“I’m a big nacho guy,” Fieri told me. “Who isn’t, right?”
FIRST LOOK: HORSE THIEVES TAVERN, DEDHAM
While some places simply say that their takes are inventive or modern and then offer what everyone else is offering, this spot really does have some interesting takes on New England classics.
FIRST LOOK: AVENUE KITCHEN + BAR, SOMERVILLE
Its menu includes mostly new American fare and modern takes on old-fashioned items, including black garlic hummus, maple chili duck wings, roasted beets, beer-steamed mussels, a Cobb salad, burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, steak frites, and, well, you get the picture.
KRISTIN’S, BRAINTREE: A BREAKFAST SPOT FOR PEOPLE WITH A (VERY) SWEET TOOTH
The slightly quieter Braintree Square a short distance to the north is where you’ll find Kristin’s, and it often has much longer lines than the other places in town.
HOME TASTE, ARLINGTON: SECOND TIME’S A CHARM FOR HUMBLE LITTLE NOODLE SPOT
When Home Taste first opened in Arlington Heights, its menu was quite limited, but now there is much to choose from, though for many the menu begins and ends with hand-pulled noodles.
THE LEEKS COME OUT AT NIGHT: DON’T MISS THE NEXT EAST ASIAN-INSPIRED NIGHT MARKET ON CITY HALL PLAZA
“While our night market was inspired by the traditional night markets you see in Asia, we wanted to bring our own vision of a night market to life.”
BACK AT BUTTERMILK & BOURBON: MORE NOLA FARE FOR NORTHERNERS
The honey biscuits were reason alone to come back.
SALONIKI, CAMBRIDGE: GREEK FAST FOOD FROM A JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER
Jody Adams and her team have what’s basically a farm-to-table concept at Saloniki, with locally sourced ingredients used whenever possible, while they try to go with the best vendors possible in general, be it local or outside of the region.
DIG FOR VICTORY
The internet is a place where I can’t show you a picture of my garden because I sometimes get threats from nuts, racists, and trolls and wouldn’t want to give them any clues about how to identify my home.
LATEST LOOK: FRIENDLY TOAST, CAMBRIDGE
It’s nice to see such places as the Friendly Toast in Cambridge’s Kendall Square (and several other locations) take a light-hearted attitude toward all this, realizing that sometimes, you just want to have a decent meal, a drink or two, and a few laughs while enjoying a funky vibe that’s missing from so many other spots.
