User Lists in Boston, MA Metro

March may come in like a lion and go out like a lamb, but first make way for the tiger. (And lo, how it pounces!) In 2010, Feb.14 kicks off the lunar Chinese New Year--the year of the golden tiger in accordance with the Chinese zodiac--and Boston celebrates in kind with firecracker-lit festivals, dragon-undulating parades and more bowls of plump dumplings than you can shake your lucky chopsticks at. Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Remember life before email? It may be fuzzy, but one thing's clear: There's a tactile world out there, and it involves paper. It never hurts to refresh social ties with a personal touch, and what better way to share that care than with finely crafted greeting cards or gorgeous party invitations? Either way, it's always an occasion to take note of these first-rate stationers and paperies in Boston.

(Photo: Rugg Road Paper Company)

The normally genteel staff at Hungry Mother (usually seen doling boiled peanuts, fried pickled okra and housemade moon pies with aplomb) goes a little nutty tonight--Feb. 1, 2010--for the second-year anniversary of the Cambridge restaurant. Two words: PARTY. BUS. It'll be cruising around the city to celebrate. Go on and catch 'em if you can.

For whatever reason you wish to boycott the sickly sweet Hallmark holiday that is Valentine's Day--you're left single and heartbroken, you feel like restaurant special menus are the nth ring of amateur night hell, you wonder what the big deal is since every day is love-making day--here's a slew of decidedly non-romantic things to do in Boston on Feb. 14, courtesy of our benevolent Citysearch Boston Dictators.

There are countless ways in Boston you can support the aid efforts in the tragic aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. In addition to donating directly to charities--including the Red Cross, Partners in Health and the Clinton Foundation's Haiti Earthquake Relief--participate in these local fundraising efforts. To suggest additions to this list, please email details to editor_boston@citysearch.com.

(Photo: Shutterstock)

Nothing makes regular ol? chicken taste better than a bath in hot grease--and that perfect breaded crunch has converted many a staunch Yankee to consider a Southern-fried lifestyle. In Boston, what was once solely fast-food or picnic fare has become comfort-food chic, and local eateries are serving up breasts, legs and wings alongside mashed potatoes, cole slaw and maybe even a waffle or two.

(Photo: The Hen House by David Levin)

Fondue, the so-hot-it-melts dipping trend of the `70s, has been in hiding for a couple decade, but the art of the ooey-gooey has, of late, been popping up on menus around the city. The interactive cuisine is becoming a staple of many Boston restaurants and diners--whether the absorbent snack on a stick is soaking up creamy Gruyere or liqueur-laced chocolate. Go on and dip like it's 1972.

Soup holds a fabled place in the comfort-food canon, a belly-warming dish recalling the aromatic simmerings of our youth. Whether it channels a pure clarity of flavor or combines ingredients in layered complexity, a steaming bowl of Boston's best soup is a welcome winter treat. The gamut runs wide, from pork belly-laced clam chowder to curried Malaysian noodle soup, with each spoonful just as soothing as the last.

(Photo: Fall carrot soup at Oleana by Christine Liu)

The gin flowed and the beer foamed as new watering holes and lively lounges set up shop across Boston in 2009. Despite the wavering economy and an influx of "comfort-driven" restaurants, our fine citizenry didn't thirst for less--whether it be for microbrews on tap, super-smooth Manhattans or a floor fancy enough to cut a rug. Here are 10 new Boston bars and clubs where you'll find us after hours ... given you can make us out in the dark, of course.

(Photo: Courtesy of Trina's Starlite Lounge)

Not unlike yolky rivulets bursting from a poached egg, a brilliant stream of new restaurants flooded Boston in 2009. In line with the times, this year's conceptual compasses pointed every which way, from quirky twists on street-food snacks to farm-fresh bistros with sustainable flair. It's with hearty applause for the tasty and the inventive that we present our top 10 of the year.

(Photo: Fried oysters at Tupelo by Christine Liu)