The Year in Food

In a surprising twist, it was Kendall Square, not the South End or Fort Point, that saw the opening of one of the year's most buzzed-about restaurants: Hungry Mother, a much-needed neighborhood joint in an area that is not quite a neighborhood yet. The cozy spot brought the kind of gentrified, locavorish Southern fare to Boston that we predict will continue to sweep the nation in '09. Hungry Mother's popularity lies not only in its inventive comfort-food menu, but in its ability to allow New Englanders to enjoy everything that's good about the South (buttermilk biscuits, mint juleps, genuine hospitality) and everything that's popular in Fancy Restaurant Culture this year (sophisticated cocktails, grass-fed beef) while still actively condemning the negative aspects of the "Real" South (weak levees, Evangelicals, Disneyworld). Hence, it's been the darling of every pork-loving Chowhound from here to Maine since it opened this spring.

While Lucky's has been holding it down in Fort Point for almost a decade, and Michael Leviton's Persephone brought the first sparkles of a Soho-esque gleam (and one really annoying sandwich) to the formerly gritty South Boston neighborhood, Barbara Lynch sealed the soon-to-be-gentrified fate of the artists' haven by opening Drink on Congress Street in October. Misty Kalkofen, formerly the bar manager of Green Street and the president of the formidable Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC), joined its staff shortly after -- won over, we assume, by their excellent selection of ice (like most serious bartenders, Kalkofen's a bit of an ice wonk). Soon after, Sportello opened upstairs, seducing patrons away from Joanne Chang's Flour and the family-owned Yada Yada with their chestnut bisque and six-dollar sandwiches.

Meanwhile, Tony Maws made a rivaling bid for the heart of Central Square by opening Craigie on Main. For those who were sad to see Circle go, with its commitment to snout-to-tail cooking and its love for organ meats, Maws' venture should be more than enough salve for the wound. (And if it's not, because we know you offal freaks are a greedy bunch, you can pick some up at Lionette's or KO Prime.)

Brookline saw several casual restaurants open this year, from Jim Fahey's surprisingly charming T Rex Taqueria to the underwhelming Roadhouse (which has not, as we hoped, made the lines at the Publick House any shorter). Cafe Fixe, with its affordable cups of decidedly high-quality joe, has brewed its way into the hearts of many a wi-fi-scrounger in Washington Square since it debuted in November. On the other side of the Square, Tamarind Bay has been drawing weekend crowds for its seafood-based coastal Indian cuisine, and it recently introduced a vegan brunch on Dec. 20.

Speaking of vegan, the Ballsiest Opening Ever Award still goes to Alissa Cohen of Grezzo, who defied every stereotype about location, timing and concept to open her raw vegan joint in the North End in the dead of February this year, and has continued to draw accolades for both her moxie and her resourceful raw cuisine. If you've never tried a dehydrated tomato lasagna or a nut-based gnocci, January 1 is the time to start, as Cohen's serving up an all-vegan, all-raw menu til 4 p.m. (reservations recommended), so you can start 2009 off right -- with a little foodie detoxification. After a year like this one, you're going to need it.