South Boston · Italian · $$$ Fox & the Knife Boston chef Karen Akunowicz’s first venture blends her signature bold flavors with Italian cooking chops.
Somerville · Cafe · Coffee · $ 3 Little Figs From breakfast to lunch, this neighborhood shop turns out lovable treats worth traveling for.
Cambridge (+) · Cafe · Juice Bar · $$ Life Alive Organic Cafe An homage to veggies and an ode to flavor.
Somerville · French · $$$ Juliet There’s always a reason to stop by Somerville’s sweetest all-day café.
Cambridge · Ice Cream · $ Honeycomb Creamery Discover farm-to-freezer flavors at this Cambridge ice cream shop.
Chinatown (+) · Chinese · $ Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café Handmade noodles draw crowds to this otherwise inconspicuous Chinese joint.
Brookline · Chinese · $$ Bess's Cafe This little Brookline spot punches above its weight when it comes to flavor.
South End · Italian · Pizza · $$ Picco When all you really want is pizza, beer, and ice cream, but you also have standards.
Suburbs · Asian Fusion · Ramen · $$ Little Big Diner The name says it all: This tiny pan-Asian spot is packed with hefty flavors.
Allston-Brighton (+) · Food Truck · Sandwiches · $ Roxy's Grilled Cheese Crispy bread. Melty cheese. Meat. What’s not to love?
North End · Pizza · $ Galleria Umberto This gem of a Sicilian spot hides the best lunch deal in town.
Brookline · Ramen · $$ Ganko Ittetsu Ramen A hot bowl of these Sapporo-style noods is well worth the wait.
East Boston (+) · Italian · Pizza · $ Santarpio’s Pizza Any way you slice it, this old-school haunt is an indisputable pie shrine.
Cambridge · Japanese · $ Yume Ga Arukara An oasis of udon from the team behind Porter Square’s beloved ramen shop.
Somerville · Ice Cream · $ Gracie's Ice Cream Sample Somerville’s creamiest at this Union Square ice cream shop.
Cambridge (+) · Ramen · $$ Hokkaido Ramen Santouka Let the New Yorkers have their Ippudo; we’ll stick to Santouka.
Cambridge · Ice Cream · $ Christina's Homemade Ice Cream Inventive flavors in the sweetest corner of Cambridge.
Cambridge (+) · Bakery · Cafe · $$ Tatte Bakery & Cafe Fluffy croissants and white walls keep this constantly packed bakery miraculously airy.
Cambridge · BBQ · $ Formaggio Kitchen (Seasonal BBQ) The worldliest haute grocer delves into the messy art of sidewalk BBQ.
Cambridge (+) · Tacos · $$ Lone Star Taco Bar Tex-Mex to please even the staunchest of southwestern gorditos.
East Boston (+) · Mexican · $$ Angela's Cafe Get your mole fix any time of day at this Puebla-cuisine institution.