Best of Boston

We already knew Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette could crank up the volume to 11 on outside-the-box tapas like foie gras a la plancha with rhubarb and burnt honey. This year, however, we were equally impressed with their command of the classics: jam_n serrano-wrapped Medjool dates, stuffed with almonds and blue cheese like pieces of hot molten candy; a seafood-packed paella with soccarat (a crisp-rice bottom) that’d be the pride of any Valencian restaurant. If the wait times are any indication, a candlelit dinner and a glass of Rioja at this South End hot spot is a tradition locals will never tire of.