Neighborhoods

Beat the Rush -- If you plan to dine in a neighborhood that's near a performing arts or sports venue, try to arrive after the performance or game begins so you don't get caught in the frenzy. This is especially true in the Symphony Hall area and the Theater District, as well as Harvard Square, the North End (when there's an event at the Garden), and Kenmore Square (during baseball season).

Faneuil Hall Marketplace & the Financial District

The national chain McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant has a branch at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in the North Market Building (tel. 617/720-5522).

The North End

Boston's Italian-American enclave has dozens of restaurants; many are tiny and don't serve dessert and coffee. Hit the caffès for an espresso or cappuccino and fresh pastry in an atmosphere where lingering is welcome. My favorite dessert destinations are Caffè Vittoria, 296 Hanover St. (tel. 617/227-7606; www.vittoriacaffe.com), and Caffè dello Sport, 308 Hanover St. (tel. 617/523-5063). There's also table service at Mike's Pastry, 300 Hanover St. (tel. 617/742-3050; www.mikespastry.com), a bakery that's famous for its bustling takeout business and its cannoli. If you plan to eat in, find what you want in the cases first, then take a seat and order from the server. For gelato, head to Gelateria, 272 Hanover St. (tel. 617/720-4243; www.depasqualeventures.com), which serves 50 flavors of the Italian version of ice cream as well as pastries, coffee, and Italian soft drinks.

Go Straight to the Source -- The tiramisu at many North End restaurants comes from Modern Pastry, 257 Hanover St. (tel. 617/523-3783). The surreally good concoction ($3.50 a slice at the shop) makes an excellent picnic dessert in the summer -- head 4 blocks down Richmond Street to eat in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, off Atlantic Avenue.

Chinatown/Theater District

The most entertaining and delicious introduction to Chinatown's cuisine is dim sum. If you're eating dinner, you should know that many restaurants have a second menu for Chinese patrons (often written in Chinese). You can ask for it or tell your waiter that you want your meal Chinese-style.

If you're serious about sweets, consider ending -- or even beginning -- your meal at Finale, 1 Columbus Ave. (tel. 617/423-3184; www.finaledesserts.com).

The area around Park Square (Columbus Ave. and South Charles St., between the Theater District and the Public Garden) is a hotbed of upscale national chain restaurants. None of these places offers a unique or even unusual experience, but they're all reliable destinations if you're feeling unadventurous. They include Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 217 Stuart St. (tel. 617/292-0808); Maggiano's Little Italy, 4 Columbus Ave. (tel. 617/542-3456); McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, 34 Columbus Ave., in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel (tel. 617/482-3999); and P. F. Chang's China Bistro, 8 Park Plaza (tel. 617/573-0821).

There's a branch of Legal Sea Foods at 26 Park Sq., between Columbus Avenue and Stuart Street (tel. 617/426-4444; www.legalseafoods.com).

Yum, Yum, Dim Sum -- Many Chinatown restaurants offer dim sum, the traditional midday meal featuring appetizer-style dishes. You'll see steamed buns (bao) filled with pork or bean paste; meat, shrimp, and vegetable dumplings; sticky rice dotted with sausage and vegetables; shrimp-stuffed eggplant; spring rolls; sweets such as sesame balls and coconut gelatin; and more. Waitresses wheel carts laden with tempting dishes to your table, and you order by pointing (unless you know Chinese). The waitress then stamps your check with the symbol of the dish, adding about $1 to $3 to your tab for each selection. Unless you order a la carte items from the regular menu or the steam table off to the side in most dining rooms, the total usually won't be more than about $10 to $12 per person.

Dim sum varies from restaurant to restaurant, chef to chef, and even day to day; if something looks familiar, don't be surprised if it's different from what you're accustomed to and equally good. This is a great group activity, especially on weekends. The selection is wider than on weekdays, the turnover is faster (which means fresher food), and you'll often see three generations of families sharing large tables. Even picky children can usually find something they enjoy. If you don't eat pork and shrimp, be aware that many, but not all, dishes include one or the other; calorie counters should know that many dishes (again, not all) are fried.

Asked to name a favorite destination, I tend to favor the last place I went, which at the moment is China Pearl, 9 Tyler St., 2nd floor (tel. 617/426-4338). Other good destinations are Chau Chow City, 83 Essex St. (tel. 617/338-8158), Empire Garden Restaurant, also known as Emperor's Garden, 690-698 Washington St., 2nd floor (tel. 617/482-8898), and Hei La Moon, 88 Beach St. (tel. 617/338-8813).

Downtown Crossing

There's a Così Sandwich Bar at 14 Milk St. (tel. 617/426-7565).

The Lunch Line -- Try to be near Downtown Crossing at lunchtime at least once during your visit and seek out at Chacarero, 26 Province St., between School and Bromfield streets (tel. 617/367-1167; www.chacarero.com). It serves other things, but the line is so long because of the scrumptious Chilean sandwiches, served on house-made bread. Order chicken, beef, or vegetarian, ask for it "with everything" -- tomatoes, cheese, avocado, hot sauce, and (unexpected but delicious) green beans -- and dig in. I've never detected much difference in flavor between "original" and "b-b-que," but many fans swear by the latter, and I've never seen anyone other than a starving teenager finish a large -- even a small is a lot of food. And for less than $8, you feel like a savvy Bostonian. Chacarero started as a counter in the exterior wall of a department store, and the line was long. Now it's indoors, in a bright, colorful storefront, and the line is long. Another location, at 101 Arch St., off Summer Street, is in the works at press time, and there'll probably be a line there, too.

