Philadelphians consume 12 times more pretzels than the average American. Without that kind of demand, can a good pretzel be found in Boston? The' Dig trusted my culinary acumen (and German ancestry) enough to set me on the trail. The results prove that a good pretzel can surely be found in the city—provided you know where to look.

LTK

Warm soft pretzel and deep-fried pickles, $6.95

Consistency: Thick, dark crust and a dense, chewy center. As the pretzel cools, it dries out.

Flavor: Sparsely salted crust does this bland dough no favors.

Condiments: Ancho chile mustard is strong, tasting mostly of palate-pummeling mustard seed. This and the salty-crunchy fried pickles provide a nice foil to the bland, dry pretzel.

Size: 7" x 4". Big, boring.

Overall rating: 2.3 knot. The drunk girl beside us loved it. Failing intoxication, order oysters.

[225 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston. 617.330.7430. ltkbarandkitchen.com]

Persephone

Baked-to-order bacon and sea salt pretzel, $8

Consistency: Masterfully-worked dough absorbs juicy flavor from the bacon-flecked crust.

Flavor: Bacon makes everything better.

Condiments: Spicy-sweet apple mustard is satisfactorily complex.

Size: 4" x 3". Think quality over quantity.

Overall rating: 4.4 knot. Pretzel perfection comes at a significantly higher price point. Get one anyway.

[283 Summer St., Fort Point, Boston. 617.695.2257. achilles-project.com]

Jacob Wirth

Bucket of pretzels (five per order), $7.95

Consistency: A perfect, cushy knot lies at the center of each pretzel, kept warm and moist by the steamy wax paper-lined basket.

Flavor: Slightly sweet dough and an amply (but inconsistently) salted crust make each bite an adventure.

Condiments: Tasty, but watery, spicy-ale honey mustard gets everywhere: my hands, forearms, my date and the table.

Size: 4" x 3" each. Good bang for your buck.

Overall rating: 3.8 knot. Classic interpretation.

[31-37 Stuart St., Theatre District, Boston. 617.338.8586. jacobwirth.com]

Boston Pretzel Bakery

Pretzel, $3

Consistency: Stiff crust and a disappointingly dry center.

Flavor: Lackluster dough suffers from insufficient amounts of salt.

Condiments: Even with a healthy squirt of Gulden's, it couldn't hold my attention.

Size: 7" x 6". Massive, mediocre.

Overall rating: 1.2 knot. Only if desperate.

[Pushcarts at Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, Downtown Crossing; retail store at Quincy Market. 617.522.9494. bostonpretzel.com]

AMC Loews Boston Common

Basket of pretzel bites (20 per order), $5

Consistency: Like eating styrofoam packing peanuts.

Flavor: See consistency.

Condiments: Guiltily yummy sauce, probably a few ingredients shy of plastic.

Size: 1.5" x 0.75". Phenomenal value—for lovers of styrofoam dipped in plastic.

Overall score: 1.5 knot, mostly for the disgustingly good cheese. I really shouldn't confess to eating this in print.

[175 Tremont St., Boston. 617.423.3499. amctheatres.com]

The Lower Depths Tap Room

Homemade sourdough pretzel, $2.50

Consistency: Crusty and doughy blur in this buttery-as-a-croque-Monsieur pretzel.

Flavor: Sweet dough and butter-for-days make it delicious, yet suspect. Is it fried? The staff assures that real butter and love are what make it magical.

Condiments: Spicy ale mustard is solid, but I'd eat it plain.

Size: 5" x 5". An artery-hardening steal.

Overall score: 4.95 knot. For flavor and value, this pretzel wins.

[476 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.266.6662]

Deep Ellum

Steamed pretzel, $3 (add beer cheese for $2)

Consistency: Thin, light brown crust and fluffy interior. It's what the pushcart pretzel wants to be.

Flavor: Slightly sweet dough bespeckled with fine salt crystals make each bite yummy and consistent.

Condiments: Mustard is good, but spring for the beer cheese: a bewitching mixture of American cheese and Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout.

Size: 6" x 6". Great value decreases when the cost of cheese is factored in.

Overall score: 4 knot. I would order this pretzel again.

[477 Cambridge St., Allston. 617.787.2337. deepellum-boston.com]

Philadelphians consume 12 times more pretzels than the average American. Without that kind of demand, can a good pretzel be found in Boston? The' Dig trusted my culinary acumen (and German ancestry) enough to set me on the trail. The results prove that a good pretzel can surely be found in the city—provided you know where to look.

LTK

Warm soft pretzel and deep-fried pickles, $6.95

Consistency: Thick, dark crust and a dense, chewy center. As the pretzel cools, it dries out.

