Improper Bostonian: Best of Boston

The team at Rialto is thrilled to be recognized as Boston’s Best Italian Restaurant by The Improper Bostonian in their annual “Best of” issue.  We are equally excited that our very own Young Won received the award for Best Mixologist in Boston. Thank you all for your support over the years, you are the reason we love what we do so much! To read more about those awarded in this year’s issue, check out the full article here.

Best Restaurant (Italian): Rialto

Her Boston hotspot Trade has earned chef Jody Adams well-deserved accolades, but connoisseurs know that her most brilliant culinary flights are found upstairs at the Charles Hotel. Beneath garlands of twinkling white lights on the terrace, enjoy a chilled aperitif, beautifully composed by beverage director Young Won. Grilled Woodbury littlenecks, served on an iron grill with garlic bread and thick slices of andouille, are an exemplary starter. Never overwrought, Rialto evokes the beauty of northern Italy in its harmonies of Taggia olives and artichokes, mint and pine nuts.

Best Mixologist: Young Won

Rialto’s Young Won has always had a creative flair, though potables weren’t her original outlet. The 36-year-old Cambridge native spent time as a fashion buyer for Diesel and eyed a career in architecture, but it was under the guidance of Rialto’s Jody Adams and Ivan Law that she forged a successful career in cocktails. With a keen palate developed working with liquor legends Jackson Cannon and Todd Maul, Won has transformed the Rialto bar. Her Beekeeper drink has garnered plenty of buzz, and she believes it showcases her philosophy on drinks: “I like to use lots of ingredients, teas, bitters — it’s not just about the liquor.”