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Restaurant of the Year
Sarma
Longtime Ana Sortun lieutenant Cassie Piuma took the refined, Turkish-centered, Mediterranean-spanning fine-dining finesse of Oleana and democratized it at this spacious spot near Prospect Hill…...
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Banh Mi
Pho Viet’s
When seeking this essential Vietnamese street-food sandwich—baguette, fresh herbs, crunchy pickled daikon and carrots, Asian mayo and/or fish sauce-based dressing, fresh chilies and/or Sriracha and a protein of your choice—you’ll note that Dorchester has numerous quality purveyors…...
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Barbecue
Blue Ribbon BBQ
City slickers agree: For down-home barbecue near Boston, Blue Ribbon serves the prize pig. And beef brisket…...
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Bartender
Ran Duan of The Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden II
Seventeen years after the B-Side Lounge birthed the local craft cocktail revival, Boston is blessed with scores of skilled, scholarly, engaging bartenders making serious drinks…...
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Biscuits
Sweet Cheeks
Sweet mercy. While some barbecue joints treat their Southern-inflected side dishes as afterthoughts, Top Chef alum Tiffani Faison has drawn national notice with her basket o’ biscuits: flaky, oversized accompaniments served with a creamy dollop of sweet honey butter…...
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Bread
Clear Flour Bread
If there’s a problem at this brilliant bakery located on a quiet Brookline side street, it’s the surfeit of options…...
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Breakfast
South End Buttery
This local bakery/cafe is a constant hive of activity, drawing daily crowds with its excellent coffee, pastries, salads and sandwiches…...
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Brunch
The Sinclair
Closure, noun: The satisfaction achieved by brunching at the same spot that gave you a hangover…...
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Burger
Drink
Nowadays, every new restaurant thumps its chest with a signature burger, each patty permutation wilder than the last…...
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Chinese
Best Little Restaurant
Tucked into an easy-to-overlook Chinatown basement, Best Little serves traditional Cantonese and Teochew dishes at ridiculous bargain prices…...
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Club Sandwich
Henrietta’s Table
It’s a lunchtime staple—but even done well, a club sandwich can be the menu’s beige paint: a nondescript background element amid more eye-catching offerings…...
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Coffee Shop
Barrington Coffee Roasting Company
Once upon a time, simply saying “venti” was enough to make one feel oh-so-informed on coffee…...
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Deli
Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions
Greater Boston finally got a deli that merits a trip, a Waltham storefront that makes its astonishing, globe-trotting assortment of charcuterie, salumi and sausages from local animals, serving them in a bright combination of densely packed retail wonderland and counter-service sandwich joint…...
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Dessert
Liquid Art House
We eat art at this restaurant/gallery hybrid, where pastry chef Giselle Miller does amazing things with a plate as her canvas…...
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Dim Sum
Winsor Dim Sum Cafe
When most folks hear dim sum, they think of those frenetic, large-scale places where trolleys are wheeled about, and sitting in the wrong corner can mean long delays between the kitchen and your chopsticks…...
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Diner
Mike’s City Diner
We’ve all met Mike’s. We’re usually in last night’s clothes, but there he is: a reliable reminder of the pre-preppy South End, bleeding local color while salving wounded weekend warriors with big, cheap spreads of great greasy-spoon grub and service that’s stern yet nurturing…...
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Doughnuts
Blackbird Doughnuts
Between pop-ups and dedicated dessert purveyors, doughnuts are having a moment…...
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Food Truck
Sheherazad
If you equate Middle Eastern cuisine with falafel and shawarma, get yourself some lunch from the Sheherazad truck…...
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French
L’Espalier
In an era where food-truck fleets swell ranks while fine-dining establishments shutter, it’s nice to see some classics soldier on strong as ever…...
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Gluten-Free
Myers + Chang
This casually hip South End pan-Asian eatery was doing gluten-free years before it was cool, back when only genuinely gluten-intolerant diners cared and scant few places could accommodate their deadly serious dietary restriction…...
