User Lists

Besides a few dusty bottles of fish sauce in the "Asian food" aisle, Safeway is as dull and unexotic as you can get. But visit one of the city's many ethnic markets and you'll be transported to another world by the smell of exotic spices, transfixed by strange fruits, vegetables and meats, and often surprised by the great prices. Whether you're cooking up an authentic Indian dinner and need some garam masala, or just want to check out the weird stuff they eat in Japan, read on. (Photo: Eels, ready for unagi, at Nijiya.)

Ice cream eating is a local sport--thanks to the utter preponderance of Boston-based ice creameries and evidenced by plenty of year-round cones-in-hand. There are as many ice cream masters and their respective kitchens, churning out the freshest batches, as you'll find at any a fairer weathered city. Yes, for a place buried beneath snow for half the year, Boston fights all odds in the quest for sugary, melty orbs of frozen, tongue-coating cream. That's moxie right there, and some fiiine ice cream.

(Photo: Toscanini's by Christine Liu)

In the excitement of Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and vacation planning, dear ol' Dad can sometimes fall by the wayside. Get a jump on Father's Day (it's Sunday, June 19th this year) by making reservations at one of these Dad-friendly spots, or grabbing an only-in-SF gift like a six-pack of microbrew or a straight-razor shave. He'll love you for it.

Spending the day with your whippersnappers and lil' wrigglers? See Boston again through a child's eyes with our picks for kid-approved stopovers and activities in the city. There's oodles of adventurous learning and energy-spending opportunities to spare, and nary a worry that the vibe will be yawningly adults-only.

We're all about living--and eating--green. Nothing warms our cockles quite like a farm-fresh plate beaming with Mother Earth's plant-based goodies. Fellow veg-lovers can fuel up with our handy-dandy spotlight on the city's best, and sometimes well-hidden, vegan-friendly eats, compiled from our vegan-only lookbook, VeggieThing.com and edible-bliss-for-$3.99-or-less lookbook, 3BuckBites.com. Know a delish vegan dish that we missed? Enlighten us with one of your favorites here!

It's the ultimate warm-weather dining ritual: you, a friend, and a well-stocked basket of goodies at a scenic spot. With all of the outdoor music and movies around Chicago in the summer, there are countless excuses for a picnic. Here's where to spread your blanket and fill your basket.

Before you throw another backyard barbecue, consider that other alfresco idea: planning a picnic. We went on the hunt for the tastiest nibbles and noshes for your basket and Miami's most picturesque locations for outdoor dining. And not to worry, we also thought of places for when Mother Nature threatens your adventure with rain.

You feel like shopping but you don't want to make promises your pocketbook can't keep. It's only natural to cut back during an economic downturn, but it doesn't mean you have give up your passion for shopping. Here are some Miami's best retail bargains.

Tacoma is the new Portland for Seattleites looking for a weekend vacay. Just 32 miles SW of the Emerald City lies this little industrial powerhouse of a town, slowly reawakening from the inside out. The formerly-gritty urban core is shedding its rust to reveal a downtown of shiny new buildings mixed with endearingly-aged creaky warehouses. Boutique coffeehouses and artisan cocktail spots are popping up in surprising nooks throughout the city, as the small town hipster crowd bubbles up through the commercially-inclined (and Port-focused) downtown scene. The nationally-renowned Museum of Glass and Tacoma Art Museum are destinations in themselves. Head South to catch a glimpse of the city's rebirth.

Staycations are so last year--gas prices are almost affordable now and flights are downright cheap--but you may still want to hold off on that trip to Peru until after the next round of layoffs. Fortunately, we're surrounded by places people fly thousands of miles to visit, so stay local and let your coca leaf-fueled hike to Machu Picchu wait until you're unemployed.