Heavy Hitters on Boston's Culinary Scene

At O Ya, chef Tim Cushman has transformed an old firehouse into a shrine to sushi. His technique is pure Japan, but the flavors transcend geography: the baby mackerel is decorated with a black-olive puree and salsa verde shiso; oysters float in a cucumber mignonette with tiny scoops of watermelon. Each of these riffs consists of just a bite or two, but they tend to elicit moans loud enough to make the sushi chefs blush. More-substantial fare, like fried pork ribs with honey and scallions, is on the back of the menu. Prepare to spend $125 a person for an unforgettable omakase feast. 9 East St.; 617-654-9900; oyarestaurantboston.com.

Born in Boston and trained by some of the city's culinary stars, among them Todd English, chef Barbara Lynch inspires a great deal of hometown pride. At No. 9 Park, it's easy to see why. The food presented in this romantic 1803 town house is robust yet refined: everything on the plate tastes like itself, only more so. A white-truffle risotto arrives smelling of eros and Parmesan, but even these flavors don't obscure the subtly sweet taste of the Acquerello Carnaroli rice, which Lynch gets from an organic farm in Piedmont, Italy. The roasted cod makes you appreciate a fish too often drowned in sauce. The service at No. 9 Park is pitch-perfect, and the staff are charmingly casual about their encyclopedic knowledge. Ask to be seated by the window for a view of Boston Common. 9 Park St.; 617-742-9991; no9park.com.

For a completely different experience, hit B&G Oysters, Lynch's "seafood shack," where everyone seems to order the same thing: a plate of raw oysters and a lobster roll. Trust the wisdom of crowds. All Lynch does is stuff the sweet meat of a gently poached lobster, bound with a tablespoon or two of homemade lemon mayonnaise, into a pillowy hot-dog bun. Food doesn't get any simpler or more succulent. 550 Tremont St.; 617-423-0550; bandgoysters.com.

There is nothing shy about Sorellina, in Copley Square, where Italian food is taken to its logical extreme. Robert Jean doesn't serve spaghetti with meatballs: he serves tubes of fresh maccheroncelli with Kobe beef in a rich Barolo sauce. Gnocchi are tossed with homemade lemon ricotta, braised rabbit and wild leeks. The stylized room has enough white leather to make you worry about spilling your wine, but the lighting is flattering, and the staff let you linger as Boston bigwigs run up their expense accounts. 1 Huntington Ave.; 617-412-4600; sorellinaboston.com.

When it comes to the pungent flavors of the eastern Mediterranean — cumin, dried chili peppers, salty sheep's-milk cheese — Ana Sortun is an alchemist, and Oleana is her laboratory. She whips feta until it's a tangy cloud and stuffs eggs with tuna, aioli and black olives. Her moussaka comes with fava beans; hefty chunks of chorizo enliven her gnocchi. On the back patio in summer, candlelit tables under a sprawling tree provide some of the best alfresco dining in the Boston area. 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge; 617-661-0505; oleanarestaurant.com.

Chef Jody Adams knew she was taking a big risk last year when she decided to completely reimagine Rialto — nobody likes it when a beloved spot is overhauled — in the Charles Hotel. Rather than renovating the space, however, Adams was intent on redefining her food as a New England interpretation of regional Italian cuisine. The gamble has paid off. The pasta is spot-on, like the ravioli stuffed with chestnuts and Parmesan. And don't write off the Rialto classics. When the Provençal fisherman's soup, with Gruyère, basil oil and spicy pepper aioli, was carried through the room recently, a diner immediately announced to her waiter, "I want whatever that was." 1 Bennett St., Cambridge; 617-661-5050; rialto-restaurant.com.

Hamersley's Bistro is a Boston institution, one of those places that helped define their neighborhoods: in this case, the endearingly gentrified South End. The cozy, casual dining room has light yellow brick walls and an exposed wood-beamed ceiling; the unfussy food fits the stylishly laid-back vibe. Gordon Hamersley has a knack for taking bistro clichés, like steak frites and steamed mussels, and gently infusing these old favorites with new pleasure. Instead of emulsifying his red-wine steak sauce with butter, he relies on beef marrow; instead of cooking mussels with a generic white wine, he sautés them with Pineau des Charentes, a French aperitif, which gives the shellfish an unexpected kick. 553 Tremont St.; 617-423-2700; hamersleysbistro.com.

Stepping into the gilded rooms of Locke-Ober is like traveling in a time machine to the late 19th century, when Brahmins still ruled Boston and going out to dinner meant putting on a jacket. Lydia Shire, the chef and an owner, serves irony-free food. There are no quotation marks on the menu — JFK's lobster stew really was JFK's soup of choice — and the restaurant churns out decadent dishes, like foie-gras steak on brandied waffle toast, that may require your taking an extra dose of Lipitor. But it's worth it. 3 Winterplace; 617-542-1340; lockeober.com.

Craigie on Main (formerly the Craigie Street Bistrot) is the most Parisian restaurant I've ever eaten at that's not in Paris. From the old Truffaut movie posters lining the walls to the all-French wine list to the concise menu, it feels like one of those Left Bank gems only the locals know about. Tony Maws loves to celebrate obscure meats that are both earthy and ecologically sound, and he has a way of keeping ingredients honest, like the Vermont lamb he prepares three ways. 853 Main St., Cambridge; 617-497-5511; craigiestreetbistrot.com.