Best of Boston

It’s teensy. It’s not fancy. It’s in sleepy Winchester, where the nightlife scene doesn’t exactly buzz. And yet this place is near the top of our reservation wish list, in the city or in the ‘burbs, because the food is so reliably good. Chef Chris Parsons makes a revelatory burger, crowned with portobello mushrooms and tangy balsamic onions. When he steams Maine mussels in lobster broth, they’re sop-up-the-juices good. And the farm-egg-and-bacon-topped frisée salad makes you wonder why other restaurants even bother.