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Gyros
Zo
This pair of busy, weekday lunch-only spots near Government Center offer a gyro sandwich that many Americans have never tasted, the most popular version in Greece: not the usual nasty factory-made ground-beef/lamb cone, but slabs of marinated pork stacked, grilled and sliced off a vertical rotisserie…...
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Ice Cream
Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream
New Englanders love their premium ice cream, consuming more per capita than any other Americans; many brilliant local parlors thrive by satisfying that jones…...
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Indian
Dosa-n-Curry
The subcontinent’s steady influx of expats to Boston has greatly expanded the regional diversity of our Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan restaurants…...
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Italian
Erbaluce
A stone’s throw from chain-ridden Park Square, chef Charles Draghi and partner/sommelier Joan Johnson serve traditional Northern Italian cuisine with rare wines to match, drawing a loyal crowd. A focus on pristine, sustainable seafood and meats, perfect local produce and house-grown herbs, and the rare-in-Boston culinary wonders of Draghi’s Piemontese ancestry make his daily-changing menu consistently rewarding…...
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Japanese
O Ya
Boston’s costliest restaurant trades not on a lavishly appointed room nor an army of cosseting servers, but the subtle, exquisite pleasures of modern Japanese sashimi, sushi and cooked dishes, showcasing exotic species from distant oceans…...
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Mexican
Angela’s Cafe
On a quiet Eastie side street, septuagenarian grandmother Angela Atenco Lopez dresses chicken and pork with moles, adobos and pipians, the incredible complex sauces of her native Puebla…...
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Neighborhoods: Allston
The Glenville Stops
Everyone knows Allston for its modest, student-friendly restaurants, but grown-ups seeking fine food and good service in a genteel setting get short shrift…...
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Neighborhoods: Back Bay
Deuxave
Back Bay has many fancy, pricey restaurants suitable for romance and special occasions, but few are as lovely as this jewel in the crown of chef Chris Coomb…...
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Neighborhoods: Beacon Hill
The Tip Tap Room
Playful chef Brian Poe runs wild with wild game at his cool, quirky tavern on the back side of Beacon Hill, where young pros come for the 100-strong beer list…...
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Neighborhoods: Brighton
MDM Noodles
The advent of Boston restaurants specializing in lesser-known regional Chinese cuisines is among our favorite recent dining trends…...
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Neighborhoods: Brookline
Fairsted Kitchen
While we weren’t looking, Washington Square morphed into a genuine dining destination, exemplified by this inviting, unpretentious room…...
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Neighborhoods: Central Square
Viale
Taking over the space long occupied by the beloved Rendezvous, Viale faced the daunting challenge of winning over its predecessor’s crestfallen fans…...
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Neighborhoods: Charlestown
Brewer’s Fork
We’re under the spell of Brewer’s Fork, named for the stirring paddle that early beer makers believed possessed magical, intoxicating powers…...
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Neighborhoods: Chinatown
Shojo
We’ve long buzzed about Shojo’s craft cocktail program, but the recent arrival of chef Mark O’Leary has electrified its kitchen…...
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Neighborhoods: Davis Square
Rosebud
Outside, this 1941-built diner car looks unchanged. But the inside boasts a massive makeover (cherry-red leather booths pop against rough woods)…...
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Neighborhoods: Dorchester
Anh Hong
As Boston’s largest yet most overlooked dining destination, Dorchester is at least recognized for having our best Vietnamese restaurants…...
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Neighborhoods: Downtown Crossing
jm Curley
Like its mayoral namesake, Curley earned its legacy. A local pioneer of several now-familiar gastropub tropes, it serves serious food and beverage with a winning wink…...
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Neighborhoods: East Boston
Rincon Limeño
Working-class Eastie deserves more respect than it gets, especially for its bounteous assortment of traditional Mexican, Central American and South American restaurants…...
