Hungry Mother
How we grieved when Alon Munzer and Rachel Miller Munzer shuttered their popular Rachel's Kitchen last year. The Bay Village café (now reopened under new ownership) was our go-to for morning coffee and midday lobster rolls, served hot with drawn butter and chives. But as they say, when one bistro closes, another one opens, and the couple's new Kendall Square eatery was worth the wait. Chef-partner Barry Maiden plates up inspired French-southern dishes in a space that has the same congenial air that won Rachel's its many loyalists. 233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Cambridge, MA 2141, hungrymothercambridge.com.
Christina's
Partisans know Christina's does weird very, very well. Honey-lavender? Refreshing. Kaffir lime? Luscious. What truly sets it apart, however, is its finesse with more-familiar flavors, like coffee, pistachio, even vanilla—not to mention a frozen chocolate mousse that's better, and cheaper, than any we've found on a restaurant dessert menu. Our favorite scoop, peanut butter chip, is so thick and creamy you half want to eat it with a knife and fork, though in the end the standard cone does the job nicely. 1225 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 2139, christinasicecream.com.
Stone Hearth Pizza Co.
Of course, the better story would have been some cheese sliceslinging hole in the wall beating out the gourmet spots as our pizza parlor champ. Maybe next year. For now, you can't do better than the thin, chewy-crusted pies at Stone Hearth Pizza. If rarified toppings like arugula, white beans, Yukon gold potatoes, hot Thai peppers, and all-beef, nitrate-free pepperoni sound a smidge pretentious—well, yeah, they are. But they also make a mighty tasty pizza. And with a price tag of about $11 for a whole pie, you can afford to keep it real with a $4 draft. (A $4 artisanal microbrewed draft, but still.) 57 Leonard St., Belmont, MA 2478, stonehearthpizza.com.
Fifty-Three South
Restaurants get made over more often than Ashlee Simpson. But the new incarnation of 53 South is more about-face than facelift. The eatery has moved to snazzier, red-walled digs in an old Pizza Hut and dramatically overhauled its menu, swapping staid French fare for brave global dishes that are better than ever. Our perfect meal: wasabi-crusted tuna with cardamom sticky rice and soy ginger beurre blanc, lemon-rosemary chicken with roasted-garlic corn flan, and lavender crème brûlée. Oh. And a bottle expertly paired by the fine sommelier. 42 Washington St., Norwell, MA 2061, .
The New England Soup Factory
Next time you're sick and Mom offers to bring over some chicken noodle soup, ask her if she can swing by Brookline instead. Even the best grandmother can't beat a selection that changes daily and includes mouthwatering, innovative tastes such as artichoke bisque, chilled melon, roasted red pepper and corn chowder, and pureed portobella mushroom. All are thick, delicious, if slightly pricey ($4.25 for 12 ounces, but worth it). The only disappointment is the clam chowder, which runs a little too sweet for our panel of experts. 2-4 Brookline Place, Brookline, MA .
Myers + Chang
In the South End, there are tons of fantastic bistros offering crisp glasses of wine and a charcuterie board to match. But when we want fireworks, we head to this funky diner, where quasi-traditional Asian dishes like tea-smoked spareribs and fried rice coexist with why-hasn't-anyone-thought-of-this-before eats like Korean barbecue sloppy joes and the (brunch only) fried-egg-and-soy-glazed-bacon banh mi. And unfortunately for our waistline, we frequently find ourselves face down in (usually two) orders of Joanne Chang's crazy-juicy pork-and-chive dumplings. 1145 Washington St., Boston, MA 2118, myersandchang.com.
Cutty's
Photograph by Michael Piazza It may be heretical to say this in Brookline, but here goes: Go ye on the Sabbath to Cutty's and get yourself some pork. The Saturday special pork sandwiches, to be specific. Once a week, the slow-roasted pig comes in fresh to this Brookline Village café and is sliced thin for inclusion in such delicacies as the pork-and-pickled-fennel sandwich with roasted garlic on a crusty sesame-seed bun. With apologies to our rabbi, it's a borderline religious experience. Oh, and the rest of Cutty's (more-kosher) sandwiches, which are served all week? They're not so bad either. 284 Washington St., Brookline, MA 2445, cuttysfoods.com.