Flavor: Sparsely salted crust does this bland dough no favors.

Condiments: Ancho chile mustard is strong, tasting mostly of palate-pummeling mustard seed. This and the salty-crunchy fried pickles provide a nice foil to the bland, dry pretzel.

Size: 7" x 4". Big, boring.

Overall rating: 2.3 knot. The drunk girl beside us loved it. Failing intoxication, order oysters.

[225 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston. 617.330.7430. ltkbarandkitchen.com]

Persephone

Baked-to-order bacon and sea salt pretzel, $8

Consistency: Masterfully-worked dough absorbs juicy flavor from the bacon-flecked crust.

Flavor: Bacon makes everything better.

Condiments: Spicy-sweet apple mustard is satisfactorily complex.

Size: 4" x 3". Think quality over quantity.

Overall rating: 4.4 knot. Pretzel perfection comes at a significantly higher price point. Get one anyway.

[283 Summer St., Fort Point, Boston. 617.695.2257. achilles-project.com]

Jacob Wirth

Bucket of pretzels (five per order), $7.95

Consistency: A perfect, cushy knot lies at the center of each pretzel, kept warm and moist by the steamy wax paper-lined basket.

Flavor: Slightly sweet dough and an amply (but inconsistently) salted crust make each bite an adventure.

Condiments: Tasty, but watery, spicy-ale honey mustard gets everywhere: my hands, forearms, my date and the table.

Size: 4" x 3" each. Good bang for your buck.

Overall rating: 3.8 knot. Classic interpretation.

[31-37 Stuart St., Theatre District, Boston. 617.338.8586. jacobwirth.com]

Boston Pretzel Bakery

Pretzel, $3

Consistency: Stiff crust and a disappointingly dry center.

Flavor: Lackluster dough suffers from insufficient amounts of salt.

Condiments: Even with a healthy squirt of Gulden's, it couldn't hold my attention.

Size: 7" x 6". Massive, mediocre.

Overall rating: 1.2 knot. Only if desperate.

[Pushcarts at Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, Downtown Crossing; retail store at Quincy Market. 617.522.9494. bostonpretzel.com]

AMC Loews Boston Common

Basket of pretzel bites (20 per order), $5

Consistency: Like eating styrofoam packing peanuts.

Flavor: See consistency.

Condiments: Guiltily yummy sauce, probably a few ingredients shy of plastic.

Size: 1.5" x 0.75". Phenomenal value—for lovers of styrofoam dipped in plastic.

Overall score: 1.5 knot, mostly for the disgustingly good cheese. I really shouldn't confess to eating this in print.

[175 Tremont St., Boston. 617.423.3499. amctheatres.com]

The Lower Depths Tap Room

Homemade sourdough pretzel, $2.50

Consistency: Crusty and doughy blur in this buttery-as-a-croque-Monsieur pretzel.

Flavor: Sweet dough and butter-for-days make it delicious, yet suspect. Is it fried? The staff assures that real butter and love are what make it magical.

Condiments: Spicy ale mustard is solid, but I'd eat it plain.

Size: 5" x 5". An artery-hardening steal.

Overall score: 4.95 knot. For flavor and value, this pretzel wins.

[476 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.266.6662]

Deep Ellum

Steamed pretzel, $3 (add beer cheese for $2)

Consistency: Thin, light brown crust and fluffy interior. It's what the pushcart pretzel wants to be.

Flavor: Slightly sweet dough bespeckled with fine salt crystals make each bite yummy and consistent.

Condiments: Mustard is good, but spring for the beer cheese: a bewitching mixture of American cheese and Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout.

Size: 6" x 6". Great value decreases when the cost of cheese is factored in.

Overall score: 4 knot. I would order this pretzel again.

[477 Cambridge St., Allston. 617.787.2337. deepellum-boston.com]

You don't have to be whizzing around a roller derby or swaying closed-eyed at Bonnaroo to enjoy the versatility of headwraps. Not quite headbands, but definitely not scarves, these skinny strips of ribbon, suede or feathers amp up any hairdo (or hairdon't). So either tie it around your forehead, adorn your chignon or pull a Liv Tyler in Lord of the Rings with a simple strap atop free-flowing locks. Just use discretion, lest you verge into Ren Faire territory.

TAPESTRY HEADBAND

This brilliant, embroidered ribbon provides the perfect pop of color to any ensemble. With various shades of azul and a zigzag pattern, you're sure to be to be anything but blue.

[Available for $8 at Chemistry, 324 Newbury St., Boston. 617.267.5950]

FEATHER HEADWRAP

This spotted feather wrap will have you looking fly from dawn till dusk. The brown and white feathers can easily go from summer in the city to fall weekend up north.