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Neighborhoods: East Cambridge
Loyal Nine
Despite their foraging, farm-to-table, seasonal ethic, our Colonial forebears almost certainly didn’t eat or drink as well as modern New Englanders…...
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Neighborhoods: East Somerville
La Brasa
From “burnt” veggie salad to steak, essentially everything is brushed by wood-fired flame at this pan-Latin eatery from former Sel de la Terre toque Daniel Bojorquez…...
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Neighborhoods: Fenway/Kenmore
Island Creek Oyster Bar
The eponymous briny-buttery bivalves are now found on every raw-bar menu in the Hub that’s worth its weight in shellfish…...
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Neighborhoods: Fort Point
Pastoral
Debating pizza is a bloodsport, but we’ll stick our neck out: Todd Winer’s pies (the second certified Neapolitans in Massachusetts) are among Boston’s best…...
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Neighborhoods: Harvard Square
Alden & Harlow
Last year’s Best New Restaurant continues to dazzle with chef/owner Michael Scelfo’s bold, imaginative, smoke-inflected cookery, not at all hurt by the Square’s best craft cocktail program…...
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Neighborhoods: Inman Square
Bergamot
OK, it’s a 10-minute walk from Inman proper, but so worth it. The delight starts from your first bites—an amuse-bouche compliments of the kitchen…...
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Neighborhoods: Jamaica Plain
Tres Gatos
Caution: Impulse purchases ahead. They start with top-notch tapas, zesty but not inelegant plates served graciously in a living room-like setting…...
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Neighborhoods: Kendall Square
West Bridge
Yes, the egg in a jar is now famous among local food lovers. (If you haven’t yet experienced that pomme puree-meets-crispy duck skin classic, for shame.)…...
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Neighborhoods: Mission Hill
Penguin Pizza
Calling it “just a neighborhood pizza joint” is like calling a penguin “just a bird.” This Penguin proudly wears a tux, so to speak, serving pies laden with duck confit…...
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Neighborhoods: Newton
Sycamore
Sky-high costs continue to drive talented chefs to Boston’s suburbs. Newtonites are among the beneficiaries, as Sycamore offers something they once had to venture into the city for…...
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Neighborhoods: North End
Neptune Oyster
Once again, the best restaurant in our most famous concentration of Italian and Italian-American eateries isn’t Italian, but a groundbreaking purveyor of exceptional New England raw bar…...
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Neighborhoods: Porter Square
Giulia
This quiet, rustically attractive restaurant isn’t a canonical Italian trattoria: There’s no chalkboard menu, and the wine list is too expansive…...
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Neighborhoods: Roslindale
Sophia’s Grotto
Down a brick-paved alley and secreted away in a small courtyard waits Sophia’s, eager to serve Rozzie residents (and in-the-know Italian lovers) homestyle cooking of the highest order…...
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Neighborhoods: Roxbury
Merengue
In a full-service room decorated with the bright colors of sunset over a limpid Caribbean sea, this veteran Dudley Square charmer delivers finely wrought traditional Dominican fare…...
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Neighborhoods: South Boston
Moonshine 152
Southie is finally putting the bad old days of middling pub menus, crummy pizza and bad Chinese-American fare in its rearview mirror…...
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Neighborhoods: South End
Coppa
While the South End is recovering nicely from a recession-driven lull in its restaurant scene, Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer’s small corner Italian joint continues to deliver great neighborhood value…...
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Neighborhoods: Theater District
Ostra
This Mediterranean seafood restaurant might be the younger sibling of high-end heavy hitters like Mistral and Sorellina, but its sophistication belies its years…...
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Neighborhoods: Union Square
Casa B
A gorgeous design by its architect owners has helped make Casa B an attractive choice for casual, romantic dinners…...
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New Restaurant
Townsman
Homecoming king Matt Jennings shuttered Providence’s fabled Farmstead Inc. to open this newcomer in his native Hub, and we couldn’t be happier to have him back…...
