Rialto

Years

1993 – present

Location

1 Bennett St., Harvard Square

Profile

Upscale regional Italian fine dining in the tony Charles Hotel

History

An empty lot sat on the site through the 1970s, until the hotel was built in 1984, next door to Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Rialto, one of the "World's Top Hotel
Restaurants" according to Gourmet Magazine, was opened in 1993 by chef Jody Adams, along with former partner and longtime Cambridge restauranteur Michaela Larsen. A specialty is Roasted Marinated Long Island Duck with Green Olive and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce.