Allegro
This is Papa Gino land, and top-notch Italian cooking is otherwise hard to find. Northern (light on tomatoes) is the style here, and new owners Bonita Goodson and Jim Burke are just beginning to hit their stride. 458 Moody St., Waltham, MA .
Bartley's Burger Cottage
Bartley's Burger Cottage, 1246 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, just can't be beat. These burgers are fashioned from prime meat, and cooked with so much care that it borders on affair. 1246 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
Vice President Al Gore
He invented the Internet, starred in Love Story, cured cancer, solved global warming, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and married someone named Tipper. Looks like presidential timber to us.
Durgin-Park
This venerable Yankee-cooking holdout serves Beantown's finest: Tender and hearty, with a surprising molasses kick, they're perfect ballast for braving a wicked nor'easter, or just the out-of-towners at Quincy Market. 340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA durgin-park.com.
Grand Opening!
Looking to fuel a fetish? Head right here. From "Basic Flogging for Urbanites" and "Creative Bondage" kits to readings and booksignings form local sexperts, Grand Opening! offers plenty of provocative, informative, and downright empowering paraphernalia and workshops. 318 Harvard Street, Suite 32, Brookline, MA .
Peking on Fresh Pond
A big, overdecorated room that kind of looks like a United Auto Workers hall gone oriental. The seafood's excellent here, and the menu long and eclectic. 307 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge, MA .
Euromart
Stop by to snag authentic Polish cooking supplies, piled-high deli sandwiches, and prepared meals. 808 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 2125, euromartdeli.com.
Strand Theatre
It took years to restore this former vaudeville palace, but it’s now a beautiful venue to take in a gospel concert. 543 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, MA 2125, strandboston.com.
Bay State Lobster Company
The freshest fish in the city, and fair prices to boot. Given the pressure to gentrify the waterfront, how long can it last? 395 Commercial St., Boston, MA .
Walker's Riding Apparel
More than twenty styles of boots, plain old Levi's, and a whole lot more no-nonsense outdoor clothing. 292 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Gap Kids
Good, basic clothes at good, basic prices. Make children look like children. 201 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Durgin Park
Still communal, sloppy, and terrific. A cross between a meal with the Pilgrims and mess at boot camp. Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA .
Ex-state Representative Gus Serra
It took history's worst act of terrorism to dislodge him from his $129,000 patronage position as "director of strategy" at Massport.
Saporito's
You can forget all the chichi food and celebrity chefs here. At Saporito's, the cooking and the eating are homey, unpretentious, and wonderful. 11 Rockland Circle, Hull, MA .
Bertucci's Pizza
Chic yet unpretentious, this popular family haunt has all the right ingredients: excellent food, reasonable prices, and boccie to boot. All Locations, .