The November election of Marty Walsh signaled a return to a long tradition of Irish-American mayors in Boston. Starting in 1885, Hugh O’Brien of County Cork became the city’s first Irish mayor, and in the 1900s, Irish-American politicians held the mayor’s seat for 85 out of 100 years. However, Boston’s Irish residents weren’t always so accepted.

 If green-dyed beer isn’t your thing, don’t despair—Boston has an abundance of breweries, beer halls and pubs that are serious about suds.

 Five places to order oysters in the Back Bay, Boston.

Boston can always count on a few things happening in March: A massive St. Patrick’s Day parade in Southie, an excess of green-clad revelers in local pubs, and a handful of sell-out shows from the Dropkick Murphys.

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

Cocobeet, a new pure food-focused to-go spot near Government Center, specializes in organic juices, power smoothies and plant-packed cleanses made fresh daily with local ingredients.

Speakeasy Stage Company’s next production is a big one—in more ways than one. Starting on March 7, they’re staging Samuel D. Hunter’s The Whale, a tragicomedy about a morbidly obese man making one last desperate attempt to connect with his teenage daughter. We chatted with the star of the show, John Kuntz, about smells, prosthetics and the fat suit.

Science, art and food collide at the Museum of Science’s newest exhibit, Innovation in the Art of Food: Chef Ferran Adrià.