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Pies
Petsi Pies
Renee “Petsi” McLeod has been baking pies for adoring crowds for more than 20 years…...
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Pizza
A4 Pizza
As you’d expect, the pies at this pizza-focused Somerville sib to Cambridge fave Area Four are killer, with a 12-year-old starter giving rise to dough that’s fermented for three days, finished in a custom wood-fired oven and heaped with toothsome toppings, like the soppressata, sausage and bacon of the aptly named Carnivore…...
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Place to Go When Price Is No Object
Menton
Dining at Menton is like reaching the summit of Mount Everest: a peak experience (highest-end of the high-end Barbara Lynch empire) with some harsh conditions (one wine-paired tasting menu sets you back $300)—but if you (and your wallet) can survive, it’s an unforgettable experience you’ll treasure forever…...
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Pop-Up
Akinto
Though it billed itself as a speakeasy-style cocktail lounge when opening, Wink & Nod has surprised and delighted us with its inventive culinary incubator program: Every six months, the kitchen hosts a different pop-up…...
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Private Dining
Le Salon du Mistral
Devotees who flock to Mistral for grilled pizzas, refined French plates and knockout brunch (warm cinnamon buns, anyone?) may not realize that the bistro also boasts one of the prettiest private rooms in town…...
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Ramen
Yume Wo Katare
Boston’s quality ramen options have expanded admirably in the past few years, but this tiny Porter Square storefront, with only 18 seats between its counter and two tables, has an inimitable charm…...
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Sandwiches
Ames Street Deli
Ames Street Deli’s sammies are like next-generation tea sandwiches: petite and precise, imaginative and ultra-sophisticated, much like the food that husband-and-wife team Tse Wei Lim and Diana Kudayarova are known for at their flagship, Journeyman…...
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Seafood
SELECT Oyster Bar
Ahoy! Longtime Neptune Oyster chef Michael Serpa unanchored himself from the North End to launch his own restaurant, SELECT…...
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Sommelier
Todd Lipman of Bistro du Midi
For the finest variety of varietals, we put full faith in the fabulous list curated by Lipman, who brings his talent and palate to chef Robert Sisca’s Public Garden-side Provençal palace…...
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Soup Dumplings
Dumpling Cafe
Shanghainese soup dumplings, aka xiao long bao, are a food-geek holy grail: baggy, teardrop-shaped steamed dumplings of minced pork or…...
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Spanish
Toro
The South End’s oldest Spanish joint is painfully, raucously crowded from the moment it opens for dinner to nearly the end of service every night, with no reservations…...
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Steakhouse
Grill 23 & Bar
There aren’t many ways to transcend the cliches of the luxury steakhouse, but this clubby, handsome, locally owned Back Bay institution does so with a better class of boutique prime beef…...
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Sushi
Oishii
While foodie trends come and go (cronuts, we hardly knew ye), sushi never goes out of style…...
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Tacos
Dorado Tacos y Cemitas
This sleek, affordable counter-service Mexican spot near JFK Crossing stands out for its fish tacos…...
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Tasting Menu
Asta
Control freaks may blanch at Boston’s growing number of prix fixe and tasting menu-only restaurants…...
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Thai
Cha Yen Thai Cookery
The extravagant talent of chef/owner Manita Bunnagitkarn shines at this teensy, bargain-priced Coolidge Square storefront…...
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Vegetarian/Vegan
Life Alive
OK, OK. With menu items like “The Goddess,” “The Swami” and “The Udon Miso Masterful,” this organic cafe won’t shatter any stereotypes about earthy-crunchy-touchy-feely types…...
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West African
Teranga
Senegalese cuisine weaves native traditions with historical influences from North Africa, Portugal and the bygone French empire…...
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Wings
Buff’s Pub
Bulk up on sauce-slathered bites of spicy greatness at this deceptively nondescript Newton sports bar, where the legendary heaps of chicken wings…...