Robert Sisca, Bistro du Midi
Boston is blessed with a bumper crop of young culinary talent injecting our food scene with energy and enthusiasm. But while many seem to spend as much time on the party circuit as they do in the kitchen, Robert Sisca has retained a singular focus: turning out exacting Provencial fare. The deceptively simple plates he creates at Bistro du Midi—pan-roasted cod with golden raisins and chorizo; grilled Mediterranean sea bass with slow-cooked fennel—employ the meticulous French technique he honed under chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York. 272 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, bistrodumidi.com.
Beacon Hill Chocolates
How does this local master of all things chocolat—which last year left its Pinckney Street location for bigger digs on Charles Street—continue to win our affections? It's simple: Paula Barth's array of elegantly displayed truffles, sourced from around the globe and ranging from the traditional (champagne-flavored) to the exotic (the Dragonfly, a dark chocolate bonbon with the essence of kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, and pieces of candied ginger). We also can't seem to leave Beacon Hill Chocolates without some ultracreamy gianduja chocolates and a few salted caramels. 92B Pinckney St., Boston, MA 2114, .
Clear Flour Bread
As you enter this charming little bakery tucked away on a Brookline side street, the aroma of warm bread hits you like a baguette to the head. While none of theartisans on our short list produced a loaf we didn'tenjoy, Clear Flour's inventory bested the rest in both texture and flavor. The "rustic Italian," with a crisp outer layer yielding to a chewy, airy interior, is the perfect landing pad for a schmear of triple-creme cheese; the aforementioned baguette, an excellent companion for high-quality olive oil. And the rustic Italian rolls with fire-roasted tomatoes? They need no accompaniment whatsoever. 178 Thorndike St., Brookline, MA 2446, clearflourbread.com.
Winston Flowers
Yes, it's a chain. But our search for comparable quality and variety in the area always leads us back here. Visit the artfully arranged shop in person and you'll come face to face with bushels of oversized dahlias, silky long-stemmed roses, and of course, dozens of the store's signature, precisely designed arrangements. The space feels like a Tuscan villa, with topiary trees and buckets of seasonal blooms. As for out-of-state delivery, the staff's well-deserved reputation for attention to detail means you'll never have to worry about red carnations getting in the mix. 31 Central St., Wellesley, MA winstonflowers.com.
T.T. the Bear's Place
Boston has no shortage of excellent small music venues, but T.T.'s just keeps edging out the competition. Perhaps it's because former Clash guitarist Mick Jones chose this Central Square nook to showcase his new group last April. Or because it features a healthy mix of worthy local bands and visiting punk veterans like New Model Army and Jesse Malin. Or because some weekends DJ Chris Ewen busts out our favorite '80s New Wave classics. Whatever. It's cramped, it's sticky, it's totally authentic—and it's unbeatable. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA 2139, ttthebears.com.
Lizard Lounge
It is with good reason that the Lizard Lounge consistently tops our live-venue list: It's still the favorite choice for established rock acts, and, for all its renown, is still every bit as intimate as a suburban rec room. Crowded cocktail tables stand inches away from the Oriental rug-lined stage, where, on any given night, a classic jazz trio, alt-rockers, or spoken-word poets perform to no more than 105 fans. Adding to the club's character are the laid-back punks behind the bar who dole out boutique draft beers such as Mojo IPA and Victory Golden Monkey. 1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, lizardloungeclub.com.
Brendan Behan's
Even discounting the countless plastic-Paddy pubs that have sprouted all over Boston, our city boasts a wealth of genuine Celtic hangouts. But for all their fiddling, their crowds, and their shepherd's pies, these places overlook a pub's true function: to be a pleasant place to drink. The Brendan Behan is dark, wooden, and lovingly worn. There's no food, meaning no obnoxious "dining-only" seating, and the Irish barkeeps pull a slow, well-constructed Guinness. Aside from the odd band or book reading, conversation is what draws the clientele—which is neither undergraduate nor overpaid. 378A Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA brendanbehanpub.com.
Bakers' Best
The increasingly popular sit-down service is good, too (especially for Saturday and Sunday brunch), but it's the takeout that sets this Newton Highlands institution apart. The friendly staff will wrap up anything to go, from a cup of coffee to a multicourse gourmet dinner for as many guests as you can gather. Big orders like those require one day's notice, but Baker's Best makes it easy with a quiet catering office and a convenient check-off menu. There are also freezers full of ready-to-cook meal components in the main store, from hors d'oeuvres to entrées. And that food—it really is the best. 27 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA bakersbestcatering.com.