M.C. Spiedo, situated in the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel (606 Congress Street) was inspired by the opulence of the Italian Renaissance.

 If you’ve always wondered what it’s like to have a famous chef in the family, you’re about to find out. Chef Michael Scelfo envisioned Cambridge hotspot Alden & Harlow as a place where he could cook honest, unpretentious food reminiscent of a backyard barbecue or Sunday supper.

True Neapolitan pizza is so rare a bite, only a handful of restaurants get it right—and Crush Pizza promises they’re one of them.

How many different kinds of wine do you think you can try in one day? Fifteen? Fifty? How about 1,800? That’s how many international varieties you’ll find at the Boston Wine Expo, the largest consumer wine expo in the United States. Time to sharpen those sniffing and sipping skills.

The team behind beloved Kendall Square restaurant Hungry Mother bring another dose of Southern-fried flavor to Cambridge with their newest venture, State Park. Called Hungry Mother’s “(obnoxious little) sister bar,” State Park feels like a dive bar on steroids.

Valentine’s Day may be a few weeks away, but it’s never too early to start indulging in chocolate. Luckily, the Taste of Chocolate Weekend, hosted by the Harvard Square Business Association, returns in all its sweet splendor January 24-26.

The North End may be synonymous with Italian food, but don’t expect to find any traditional red-sauce dishes at the neighborhood’s newest addition, Ward 8. Owner Nick Frattaroli—whose family owns North End restaurants Ducali, Lucia and Filippo—envisioned an American brasserie with a menu full of comfort food and a roomy bar serving classic cocktails.

Shake Shack aficionados are a zealous lot, the kind to line up in a snowstorm just for a burger from the NYC-based chain—which is exactly what they did when the new Cambridge location opened earlier this month.