Ducali sits on the edge of the North End with views of TD Garden, dishing up Roman-style pizza and panini off the beaten paths of Hanover and Salem streets. (It’s a great spot for eating on game day, too.) Roman pizza dough has elevated hydration, making for a light and crunchy crust that stays moist on the top, letting the quality of the pizza shine. Order the patate pizza, and add porchetta for a pie that will take you directly to the Roman countryside.

While the popular family-style feasts are a consistent pleasure at chef and owner Jen Royle’s Table restaurant, an underrated panini presence exists right next door at Royle’s sandwich shop and specialty grocer Mercato. As Boston warms up, there’s no better way to do lunch than by grabbing a panino to-go at the Mercato, and munching it down under the shade in nearby Columbus Park. Try out “the Roman,” with stracciatella (the inside of burrata), pesto, prosciutto di parma, roasted tomatoes, arugula, and extra virgin olive oil on fluffy homemade focaccia bread. Fair warning for even the most ambitious eaters: These panini are massive.

A tried and true North End hot spot, Regina has been dishing out some of the city’s best pizzas for almost a century. Original owner Luigi D’Auria brought the flavors of Naples to Boston when he opened Regina in 1926. (D’Auria eventually sold Regina to the Polcari family in 1946.) Regina’s pies are cooked in the same oven that they were all those years ago — it was coal-fired in the beginning but switched to gas in the 1930s — and are known for having a charred outer crust and dough that ferments for up to six days. There are multiple locations around greater Boston, but the best way to experience Regina is sitting at its booths (or its bar) in the North End.

With a name like Panza — “belly” in Italian — diners must come to this spot with a big appetite. A tried and true staple at the halfway point of Hanover, Panza serves up can’t-miss dishes like lobster ravioli through their open-window dining area. Arguably the best in the city, these pillows of lobster in a creamy dijon sauce should be on everyone’s bucket list for North End eats.

“It’s like being at Nonna’s” is printed on the menus at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. What sets the Roman-inspired restaurant apart is the quality of its fresh pasta. Everything is good here, but “Little Al’s favorite,” which consists of chicken cutlet, broccoli, and gnocchi tossed in a pink vodka sauce, is compulsory. Classics like chicken and eggplant parmesan are among the best versions in the city. La Famiglia Giorgio’s wine list is vast, with more than 400 bottles to choose from. A note on accessibility: The entrance has two steps.

After you’ve feasted at your favorite trattoria or walked up and down Hanover Street browsing pastry-filled windows, you’ll want to step into Caffe Vittoria for a cappuccino. Decorated with vintage espresso machines, celebrity photos, and memorabilia from the Bel Paese, Caffe Vittoria has been serving coffee and pastries since 1929. There’s an unwritten rule in Italy that mandates cappuccino should not be ordered in the afternoon — but this isn’t Italy. Enjoy a cappuccino, tiramisù, or an affogato– hot espresso poured over creamy gelato. For those who want something a little boozy, the babà rum cake is a good choice with Neopolitan origins.

Where classic red-sauce dining meets Boston’s historic old charm, Mamma Maria defines what good food in Boston should look like. Overlooking the cobblestones of Boston’s oldest city square on North Street, Mamma Maria’s gorgeous storefront reels you in, and the food will surely make you stay. As is done in Italy, expect an ever-changing menu — Mamma Maria focuses on seasonality, taking the best from what the local markets have available, like pumpkin for their pumpkin gnocchi with sea scallops. The bar is not to be missed, featuring artisanal cocktails with local liqueurs, including Boston’s own Black Infusions Vodka.

Carmelina’s has massive windows that open directly to Hanover Street and a beautiful open kitchen. Its “Sunday macaroni” is served every day and comes with meatballs, sausage, and beef rib in a tomato sauce, finished with a dollop of whipped ricotta. It is the star of the show at Carmelina’s, which aims to serve “traditional Sicilian comfort food with a Mediterranean twist.”

Tip: Get to Galleria Umberto on the earlier side, because once it sells out of its Sicilian-style square slices and fist-sized arancini, the doors shut for the day. This is some of the best pizza in the city, or anywhere. This very casual spot is open for lunch Monday through Saturday.

Tucked away on the lesser-frequented North Street, parallel to the notorious Hanover Street, Limoncello has quietly sprung onto the North End’s food scene as a must-eat destination perfect for date nights, family get-togethers, or the solo diner who finds solace in the company of a good meal. Limoncello excels at setting the ambiance of how Italians really eat: Start with some wine, their hyper-local, Calabrian-style antipasto, then move onto the main attraction of “Rosette Al Montasio,” a pasta dish of homemade pappardelle arranged like roses, cooked with prosciutto, cheese, tomato and truffle. Of course, it all ends with a shot of homemade limoncello.

Modern is hard to miss, with its neon sign and brightly lit windows showing off cannoli, cakes, and other sweet treats. The cannoli at Modern are piped with ricotta filling fresh to order, and the pastry shop is also home to the city’s best lobster tail, which is a take on sfogliatella, perhaps the most famous dessert from Naples. Pair your baked goods with a cappuccino, and take some tiramisu and/or amaretto cake for the road. There’s a location in Medford, too.