Ninety-two restaurants. One-third of a square mile. Most people familiar with Boston at all know that the tiny neighborhood of the North End is a Mecca of culinary indulgence and overwhelmingly Italian.

Some might say that a city is only as cool as its coffee shops. If that's the case, Boston is one cool city with a coffee-house culture as varied as the neighborhoods that make up the historic metropolis.

Got garlic? If not, you'll find plenty in Boston's North End. The pungent aroma of this flavorful herb will give your olfactory glands a workout for sure, and you won't have to move a muscle. All you have to do is stand on any street corner and inhale. Little wonder, given the inexhaustible supply of Italian restaurants lining the North End's streets. And every one of them is shouting "Mangia!"