Ice time

Nothing evokes winter splendor like the image of a bundled figure gliding, or bumbling, along on ice skates. From Norman Rockwell to the dozens of romantic movie comedies featuring the skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza, ice skating is synonymous with the season’s best aspects: the joy of rosy cheeks, the feeling of having your senses heightened by being outside on a crisp, clear day. Looking beyond the usual suspects — Boston Common’s Frog Pond or the mini-rink at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge — we present alternatives for a great outdoor skate, along with apres-skate tips on cheer, coziness, and refreshment.

The Public Garden

The Public Garden offers a fantastic alternative to skating on the Frog Pond: It’s more picturesque, but it also feels like a magical oasis amid the city’s bustle. In recent years, the garden’s lagoon hasn’t frozen solidly enough for skating. But this year skaters have already been zipping around the lagoon, though a recent thaw means they should check the ice before skating on it. Skating here comes with a few caveats. The Friends of the Public Garden pay to have the ice cleared of snow, but the area is not monitored for safety, making this is a skate-at-your-own-risk situation. And the ice isn’t groomed, so it can be bumpy. But this may be the closest thing you’ll find in the city to that old childhood thrill of throwing your skates over your shoulder and heading down to the neighboring pond.

Skating in the heart of the city means you have about a bazillion ways to enjoy your apres-skate. Like the ultimate snow day fantasy of coming in from a sledding to find a plate of mom’s fresh-baked cookies awaiting you, the baked-to-order molten cake at Finale Park Plaza (1 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-423-3184) is pure ooey-gooey indulgence. It’s only served after 6 p.m., but that’s good reason to stay on the ice just a little bit longer.

The Swans Café at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers (64 Arlington St., Boston. 617-426-2000) offers a gorgeous setting for the soothing ritual of tea. It also boasts one of the country’s only tea sommeliers, Cynthia Gold, who concocts signature blends like the seasonal ‘‘Visions of Sugar Plums’’ tea, flavored with plum, ginger, pear, and cinnamon. Tea service includes finger sandwiches, tea breads, and chocolate-covered strawberries. The service is offered daily, from 3 to 5 p.m., and costs $24.50 per adult, $16.50 per child.

Just a few blocks takes you worlds away, to Chinatown’s narrow streets and dozens of options for heating up with a steaming bowl of pho. The modest Hu Tieu Nam Vang (7 Beach St., Boston. 617-422-0501) is considered one of the best spots for imbibing this savory Vietnamese soup, which comes in dozens of varieties and packs an even greater punch with a dollop of chili sauce.

Larz Anderson Skating Rink

Skaters at Larz Anderson Skating Rink in Brookline enjoy a majestic view of the city while crisscrossing the ice. The regulation-size hockey rink rests on the former site of the Larz Anderson family’s sprawling mansion. The family donated the land (along with the view) to the city, with the condition that it always be used for open-air recreational purposes. After major snow storms, it can take a few days for the ice to be cleared. But, usually, the city makes short work of the job. And, even better, the rink is groomed with a Zamboni, which remains one of those fantastical wonders from childhood, and means that the ice is generally smooth. There are changing rooms and warming buildings, and the snack shop features kiddy favorites — from hot chocolate to pizza. For little ones making their first foray onto the ice, half-hour skating lessons are offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings for $3, followed by a 15-minute open skate. Helmets are required during lessons, and are sold at the rink. (Bike helmets also work.) And the nice thing about outdoor skating is you don’t need pads; if you take a digger, you’ll be cushioned by layers of clothing. The rink is located at 23 Newton St., Brookline. 617-739-7518. Public skating hours: Tues and Thurs 10 a.m.-noon, Fri 7:30-9:30 p.m., Sat-Sun noon-5 p.m. Admission is $7 adults, $4 children 18 and under. Ice skate rentals are $5. The rink is available for private party rentals. www.townofbrooklinemass.com/recreation/LarzAnderson.html

One of the best things about skating here is its proximity to the Fireplace (1634 Beacon St., Brookline. 617-975-1900), a cozy neighborhood spot with a majestic wood fire — the name pretty much says it all. If it’s beverages you’re after, try the peppermint hot chocolate or a hot toddy. The Fireplace serves plenty of solid food that’ll thaw you from the inside out, too, like grilled chicken, corn, and red pepper soup. Or roll up your sleeves and dig into a sloppy joe, that hearty classic from childhood.

Whether there’s any truth to the idea that chicken soup fights off colds and flu, it’s certainly a satisfying, feel-good winter meal. And at Zaftig’s Delicatessen (335 Harvard St., Brookline. 617-975-0075), where the motto is ‘‘Let us be your Jewish mother,’’ they even say that their homemade chicken matzo ball soup is good for the soul. Skating and matzo balls — a combination that’s tough to beat.

OK, so it’ll take a while, and a bit of work on your part, before you can get warm from the wares at A Good Yarn (4 Station St., Brookline Village. 617-731-4900). But their walls of yarn, sorted into vivid rows ranging from cornflower blue to cotton-candy pink, are inviting enough on their own. And they’ll teach you to knit a hat for that special skater in your life in just three weeks.

Kelly Outdoor Rink

The Southwest Corridor Parkway, which offers a slice of green space from the South End out to Jamaica Plain, is known for offering all sorts of summertime activities. But it also boasts a special wintertime treat, the Kelly Outdoor Rink, near the Stonybrook stop on the Orange Line. It’s a modest little slip of ice, only 100 feet by 65 feet, but it’s in the open air. And the city’s parks and recreation workers maintain it along with the rest of the park, using Bobcats and snow blowers to clear the snow and a Zamboni to groom the ice.

The rink is located at 1 Marbury Terrace, off Amory Street in Jamaica Plain. 617-727-7000. Public skating hours: Daily noon-7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Skate rentals are $2.

When you come off the ice, nothing will revive you faster or better than the magnificent blaze at the James’s Gatex (5 McBride St., off South St., Jamaica Plain. 617-983-2000). The Irish pub has cozy low ceilings and an enormous farmhouse table in front of the fire, which encourages strangers to become neighbors on its long benches. And it doesn’t get much heartier and warming than bangers and mash, or shepherd’s pie, accompanied by a dram of Irish whiskey.

El Salvador isn’t exactly associated with cold weather, but the papusas at La Papusa Guanaca (378 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. 617-524-4000) are perfect for counteracting it. They look like mini quesadillas, taste like tamales, and their sizzling meat and bean fillings are coated in hot, melted cheese. Plus, the sides of vinaigrette-dressed coleslaw and hot sauce can add even more heat.

Just like in the frontier days, the City Feed and Supply (66A Boylston St., Jamaica Plain. 617-524-1657) offers an eclectic assortment of items in a cozy community hub. The lovingly renovated building has a lived-in feel, and people linger over coffee and sandwiches from the deli-style counter at the handful of small tables.