Al S: Best garden center I’ve found in the Boston area. Tons of house plants, succulents, and outdoor plants, with a great selection of quirky potting accessories too. This place is great.
Al S: Cool spot that serves only Oregon-made beers, along with a very solid whiskey list. It gets packed and quite loud but the selection is great. Drink a Heater Allen lager on draft.
Al S: Mecca for lovers of spontaneously-fermented beer. The new taproom is a perfect place to drink one of their vintage bottles. They often have rare stuff so always check the on-premise bottle list.
Al S: The food here was surprisingly good. Two flavor chicken lets you try two types of entrees in one dish, and both are very tasty. The place is tiny though and can fill up quickly at mealtimes.
Al S: Excellent, inspired cuisine. The rouleaux are fantastic. Never had a bad meal here, the last location of what used to be a Boston chain. It’s expensive though.
Al S: Excellent bagels. My favorite is the sea salt with butter. Ask them to toast it twice if you want it good and crispy. They tend to toast the bagels lightly.
Al S: First Boston outpost of the Bay Area-based coffee chain. The space is larger than most of its US locations, as is the food menu. The co. recently “sold out” to Nestle but it doesn’t show in quality.
Al S: Tucked in alleyway off Gloucester St., this small spot makes some serious mole sauce. If you don’t try it you’re a damn fool. A bit pricey and the portions aren’t big, but the food is great.