Boston Magazine just announced its Best of Boston Winners! Here are the winners from Dorchester! Congratulations!
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT, DORCHESTER
The dining scene in Boston’s largest neighborhood didn’t always reflect the area’s diversity — that is, until Comfort Kitchen came along. The restaurant at the intersection of Caribbean, African, Asian, and American soul-food cuisines offers everything from jackfruit sliders and harissa-date chicken bowls from the afternoon café to occasion-worthy plates (think: jerk-roasted duck leg with rice and peas) and Sumac Sour cocktails come dinnertime. 611 Columbia Rd., Dorchester, MA 02125, comfortkitchenbos.com.
BEST KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT
Kid-friendly perks here include speedy service, a noise level that will make your squirmer blend in, churros for dessert, and spacious outdoor seating. Adult-only bonuses are mature-palate tacos like chili-braised duck with vanilla-plantain purée, full-throttle cocktails (including eight kinds of margaritas), and reservations so you’re not circling the host stand with a yowling kid. Can’t get out of the house? They even deliver. Multiple locations, yellowdoortaqueria.com.
Joyce Linehan’s Living-Room Book Events
Punk-rock promoter turned political power player Joyce Linehan has had some famous houseguests in her day. In the ’90s, Courtney Love crashed at her place; in the late 2010s, Linehan convinced an obscure Harvard Law professor named Elizabeth Warren to run for Senate in her living room. And since 2017, that same enormous Dorchester living room has hosted the city’s coziest and most eclectic literary series. There are only two rules: No true crime, and every guest of honor gets his or her face memorialized on an ink stamp. Highlights from the past year include writer and playwright Nick Flynn, The Big Dig podcast host Ian Coss, and ex-Gawker labor reporter Hamilton Nolan. Dorchester, MA
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.