DIG THIS AWARDS 2009

Neighborhoods

By DIG STAFF

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Allston
Our House West
[1277 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.782.3228]
Runners-up: White Horse Tavern, Joshua Tree, Wonder Bar

Back Bay
Bukowski's Tavern
[50 Dalton St., Boston. 617.437.9999]
Runners-up: McGreevy's 3rd Base Saloon, Daisy Buchanan's, 29 Newbury

Beacon Hill
Red Hat Café
[9 Bowdoin St., Boston. 617.523.2175]
Runners-up: The Sevens Ale House, The Hill Tavern, 21st Amendment

Brighton
Brighton Beer Garden
[386 Market St., Brighton. 617.562.6000. brightonbeergarden.com]
Runners-up: Hogan's Run, Devlin's Bistro and Bar, Irish Village

Brookline
The Publick House
[1648 Beacon St., Brookline. 617.277.2880. eatgoodfooddrinkbetterbeer.com]
Runners-up: Coolidge Corner Clubhouse, The Washington Square Tavern, Roggie's Brew & Grille

Central Square
River Gods
[125 River St., Cambridge. 617.576.1881. rivergodsonline.com]
Runners-up: People's Republik, The Field Pub, The Plough & Stars

Charlestown
Tavern on the Water
[One 8th St., Charlestown. 617.242.8040. tavernonthewater.com]
Runners-up: The Warren Tavern, Max & Dylan's Kitchen & Bar, Tavern at the End of the World

Davis Square
The Burren
[247 Elm St., Somerville. 617.776.6896. burren.com]
Runners-up: Underbones, Joshua Tree Bar & Grille, Johnny D's Uptown

Teele Square / Ball Square / Powderhouse (#89 bus)
Rudy's Café
[248 Holland St., Somerville. 617.623.9201]
Runners-up: PJ Ryan's, The Pub, Olde Magoun's Saloon

Dorchester
The Blarney Stone
[1505 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester. 617.436.8223. blarneystoneboston.com]
Runners-up: dbar, Ledge Kitchen, C.F. Donovan's

Downtown / Financial District
Good Life
[28 Kingston St., Boston. 617.451.2622. goodlifebar.com]
Runners-up: Elephant & Castle, J.J. Foley's, Fajitas and 'Ritas

Theater District
Jacob Wirth
[31 Stuart St., Boston. 617.338.8586. jacobwirth.com]
Runners-up: Intermission Tavern, Teatro, Tantric Indian Bistro

East Boston
303 Café
[303 Sumner St., East Boston. 617.569.3001. 303cafe.com]
Runners-up: Santarpio's, Ecco, D'Parma

Fenway
Church of Boston
[69 Kilmarnock St., Boston. 617.236.7600. churchofboston.com]
Runners-up: An Tua Nua, Lower Depths, Audubon Circle Restaurant and Bar

Harvard Square
Charlie's Kitchen
[10 Eliot St., Cambridge. 617.492.9646]
Runners-up: Grendel's Den, Grafton Street, Hong Kong

Inman Square
Bukowski's Tavern
[1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617.497.7077]
Runners-up: Thirsty Scholar Pub, The Druid, All Star Sandwich Bar

Jamaica Plain
Milky Way
[284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain. 617.524.3740. milkywayjp.com]
Runners-up: James's Gate, Brendan Behan Pub, Galway House

Kendall Square
Tommy Doyle's
[One Kendall Sq., Cambridge. 617.225.0888. tommydoyles.com]
Runners-up: The Blue Room, Atwood's Tavern, Courtside

Mission Hill
Mission Bar & Grill
[724 Huntington Ave., Boston. 617.566.1244. themissionbar.com]
Runners-up: Flann O'Brien's Pub, Penguin Pizza, The Savant Project

North End
Caffé Vittoria
[290-296 Hanover St., Boston. 617.227.7606. vittoriacaffe.com]
Runners-up: Bricco, Fiore, Boston Common Coffee

Porter Square
Tavern in the Square
[1815 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617.354.7766. taverninthesquare.com]
Runners-up: Christopher's, Toad, Newtowne Grill

South Boston
Boston Beer Garden
[734 E. Broadway, South Boston. 617.269.0990. bostonbeergarden.com]
Runners-up: Franklin Southie, Shenanigans, Stadium Sports Bar & Grill

Waterfront
Lucky's
[355 Congress St., Boston. 617.357.5825. luckyslounge.com]
Runners-up: Atlantic Beer Garden, Blue Wave, Barking Crab

South End
The Beehive
[541 Tremont St., Boston. 617.423.0069. beehiveboston.com]
Runners-up: The Columbus Cafe, Anchovies, Delux Cafe

Union Square
The Independent
[75 Union Sq., Somerville. 617.440.6022. theindo.com]
Runners-up: Razzy's, P.A.'s Lounge, Sally O'Briens

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Best tenpin

Candlepin bowling may be a hallmark of Massachusetts history, but there's nothing quite as satisfying as tossing a big ol' ball down a lane and watching it knock down 10 full-sized pins. Which is why we love Boston Bowl. The Dorchester alley is open 24 hours a day and boasts half-price rates after 9pm on Mondays. The only thing you need now is some experienced middle-aged male bowling partners, and you're good to go. [820 William T Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester. 617.825.3800. 24 hours/prices vary. bostonbowl.com]

Best 10-mile bike ride: Minuteman

Like most attractions in Boston, the Minuteman Bikeway is steeped in history. You'll be pedaling through sites of the earliest Revolutionary War battles, and along the old Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad line, which ran from 1846-1977. Pick up railroad souvenirs at the Bedford Freight House, watch the sun set over Spy Pond or check out the statues on Lexington Green. Wish you had another mile of this, dontcha? Well, you lucky dog—it's actually 11 miles. You're welcome. [Alewife to Bedford. minutemanbikeway.org]

Best 10-mile stretch of the Masspike

Part of the fun of visiting Tanglewood in the summertime, or the Berkshires in the fall, or Mass MoCA whenever (go to Mass MoCA) is hitting the Pike after slogging through Springfield. Beyond the Chester Blandford State Forest and before Goose Pond sits the best 10-mile stretch of pike in Mass. You glide past various ponds, with huge pines in the distance, as the elevation gets higher and higher. It's a vacation-within-a-vacation that makes you feel like you're truly leaving the state. The best part is coming back—it's all downhill. [I-90W, between Blandford, Mass., and Lee, Mass.]

Best 10th man

Red Sox down 7-0 in the top of the 7th in game 5 in the 2008 ALCS. I turn to editor Jim Stanton, diehard Sox fan: "Let's get out of here, this sucks." "No way," he says, "let's see if we can get better seats." We do, and proceed to chant down the pitchers. It starts working. The whole section starts in. Home run Papi, home run Drew and the Red Sox pull off greatest single-game comeback in playoff history. In the papers the next day, pitchers admit to being rattled ... J. Stanton: 1, Devil Rays: 0. [4 Yawkey Way, Boston. 617.267.9440. redsox.mlb.com]

Best 10 hills

Somerville is like a theme park—a densely populated borough with few open spaces, each neighborhood an experience in itself. Ten Hills, though, is an island among islands. Bordered by the Mystic River, McGrath Highway and I-93, it's safe by design. Volunteer at the Boys & Girls Club of Middlesex or enjoy historic Grimmons Park. At only 50 acres (it was once a farm), you can also walk around the entire neighborhood in about 10 minutes and think: "How the hell did I get here again?" [Ten Hills, Somerville]