Now’s the time to take a chance on that eatery you’ve been eyeing. More than 200 restaurants in the Metro Boston area are participating in Dine Out Boston, crafting specially designed prix fixe menus at an affordable price point.

 Raise a pint of Guinness to a few of our favorite Irish pubs in the Hub, and be sure to visit one (or all) this St. Patrick’s Day weekend for a real celebration.

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

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

 Go to Southie for the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, and stay for the unique mix of lively pubs, trendy boutiques and innovative eateries.

 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.

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.

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.