Cambridge

The dining scene in Cambridge, as in Boston, offers something for everyone, from penny-pinching students to the tycoons that many of them aspire to become. The Red Line runs from Boston to Harvard Square, and many of the restaurants listed here are within walking distance of the square; others (including a couple of real finds over the Somerville border) are under the heading "Outside Harvard Square."

The Scoop on Ice Cream -- No less an expert than Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's has described Boston as "a great place for ice cream." That goes for Cambridge, too -- residents of both cities famously defy even the most frigid weather to get their fix. I like Cambridge better: Try Christina's, 1255 Cambridge St., Inman Square (tel. 617/492-7021); Herrell's, 15 Dunster St., Harvard Square (tel. 617/497-2179); or Lizzy's, 29 Church St. (tel. 617/354-2911). Favorite Boston destinations include Emack & Bolio's, 290 Newbury St. (tel. 617/536-7127) and 255 State St., across from the New England Aquarium (tel. 617/367-0220); Ben & Jerry's, 174 Newbury St. (tel. 617/536-5456) and 20 Park Plaza (tel. 617/426-0890); and JP Licks, 352 Newbury St. (tel. 617/236-1666) and 659 Centre St., Jamaica Plain (tel. 617/524-6740).

Harvard Square & Vicinity -- A brilliant idea cooked up by a pair of Harvard Business School students, Finale, 30 Dunster St. (tel. 617/441-9797), specializes in dessert.

There's a Legal Sea Foods in the Charles Hotel courtyard, 20 University Rd. (tel. 617/491-9400).

As a rule, nonfranchise businesses that carve out a niche in Harvard Square do one thing and do it extremely well. Case in point: L.A. Burdick Chocolates, 52D Brattle St., Cambridge (tel. 617/491-4340; www.burdickchocolate.com; T: Red Line to Harvard). The amazing confections include sublime hot chocolate to stay or go.

Outside Harvard Square -- There's a Legal Sea Foods at 5 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square (tel. 617/864-3400). The Elephant Walk has a branch outside Porter Square, at 2067 Massachusetts Ave. (tel. 617/492-6900).

The food court on the lower level of the Porter Exchange mall, 1815 MassachusettsAve., Porter Square, is home to half a dozen or so Japanese businesses that attract expats from all over the Boston area. The super-authentic dining options are mostly fast-food counters with small seating areas in front; wander around until you see a dish that strikes your fancy. All open in the late morning and close by 9pm. Start at Cafe Mami (tel. 617/547-9130), but also check out Tampopo (tel. 617/868-5457), Sapporo Ramen (tel. 617/876-4805), and Ittyo (tel. 617/354-5944). Kotobukiya is both a sushi bar (tel. 617/492-4655) and Japanese grocery (tel. 617/354-6914; www.kotobukiyamarket.com). Afterward, hit Japonaise Bakery (tel. 617/547-5531) for French- and Japanese-style pastries, notably the items that incorporate adzuki cream.

The Back Bay

In 2008, L'Espalier (tel. 617/262-3023; www.lespalier.com) moved from a town house off Newbury Street to Boylston Street's new Mandarin Oriental, Boston. One of Boston's favorite special-occasion restaurants, it combines French technique and ingredients from all over -- notably small New England purveyors -- to create prix fixe menus of three or more courses that make dinner more event than meal. You'll pay at least $75 a head, and you won't mind a bit.

The Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St. (tel. 617/536-5400; www.bpl.org), is home to a restaurant, Novel, that serves lunch and afternoon tea on weekdays only, and the self-service Sebastian's Map Room Café, which serves meals and snacks Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Tapéo, 266 Newbury St. (tel. 617/267-4799), has the same owners and menu as Dalí. Jasper White's Summer Shack has a branch at 50 Dalton St. (tel. 617/867-9955), across the street from the Sheraton Boston Hotel and the Hynes Convention Center.

How Sweet It Is -- What a world! The low-carb craze just won't go away, but a place with the delightfully unsubtle name Sugar Heaven is thriving. The self-serve calorie castle at 218 Newbury St. (tel. 617/266-6969; www.sugarheaven.us) carries hundreds of confections, makes its own cotton candy, and stays open till midnight daily. That sound you hear is your dentist whimpering.

Kenmore Square to Brookline

Ginza Japanese Restaurant has a branch at 1002 Beacon St., Brookline (tel. 617/566-9688). Unlike the Boston location, the Brookline restaurant doesn't cater to a wee-hours crowd; its late nights are Friday and Saturday, when closing time is 1:30am (which is very late for Brookline).

There's a branch of Finale at 1306 Beacon St., just outside Coolidge Corner, Brookline (tel. 617/232-3233; www.finaledesserts.com).

Beacon Hill

Artú has a branch at 89 Charles St. (tel. 617/227-9023). It's open Sunday and Monday from 4 to 11pm, Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 11pm.