Cuisine

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Featured

Neighborhood Bar Most Needed by its Neighborhood:

J.J. Foley’s Café

Best New
Pizza:

Gran Gusto

Best Unsung Bartender:

Kevin Dick at Grill 23 & Bar

2008 Winners

•  Biggest Loss: the sale of the B-Side Lounge
•  Best Local Food or Drinks Blog: drinkboston.com
•  Best Revitalization of a Faded Glory: Restaurant Marliave
•  Most-Anticipated Opening: Drink
•  Best Sandwich Upgrade Since the Foie-Gras-and-Truffle Burger: Burrata BLT at Scampo
•  Dustin Pedroia Award for Unassuming, Consistent Brilliance: Chef/Owner Zamir Kociaj of Trattoria Toscana
•  Scariest Moment for Street-Foodies: Speed’s Hot Dog Switcheroo
•  Best Place for a Rowdy Group Chowdown: Best Little Restaurant
•  Best Restaurant Fad: Shabu-Shabu
•  Restaurant We Most Hope Starts a Trend: Highland Kitchen
•  Most Welcome Injection of European Culture to the Back Bay (tie): Vlora and La Voile
•  Most Likely to Become Your Next Home Away From Home: Hungry Mother
•  Age Before Beauty Award for Amateur Restaurant Reviewing: to the Regulars on the Boston Board of Chowhound.com
•  Most Overshadowed by its Design (tie): banQ, Dante
•  Prince Hamlet Award for Evoking Foodie Ambivalence: the Relocation of L’Espalier

•  Best Wine List That Doesn’t Have to Be: Legal Sea Foods
•  Best Luxury Steak Outside a Luxury Steakhouse: Davio’s
•  Best Second Restaurant by an Established Fine-Dining Star: Persephone
•  Foie Gras Poutine Award for Extraordinary Food in an Unlikely Setting (tie): Grezzo and Benatti
•  Bonus Points for Humility Award: O Ya
•  Highest Energy in the Lowest Key: Bill Poirier of Sonsie
•  Biggest Balls (tie): Julio de Haro and Deborah Hansen
•  Most Unforgettable Dish That Won’t Forget You Either: Calves’ Brains Pipérade at KO Prime
•  Best Bohemian Boite: the Savant Project
•  Best Chain Pizzeria: Upper Crust
•  Best Caffe Menu: Via Matta
•  Most Delicious Dish That Doesn’t Reward Close Scrutiny: Hanmaru’s Gamjatang
•  Most Convenient Spot to Meet Out-Of-Towners: Douzo
•  Irreplaceable Young Genius Award: Deng Laing of Gitlo’s Dim Sum Bakery
•  Restaurant Name Least Likely to Draw the Uninitiated (tie): Blunch and T.J. Scallywaggle’s

•  Best-kept secret: Michael Scelfo
•  Lightest Touch: Tom Fosnot
•  MVP, large parties division: Rendezvous in Central Square
•  Most underrated local seafood savants: The Portuguese, Azorean, and Brazilian restaurants of East Cambridge
•  Tastiest oddball cocktail: The Metamorphosis at Eastern Standard
•  Best wine lists: Troquet; Bin 26 Enoteca; Coda Kitchen & Bar
•  Best fusion cuisine: “Desi Chinese” menu at Grain and Salt
•  Best bread: Matt Murphy’s; Union Bar and Grille
•  Most unexpected place to get a well-made old-school cocktail: Deep Ellum
•  Coolest new watering hole: Vinoteca di Monica
•  Savviest reinvention: Rialto
•  Hopeful sign amid a tired trend: Locally-owned steakhouses
•  Funkiest Dessert: My Friend David’s Cheesecake Lollipop Tree at Flat Iron Tapas Bar & Lounge
•  Nicest surprise: Garden at the Cellar
•  Most overlooked foodie destination: East Boston

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