-- If you saw a red-handed man downtown today, he was probably a bank robber. Police are searching for a man in his 50s in connection with the afternoon hold-up of the First Federal Savings Bank. The man fled the scene in a cab until a red dye pack in his loot bag exploded. He then fled on foot. Confidential to cabbies: people running from a bank with a bag of money are likely to......

Highland Kitchen is a little off the beaten path—it’s situated somewhere in the no man’s land between Davis Square, Porter Square, and Union Square. But with a laid-back vibe, delicious Bayou-influenced food, and a fantastic cocktail menu, it’s well worth the trek. And if you don’t want to hoof it, never fear: There’s parking in the back, if you’re lucky enough to snag a spot. Bostonist went on a recent Saturday night to check......

In Boston, a commemorative plaque is mounted on every other building, tree and rock... and we're proud of it, b'gum'! We just checked the historic museum gift shops and the coast is clear of tourists, stoners and field-trippers until February vacation. Here are a few gift ideas for the history buff (or the ignorant). The people at Historic New England do not mess around. We're getting misty about their spectacular historic photos of Boston. Their......

Bostonist finds that food makes a great gift for even the most difficult to shop for. Some of our favorite local food purveyors have made it easy for us with food-of-the-month clubs. We’d be thrilled to receive the gift of pork from Savenor’s, which has a bacon-of-the-month club. For something sweet, Pemberton Farms of Cambridge has a coffee-cake-of-the-month club and plenty of locally themed gift baskets. Formaggio Kitchen, famous for having its own cheese......

As the nights get colder and we slog through another sleepless Red Sox postseason, Bostonist starts thinking about squash. Butternut squash soup, to be precise. Warm, comforting, and economical, it makes an excellent one-pot meal. One of our favorite recipes is from Jack Bishop’s A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. Bishop’s butternut squash soup with chipotle chiles and garlic really packs a punch—you’d never guess that it contains only a handful of ingredients. (Plus a......

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. LAist saw national headlines soar this week with......

This year's James Beard Foundation Awards have been announced. Prizes for the prestigious food-related award are handed out in a multitude of categories. From top chefs to television, print critics to books. The Boston area usually gets a fair representation at the Beard Awards, but this year the medals for Boston are tough to come by. The big winner was Frank McClelland of L'Espalier who took home the honor for Best Chef: Northeast. A......

Both hungry and curious will be pleased to know that the Boston Vegetarian Society is holding their 11th annual Food Festival. Past attendees have said the event is often flooded with people, as it attracts the vegan, vegetarian, and inquisitive carnivores. Year-round, the BVS is a an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that has been going strong for twenty years, and are supported by a main staff who are welcoming and helpful to everything from planning gatherings,......

Last January, Bostonist came across a cute little spot in Bay Village called Rachel's Kitchen; we loved their "grilled cheese deluxe" and loved even more that the place actually had real owners, Rachel and Alon, who work side-by-side each day at the Kitchen. While the place has great food, it is tiny and can make it hard to secure a seat. They've decided to expand their restaurant business and are currently in the works......

This short work week is long on music. The small show battles the bigger venue this week as the students invade the city. When they come back it seems the shows start up with vigor. Lots of 18+ hit the mark – and they've still got summer money in their pockets. What's this mean? Quite possibly there will be a few more sell outs than usual as the concert funds still run high. Fair......

What goes better with summer than al fresco dining? Al fresco beer, of course, and Cambridge Brewing Company (a.k.a. CBC) has both in spades. Although this Kendall Square hideaway makes for a cozy nosh during the winter months, (wood-burning stove outside the front door so smokers don’t have to freeze,) once the mercury rises CBC opens its spacious patio for diners and drinkers alike. It’s an ideal place to while away a weekend afternoon, and......

Today is your last day to get in on advance pricing for the annual “Taste of Cambridge” festival, held tomorrow in Technology square from 5:30 – 7:30pm, with tickets for sale online and at all Cambridge Whole Foods. Featuring gastronomic treats from B-Side Lounge, Upstairs on the Square, and the Elephant Walk, to name a few, “Taste” donates 100% of its proceeds to these local nonprofits. Since its inception in 2003, this increasingly popular event......

Preparing for a wine and cheese party in Boston can be a very fun prelude to the evening. Instead of getting everything at the super-market, discover the smaller, specialized shops around town that not only will have a much larger selection, but will also answer your questions and concerns (wine and cheese related of course) and help you with pairing. First thing you’ll want to get is the cheese- but don’t go crazy with numerous......

Hey Bostonist, I'm Adam, and I'm a food writer for your sibling to the south, DCist. I'm making a trip up to Boston for St. Patty's to visit friends and will likely be the one cooking the big dinner we won't eat at either 'noch's or Harvest. What I'm looking for is the best cheesemonger in Boston, as I'm planning my menu around the cheese course. I figured you guys would have the goods. Please......

Hi! Do you know any cool places for trivia night? Thanks. - Amy Boston is a bar town and a nerd town, and bars + nerds = trivia night. Bostonist has lived in other cities and never encountered the enthusiasm for boozy tests of general knowledge that pervades our fair city. That said, everyone has different priorities for what makes a good trivia night. Bostonist Katharine points out that a great many trivia nights in......

When Bostonist has had it with the Au Bon Pain lunch scene, we turn to our co-workers for lunch suggestions and last week, we were led to a delightful place. Located on Church Street in Bay Village (that tiny area between Back Bay/the Theater District/South End), Rachel’s Kitchen is a tiny, bright place to pop in and grab a sandwich and a retro soda pop in a glass bottle. The place is not a place......

After hearing the news that Harvard Square is in danger of losing yet another institution, Casablanca, Bostonist took to the streets to find out what’s taking the place of those things we knew and loved. Mr. and Mrs. Bartley’s Burger Cottage has long been the Square’s favorite burger destination. But recently b.good has opened up shop adding to the burger offerings already augmented by Lee’s Lunch, John Harvard, Charlie's Kitchen (home of the famous double),......

Dear Bostonist, I’m got a some holiday parties this month and I always show up with a random bottle of wine in hand for the party host. Do you have any creative, inexpensive gifts that aren’t alcoholic and not completely lame, to give to the party-throwers? Thanks! Sick of Chardonnay Bostonist has definitely been in that situation as recently as this past weekend when we showed up to a friend’s soiree with a 12 pack......

Did you ever want to teach, but once you learned what kind of paycheck you'd be getting, you jumped into Corporate America instead? Well, Gov. Romney is going to attempt to make teaching in the state of Massachusetts more attractive by creating a bill, which would give public school teachers merit bonuses depending on their students' progress. If this bill gets the okay on Beacon Hill, 25,000 teachers or so could be getting up to......