If we stumbled upon the concept in JP or Cambridge, maybe. But a crunchy (literally) raw-food restaurant smack in the middle of the North End? Yeah, we couldn’t wrap our heads around it, either. We couldn’t imagine trading steamy helpings of spaghetti and meatballs for a plate full of uncooked veggies and “rawmesan” fauxcheese. But when Grezzo (69 Prince Street, Boston, 857.362.7288) opened its doors, raw foodies and adventurous diners came out of the woodwork. In Grezzo’s kitchen, temperatures really are comparably mild: to qualify as “raw and living,” food can never be heated above 112 degrees. Owner Alissa Cohen touts the overwhelming health benefits of eating raw, but we were just glad to hear the stuff was palatable — the menu’s super-fresh dishes, rotated weekly, are brimming with ingenious preparations and bright, clear flavors. (Think spring vegetable napoleon, native tomato ravioli, and Mexican chocolate torte.) Now we find ourselves returning again and again just to see what Cohen will dream up next.
