTH the cost. ...

Ed. mess note: Having tried the West Roxbury outlet, I can confirm that their portions are huge. Bring an appetite (you can eat in, but the dining room is a bit spare; it's really more of a take-out place).