Al Fresco Made Easy
The catering and event-design experts of Chive share their tips for a stylish — and sustainable — outdoor soiree.
First Bite at Nix's Mate
This revamped hotel restaurant aims high, but misses the mark.
First Bite: Gem
This Downtown Crossing debut aims for glitz, but ends up lackluster.
The Ultimate Guide to Craft Beer in New England
LET NAPA HAVE ITS WINERIES, Scotland its single-malt spirits. Here in New England, our cups runneth over with porters, IPAs, and session ales. With 40 members in the Massachusetts Brewers Guild alone, not to mention scores of brewers in Vermont…
The Best Craft Beer in New England
We tasted samples from 33 of our finest regional breweries to find our favorite beers in 15 styles. These picks were heads above the rest.
First Bite at Mare
A North End standard gets reinvented as an oyster bar. Let’s hope the makeover continues.
First Bite at Casa B
WITH SO MANY SPOTS in town touting their locavore sensibilities and comfort fare, it’s a rare restaurant that drops you — mind, body, and palate — someplace else entirely. Somerville’s Casa B is one of them. The owners, architects turned…
Hanging Tough
I AM TRYING TO FIND a fixed point to stare at until my queasiness subsides. But I can’t find a fixed point. Actually, I can’t see anything beyond the red fabric cocoon that envelops me. There’s no way I’m leaving…
First Bite at Saloon
WHEN YOU FINALLY REACH Saloon’s entrance, you’ll likely be met with a chuckle. The doorman was watching when you first walked by the place, then checked the map on your phone and spun around cluelessly. An underground lair inspired by…
Swanky Town Smackdown
Click the image to enlarge Reporting by Hannah Lott-Schwartz, Renata Brito, Diane DeSantis, Madeleine Coleman, and Jon Cheng. Photos by iStockphoto (flower, beach, cardinal, outdoors, blue bowls, books, frozen yogurt, sushi, salad); AP Images (minuteman, Kraft, Pierce, gymnast, Romney);…
