East Coast Grill

Celebrated grill god Chris Schlesinger's Inman Square spot is its own Cambridge institution—part community hangout, part nationally known restaurant, part vacation. Wild decor (from the blackboard that shouts daily fresh fish specials to the kitschy "live volcano") and even wilder mixd drinks (like the scotch bonnet pepper-infused Martini from Hell) set the scene for equatorial specialties from the world's most spice-obsessed regions. That means terrific barbecue, sweetly rich fried plantains, wasabi-laced tuna, and an inventive postmodern pupu platter to die for. Hot-food connoissers shouldn't miss Hell Night, a fiery food challenge featuring some of the spiciest foodstuffs on the planet.