I have lived in Medford for over 20 years and as embarrassing as it is to admit, I just discovered Real Gusto about a month ago. My neighbor wanted to treat me for taking care of their lawn. I have seen this place but had never gone, I figured lets right some wrongs.

The moment we stepped into the place, you knew this was where you needed to be. You are met at the door immediately and brought to your table. The entrance features a full length bar and there are tables in the back room. The room overlooks the river and everything about the place is elegant without being pretentious. The interior is understated, well lit and has a very modern appeal. There is a small wine rack against the wall and on each side are two french doors that open out on to a short terrace. The tables are setup and evenly spaced, the cloth is crisp and clean. It is elevated dining but at very affordable prices.

We were met by our waiter and they gave us our menus and started us off with drinks. I am an unapologetic coffee drinker and while restaurant coffee is marginal at best, their cafe Americano is rich and deep. The dark roast coffee may be one of the best I have had. I cannot speak to the wine as I do not drink but from the choices on the wall and menu, its a fairly well stocked selection.

First up was our appetizer, we went with the Caprese. Yes it is simply tomato, mozarella and basil starter but quality matters and everything on the plate was fresh. The portions were generous and the tomato/basil/mozarella were centered in the plate and surrounded by a light circle of balsamic vinegar. Good balsamic vinegar means you can drink this straight from the bottle (not that I’m willing to admit I’ve done that before…) and this balsamic was outstanding.

Next up, the main course. I ordered the Toscana pizza which is made with tomato, sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto and arugula. Its a personal sized pizza, before you say anything, yes any size pizza could be personal sized depending on appetite. I am a fat man doing fat things! While it may seem that I’m wasting a good restaurant by ordering a simple pizza but a well executed pizza in a proper pizza over is worth the price of admission.

My neighbor ordered the Romana salad which was put together with Roman lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, EVOO, salt, pepper, Parmigiano shaved and olives. Now admittedly, nothing about our meal screams elegant or elevated but as they say the devil is in the details and Real Gusto nails it! I can walk away from a meal here and not feel polluted, bloated or worse ripped off. What brought me to Real Gusto was my misunderstanding that they were a pizza place first. They are known for the amazing oven baked pizzas but they are so much more than that.

Upon my next visit to Real Gusto, I will explore more pasta options and yes I plan to report back. If you are looking for a place to have a good dinner and a great price, Real Gusto should be your place. Don’t bother parking on the street, there is a full parking spot across the street and if that is full, you can park on Governors which is a short walk. I 100% love this place and this may be one of Medford’s hidden gems.

Real Gusto’s website – https://www.realitaliangusto.com/

Menu – https://www.realitaliangusto.com/menu

PS: They are now open for lunch!