Creatures of Prometheus, performed by the Boston Premiere Ensemble with choreography by Martha Armstrong Gray.
Grill 23 & Bar
You can gripe until the cows come home about Boston's relative lack of great steakhouses, but until you've bitten into a richly marbled, truly succulent Delmonico at G23, you'll get little sympathy from us. Sure, it boasts all the requisite amenities of its genre—informed and prompt service, an exemplary wine list, sharp-as-a-tack martinis, and the scent of power wafting from table to table. But what elevates Grill 23 is its willingness to move beyond the hackneyed old boys' club formula. (With their overly wrought, stereotypically masculine décor, one has to wonder whether other steakhouses around town aren't compensating for something.) And the menu, while focused on the classics, dares to administer a creative twerk. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA grill23.com.
Jeannie Rogers, Il Capriccio
Jeannie Rogers is a soft-spoken woman, but when it comes to wine she sure knows her stuff. After 20 years of building the incredible cellar in Waltham at Il Capriccio, Rogers knows her customers and works hard to give them what they want. Sometimes, that means a little education: No wonder Rogers is on the founding advisory board of the Boston University Elizabeth Bishop Wine Resource center. Through her feet are deeply planted in the Boston area, Rogers' head and palate look toward the vineyard-dotted, rolling hills of Italy. Her interest in Italian varietals is duly noted on her hand-picked wine list (90 percent of selections are Italian), but not at the expense of some great varietals from Austria, Germany, France, and even Santa Barbara. Don't miss the grappa selection on the dessert wine list. 888 Main Street, Waltham, MA ilcapricciowaltham.com.
Big Wheel Recreation
Most of the music getting airtime on commercial radio these days may be pop-driven drivel, but no one has told that to the folks at Big Wheel. The new-wavy garage rockers in their stable actually care about melody, and they aren't afraid to put on a real rock show. This year alone, Big Wheel has released CDs by two of Boston's most buzzworthy bands: We Are the Only Friends We Have by Piebald and Standing Still in the USA by the Damn Personals. Plus, they've put out music by Swedish darlings the Hives and MTV stars Jimmy Eat World. All told, Big Wheel makes the local scene cooler than it has been since Evan Dando was in town. 325 Huntington Ave., No. 24, Boston, MA .
The Colonial Theater
The Boston Ballet has found the right place this time. 106 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
The San Fransisco Mime Troupe's <em>Steel Town</em>
We wish they'd move to Boston. The Massachusetts College of Art, .
Mike Ruth's
The Boston College football player is postponing his entry into the clergy to play in the National Football League.
Another tie-Boston College's Jack Bicknell and Gary Williams, and Harvard's Bill Cleary.
Anthony Lewis, <em>New York Times</em>
His columns carry a Boston dateline, so he counts as a local. He's consistently literate, which sets him apart.
Haveli
Because the best Indian eatery in Boston is always the newest one. Even Ghandi would have had trouble maintaining a fast there. 1248 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA .
L'Espalier
Perhaps no longer the best restaurant in town, but still the one most evocative of contemporary French cuisine, in nineteenth-century Boston splendor. 30 Gloucester St., Boston, MA .
<em>Mother Courage</em>
The Boston Shakespeare Company brought Linda Hunt to the Hub.
A toss-up between Ed Pincus's <em>Diaries</em> and Jan Egleson's <em>Dark Side of the Street</em>
Regional filmmaking is alive and well and flourishing in Boston.