Where to eat

BON SAVOR **

Hail, Boston, city of neighborhoods, each with its own distinctive flavors. In JP, for instance, there’s Bon Savor. The menu splits its time between France and South America, with relaxed, happy dishes such as steak frites with chimichurri and moqueca de peixe, the Brazilian seafood stew. Bon Savor is not the kind of restaurant you go out of your way for – it’s the kind you eat at, regularly and gladly, in your own neck of the woods. 605 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617-971-0000, http://www.bonsavor.com

CORIANDER BISTRO ***

Coriander’s menu ranges far and wide: through India, from north to south to west, to the native Nepal of the owners, from street snacks to Anglo-inflected specialties, homey dal to complex curries. There are nearly 100 main dishes to sample and almost 20 kinds of bread alone. The variety is not the only reason you could eat here often. Chef Dammar Thapa went to culinary school in India, and his resume includes stints at a five-star hotel in Katmandu and on cruise ships. His food is deftly spiced and prepared with an unusually fine touch. 5 Post Office Square, Sharon, 781-784-2300, http://www.corianderbistro.net

EAST COAST GRILL ** ½

This year, East Coast Grill celebrates its 25th anniversary. There is nothing subtle about its success, predicated on internal-organ-scorching hot sauces, smoke and flames, hunks of meat, and creatures pulled from the sea. It’s a restaurant a caveman or a polar bear could love. But Boston loves it best. Unselfconscious, cheerfully kitschy, East Coast Grill is the jolly uncle of local restaurants – back-slapping, fun-loving, perhaps slightly embarrassing in certain company. It exists to make people happy, and it clearly does its job. 1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, 617-491-6568, http://www.eastcoastgrill.net

LEGAL C BAR **

This Legal Sea Foods spinoff is an amalgam of things that are officially trendy: small plates, casual dining, craft cocktails. Located in Legacy Place, it opened at the end of December (there’s another branch in Logan Airport), clearly aiming at twenty- and thirtysomethings. The surprise is that this bid for hipness actually works. The place is modern and well designed, with good cocktails and decent food. For Dedham, it’s a great addition, as you can see from the crowds. Legacy Place, Dedham, 781-234-6500, http://www.legalcbar.com

LUCCA BACK BAY ** ½

When the Italian restaurant Sasso became Lucca Back Bay, here’s what changed: approximately nothing. The restaurant looks the same, the menu is largely the same, and the chef is still Anthony Mazzotta. Which is why it warrants another look. Mazzotta has worked here and there – you know, little places like The French Laundry in California and Per Se in New York, as well as Toro in the South End. And he and his staff make very good food. The menu’s regional emphasis changes with the seasons, geared more to the hearty foods of Piedmont and Lombardy in the winter, and shifting toward Umbria and Abruzzo in the spring, Sicily and Calabria in the summer, and Sardinia and Lazio in the fall. It’s an intriguing approach. This is a restaurant that ought to be on more people’s radar. 116 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617-247-2400, http://www.luccabackbay.com

PARSONS TABLE ***

Catch chef Chris Parsons closed his seafood restaurant earlier this year, then reopened the space as Parsons Table. Good call. Seafood is still a strong presence, but Parsons Table offers a more general menu of well-made, ingredient-driven comfort food. This isn’t a novel concept these days, but Parsons shows us how it should be done. His cooking is top-notch. 34 Church Street, Winchester, 781-729-1040, http://www.catchrestaurant.com/parsonstable

PAZZO **

Newbury Street restaurants must negotiate a tricky balance between style and substance. Pazzo is led by an adept chef, Bill Bradley, but it feels as though it’s still trying to get its footing. The reasonably priced menu ranges from the usual (veal parm, pizza) to the less usual (sublime chicken livers with polenta). “Pazzo” means “crazy” in Italian, and the name leads you to expect a less serious restaurant than the one you find. Pazzo isn’t perfect. It is, however, one of the best places to eat on Newbury Street. 269 Newbury Street, Boston. 617-267-2996, http://www.pazzoboston.com

STORK CLUB **

It was a sad day when Bob’s Southern Bistro closed: the end of a long run, the end of live jazz and soul food, the end of a place where people from all walks of life felt welcome. Now the Stork Club, opened in August in the same space, is bringing life back to Bob’s corner. It’s got live jazz and soul food, though the former’s more successful than the latter. It’s also got basics like burgers and chocolate mousse, which it executes quite well. The main draw is the music, but you won’t be sorry if you stay to eat. 604 Columbus Avenue, Boston, 617-391-0256, http://www.storkclubboston.com

These reviews previously appeared in the Globe. For more, go to boston.com/food.