From lavish Japanese to rustic Italian, Boston's latest restaurants have something for every appetite.
Hungry Mother Located in a two-story house, this year-old restaurant (pictured) has become a fast favorite with tweedy professor types who come for gussied-up Southern dishes. Plus, you can learn to truss a chicken while washing up--the bathroom is wallpapered with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Try: Fried oysters with kohlrabi coleslaw ($11) and shrimp and grits with tasso ham. 233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave.; 617-499-0090 or hungrymothercambridge.com (Reserve a table)
O Ya Hidden in the Leather District, O Ya has won chef Tim Cushman national praise for his wildly ambitious (and expensive) Japanese cooking. Spring for the omakase tasting menu ($150), if only to avoid the headache of choosing between dishes like sea urchin with kuidashi gelee and tonkatsu with foie gras and shiso slaw. Try: Hamachi belly with sea urchin ($18) and foie gras with balsamic chocolate and aged sake ($22). 9 East St.; 617-654-9900 or oyarestaurantboston.com (Reserve a table)
Sportello Chef Barbara Lynch is on a one-woman crusade to uplift her South Boston neighborhood. Across the slim Fort Point Channel, sleek Sportello is her version of an Italian lunch counter; instead of stale sandwiches there are hearty soups, bright salads and homemade pastas. Try: Chestnut bisque with chanterelles and truffles ($9) and ricotta gnudi with walnuts and brown butter ($14). 348 Congress St.; 617-737-1234 or sportelloboston.com
Craigie on Main Chef Tony Maws turns out exuberant New American dishes that celebrate local ingredients, fat and flavor in equal measure. Prices are high for Cambridge, but the $38 nightly three-course menu is a steal. Try: the Camino cocktail ($10); house-made terrines ($14); Vermont lamb three-ways ($36). 853 Main St., Cambridge; 617-497-5511 or craigieonmain.com (Reserve a table)
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