February 2012 Issue
Where to Eat in 2012
Your guide to the city’s most exciting restaurant debuts, the grand openings to come, the hottest culinary neighborhoods, and the chefs who are making waves all over town.
Feature
Shut the F*** Up! The Second-Most-Powerful Man in America is Talking
It’s no secret that Bill O’Reilly is in love with himself. But could he actually be suffering from some kind of pathological personality disorder?
Electric Youth
Kids today are subjected to an avalanche of digital media—TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones—and the advertising that comes with it. As researchers try to figure out what that’s doing to our children, Susan Linn and her tiny Boston nonprofit have become a child marketer’s worst nightmare. Just ask Disney, Hasbro, Scholastic, and Kellogg.
Game On! Clash of the Casino Titans
It’s the high-stakes, high-roller tug of war to build the Boston casino.
Department
Crimson Pride
When you think Harvard, basketball is the last thing that comes to mind. But coach Tommy Amaker has turned his squad into a hoops powerhouse—and saved his career in the process.
Bus Stop
It’s time Boston quit wasting money on student transportation and started investing it in, you know, education. Is Mayor Menino ready to do what it needs?
Arts + Entertainment
Hubbub: Jeff Kinney
Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has won two Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and has spawned two movies. In other words, adults, he’s a BFD.
Restaurants
Variations on a Theme: Vegetable Terrines
A look at the veggie-loaded terrines sprouting up all over town.
Dining Out: Trade
Thanks to early crowds, bold spices, and the talent manning the oven, Jody Adams’s new restaurant sizzles.
The Cocoa Chronicles
How Taza chocolate makes it from bean to bar.
First Sip at Backbar
When you order a drink at Backbar, they want you to know it’s as fresh as can be.
Trade Secret: Black Magic
What’s the secret ingredient behind the Myers + Chang flavor? Chinese black vinegar.
News
Attack Ads for Jesus
Your greatest source of strength might also be your biggest political blind spot.
My Digital Valentine
In an age when everyone is a digital brand, we’ve become experts at expressing ourselves—or at least our aspirational selves—all over the Web.
The MIT Connection
One of the world’s most innovative and prolific tech gurus makes his intellectual home at—surprise, surprise—MIT.
Fashion + Style
Sheer Delights
Heat things up this winter with flirty lace lingerie in bold shades.
Concord Greats
A fresh look at Concord’s shopping scene.
The Write Stuff
Iconic Cambridge stationer Bob Slate is back in business, thanks to a longtime customer who couldn’t let it go.
Living Large: Rooms with a View
Rachel Slade’s off-kilter take on hub dwellings.
Forget Me Knot
Slim, limited-edition cravats cut from new and vintage fabrics, and even from recycled kimonos.
Health
Just Slide
If you’re not in the mood to spend your weekend traipsing up north to ski, however, we have a suggestion for you: sledding.