Nightshade Noodle Bar
Rachel Miller rode into Boston on a bus as a teen with nothing but a bike. These days, she’s blazing new trails with electrifying French-Vietnamese-inspired seafood fusion. Once a pop-up, Nightshade now offers tasting menus showcasing wild combos like crispy surf clams with tomato-ranch sauce, and glass-noodle “puttanesca” tossed with anchovies, squid, and fermented black beans. Miller’s newest endeavor: Sin City Superette, a neighborhood grocery with equally offbeat prepped foods and pantry essentials. 73 Exchange St., Lynn, MA 1901, nightshadenoodlebar.com.
Select Oyster Bar
Nineteenth-century urban planning may have transformed an ocean inlet into the Back Bay neighborhood, but about 150 years later, inspired chef Michael Serpa is still filling it with (fabulous) Mediterranean-inspired fish: sea bream, whole-roasted and sauced with parsley, mint, and oregano; swordfish with champagne mango and rose harissa; and salmon crudo augmenting towers of oysters and crab salad. A whip-smart wine list—including a nice pool of reds—pays equal attention to terroir. 50 Gloucester St., Boston, MA selectboston.com.
Island Creek Oyster Bar
For Ethel’s Lobster Roll, named for his beloved grandmother, chef Jeremy Sewall sources delicate, ultra-fresh meat from his Maine fisherman cousin, then classes it up with a rosemary-imbued bun, crème fraîche, and the perfectly calibrated blend of celery salt and pickle. Your favorite seafood shack can’t compare. 500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA islandcreekoysterbar.com.
Grill 23 & Bar
For years, Grill 23 has served Boston’s ultimate power-crowd fare. Sure, you have your waiters in white jackets, towers of fresh seafood, and a top-notch wine list, but the reason we keep coming back to this local institution is because no one in town cooks a better steak. It’s salty, crusty, buttery—an unmistakable carnivore’s delight. And remember, if the 10-ounce American Kobe cap seems a bit too small, the 18-ounce 100-day-aged prime rib-eye will be more than happy to oblige. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116, grill23.com.
The GrandTen Bar
You won’t find a more inventive cocktail program: GrandTen’s liquor license requires staff to create every ingredient on the menu from the distillery’s base spirits—from peach brandy to a vermouth-like "vermaro." But despite its extreme dedication to craft, this bar is a snobbery-free zone. 383 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02127, grandten.com.
Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen
Soul food meets soulful music at this longtime fixture, where live entertainment is the soundtrack for dinner and brunch service featuring dressed-up southern comforts like country-fried chicken wings with sweet peach chili and oh-so-perfect collard greens. The bands play on thanks to still-new owner Nia Grace, who not only stewarded the storied spot to the other side of a pandemic, but — as cofounder of the recently launched Boston Black Hospitality Coalition — uses her significant stage to advocate for a more equitable restaurant industry in the city. 604 Columbus Ave., South End, MA 02118, dcbkboston.com.
Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar
Rosebud’s renovation has been a boon for the area’s dining scene, which leans heavily on the sandwich/burrito/froyo trifecta. Just be sure to order chef John Delpha’s meltingly soft ribs early: They sell out. 381 Summer St., Somerville, MA 02144, rosebudkitchen.com.
Harry’s Bar & Grill
The staff is friendly and the beer list is solid. The pretzel bites, however, take this bar to the next level. Forget the dipping sauces on the side of each order—the golden, salted-to-perfection morsels don’t need them. 1430 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02135, harrysboston.com.
The Proprietors Bar & Table
Hollandaise-drizzled eggs Benny and bloodies are always a welcome weekend indulgence, but there are times—especially on vacation—when we want more from our morning meal. Thankfully, the Proprietors' adventurous brunch menu rises to the challenge. Here, chef/co-owner Michael LaScola's lobster-and-mushroom pancakes are luxed up with crème fraîche and caviar; whipped-mortadella toast is finished with a soft-poached egg; and everything tastes better with a side of "Ranchero" tater tots, slathered with gooey cheddar cheese and scrambled eggs. 9 India St., Nantucket, MA 2554, proprietorsnantucket.com.
Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar
With several choices up for grabs each day, from strawberry-rhubarb to peanut butter-fudge, this Somerville diner deserves props for the breadth of its pie program alone. But don't worry: The quality matches the quantity. Blueberry-crumble nails the fruit-to-topping ratio, packing in plenty of fresh berries, while the silky mocha-cream is so decadent, we ate until well past full. 381 Summer St., Somerville, MA 02144, rosebudkitchen.com.
Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar
415 Washington St., Somerville, MA dalirestaurant.com.
The Bar, Ritz-Carlton, Boston
Something about the way the light from the fireplace hits this wood-paneled room sharpens the taste buds. And something about the cushy, tapestry-covered seating relaxes the senses. The unfettered view of the Public Garden and the unapologetically clubby setting, complete with hunting paintings—it all adds up nicely. But the real old-school gem, the real relaxation, is in the icy gin martini, perfectly blended and balanced, and served smooth with zero burn. Ritz-Carlton, Boston, 15 Arlington St., Boston, MA .
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.
Tim's Bar & Grill
No two ways about it: Tim's is a dive. Not a dressed-down yuppie hot spot marketing itself as "casual" and "unpretentious," but an honest-to-goodness greasy spoon. But where else would you find the low-priced burgers in the city? Tim's are so enormous—a full pound of beef for four bucks—they make your jaw ache. They're the kind of burgers that, with each bite, send pink juice running down your arms. The kind where your napkin is in tatters after five minutes. And Tim's is the kind of place where when you ask for medium-rare, it comes medium rare. 329 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Back Bay Brewing Company
In years past, we anointed Back Bay, but with one reservation. Brewmeister Tod Mott always made the damn small-batch beers this side of the Mississippi. (His seasonal Imperial stout is a classic, notwithstanding that goofy squabble over naming it Boston Strangler Stout.) But the food left something to be desired. New chef Jim Casey has taken care of that, however, with a fine inventive menu devoid the culinary pretense that hobbles other brew pubs. 755 Boylston St., Boston, MA .