When I want superior, authentic Chinese food in Boston, I hop on the Orange line to Chinatown. (I've got my usual fave spots, but I'll never tell.) But for the occasions I crave the greasy, fried, cheap stuff—the kind that comes in flimsy white cartons and is delivered by bike in (usually) less than twenty minutes —I know to dial up with my neighborhood standby, the Food Wall in Hyde Square.  Stick with the standards here—pan-fried pork dumplings,  gingery shredded chicken with broccoli and scallions, spicy Szechuan-style orange chicken swimming in a starchy, saccharine-sweet sauce, …

I'll admit I'm not much of a sports fan, and I'm even less of a sports pub fan (all those blaring TVs and raucous sport fans? No.) But every now and again, I'll find myself talked into meeting up at a sports-centric spot with some of my crew ("C'mon, Kate! It's March Madness, after all!), and that's when I'm glad Costello's is around.  There's nothing too surprising here for a Boston sports joint—there's nine (count 'em nine!)  huge hi-def plasma screens lurking around, but here they're not so annoyingly prominent. There's faint smell of Pine-Sol, dim lighting and tons of the expected …

It's hard to believe it's been just four months since that tragic, albeit fluke, gang shooting and stabbing cast a cloud over one of Centre Street's oldest eateries. But in the months since that senseless violence grabbed so much media attention, Same Old Place has remained, well, the same old place.  The family-run pizzeria has been around since the the seventies, and, beyond an oversized flatscreen in one of the two seating areas, there's likely little to distinguish it now from its inception—there's still the sensible formica-topped tables, the faux-brick interior walls and the dated, …

If this arctic weather has quashed your craving for ice cream (and, um, speak for yourself), you need to get over it. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day—this IS Boston, after all—JP Licks is featuring a homemade Leprechaun Brew ice cream (it's green, of course it is) made with local Sam Adams beer, a Grasshopper Sundae made with Mint Irish Lace ice cream, homemade hot fudge, whipped cream and Oreos, and the Triple Chocolate Chipwich, which sandwiches Mint Irish Lace ice cream between two freshly-baked triple chocolate chunk cookies.  JP Licks also roasts all their own fair trade, organic …

Everyone knows they’ve got the best chocolate croissants in town (and yes, they’re THAT good.) But Canto 6 bangs out a bunch of other legendary pastries as well, and,  depending what day and time you stop by, you’ll may find sweet and savory scones, thick oatmeal cookies, mini goat cheese and fresh herb quiches, coconut macaroons, butter and bread pudding muffins, olive rolls, lemon shortbread cookies and apple brown butter almond galettes.  And they might also be the only spot in Boston to get a cork-shaped tappo (the Italian word for cork, of course)—a chocolate-y, mini, cakey thing—crisp …

The sign outside this Dominican sandwich shop in Hyde Square is always hanging askew, twisted by the wind and left unfixed. There’s not much in the way of charm in the sparse dining area, and there’s not a menu to be found. None of this matters, of course—your main objective here is to get in line at the counter (there’s always a line) and place your order by simply pointing to what you want behind the plexiglass display window. They boast "the best rotisserie chicken in town" and they deliver on that—garlicky and spice-laden skin crisps up around succulent, tender meat, the aroma of which is…

Sure, we’ve long considered “the Gate” a beloved JP institution and one of our very favorite spots for grabbing a pint with locals and friends. But not all the magic is coming from behind the bar; Chef Wilson Ferreira is churning out some superlative dishes in the back of the house for the pub’s adjoining restaurant. The menu, heavy on classic New England fare, includes hearty highlights like the popular mustard-crusted baked haddock served alongside mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and an herb beurre blanc sauce, a 10-oz. steak au Poivre with roasted fingerling potatoes, mushrooms, sauteed …