[Available for $16 at Urban Outfitters, 11 JFK St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.864.0070. urbanoutfitters.com]

CHOKER HEADBAND

Peace, love and happiness come to all who wear this sugary sweet headband. With cotton candy colors and a gold heart accent, it'll have you falling head over heels.

[Available for $36 at LF, 353 Newbury St., Boston. 617.236.1213. lfstores.com]

LINKED HEADWRAP

This faux-leather wrap is accompanied with rich brown suede ties to ensure a custom fit. It's the perfect neutral to wear when the rest of your outfit's already screamingly loud.

[Available for $18 at Urban Outfitters]

SKINNY BRAIDED HEADBAND

This headband has everything going for it, versatile anywhere on the spectrum from bohemian to deity. The red and silver braiding really pops and makes you glow like the smiting goddess you are.

[Available for $12 at Urban Outfitters]

Four score and about 50 years ago, a number of bankers, immigrants and ruffians set out to make the best booze they possibly could. They set up shop in remote but gorgeous areas in California and began what is now recognized as a world-class wine operation. This Fourth of July, we at The Second Glass would like to pay tribute to American winemaking. Since bottles created by the great founders of American wine (such as Stags' Leap, Chateau Montelena, Grgich Hills, Freemark Abbey, Ridge) are a bit out of our price range, we wanted to recommend some wines made by a new generation of winemakers—all hell-bent on creating the best wines the world has ever seen.

2006 Three Thieves "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon, $13

American Cabernet Sauvignons are world famous. Originally modeled after French Bordeaux, California winemaking has evolved, clearly developing its own style. Top Cabernets cost a pretty penny; however, many new winemakers believe in making great inexpensive vino. Three Thieves Winery is helping to change wine's pretentious image by producing wine in jugs, boxes and interestingly colorful bottles. "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon is a great, inexpensive, full-bodied wine with flavors of cherries and a bit of vanilla. [threethieves.com]

2006 Hook and Ladder Chardonnay, $17

Some love it, some hate it, but there is no way around it: Chardonnay is the quintessential American white. Originally modeled after the classic wines from Burgundy, France, the American versions have taken on a life of their own. Wavering between extremely buttery and oaky to "naked" or unoaked, a massive spectrum of styles exist within this essential grape. One of our favorites is the Hook and Ladder Chardonnay hailing from the Russian River Valley in California. This wine is a perfect expression of California Chardonnay middle ground. It's crisp and refreshing, yet has enough body to run with the big boys. [hookandladderwinery.com]

2006 Qupé Syrah, $16.50

Back in the '80s, a number of winemakers broke away from the traditional Bordeaux red style of winemaking that California was pumping out by promoting grapes from France's Rhone Valley. This group of "renegade" winemakers dubbed themselves the Rhone Rangers. Bob Lindquist of Qupé Wine Cellars helped start this movement. Thanks to this group of Rhone advocates, the Central Coast of California is now packed with Syrah. In our opinion, the 2006 Qupé Syrah is a perfect expression of great American Syrah—rich, balanced and juicy. [qupe.com]

2006 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel, $17

Known for centuries as an "American grape," Zinfandel makes dark, inky-black wines full of fruit. We now understand the roots of this grape trace back to Italy, but American winemakers have developed a style all their own. Zinfandel is grown in over 14 states and is made into varying styles of wine, including late harvest dessert wines, port-style wines and the wildly sweet (and cheap as hell) white Zinfandel. Dry Creek Vineyard produces killer Zin. The Heritage Zin has big fruit, firm tannins and a finish that leaves you wanting more. [drycreekvineyard.com]

DRINK MORE WINE! FOR MORE INFORMATION: THESECONDGLASS.COM

It's no longer enough to call food just plain food. From fried oysters to fresh bacon, plates offer far more than meets the eye—and table. Read our epic tales of foraging, and we swear you won't look at a sandwich the same way again.

Compelled to spill your top snarf spot or killer potluck dish? Throw it at us. And as you see, we're all ears.

Here's to a season of messy eatin'!

[summer dining 08]

Bring your furry friends

Oh, yeah—dogs allowed, too

Rocca

The gardens are lush and the umbrellas are yellow at this off-the-main-drag enclave. Strike when the sangria bianca's ice-cold, defending your meatball sliders and braised artichokes from the stares of a curious pooch.

[500 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston. 617.451.5151. roccaboston.com]

[summer dining 08]

Some like it raw

Like a fish (and friends) out of water

Eastern Standard

Alaskan king crab legs, $7

Tucked at the very rear of the restaurant lies the bounty of the sea, stacked upon ice at the raw bar. Tucked among the bivalves are massive crab legs cooked, then chilled, for maximum shell-cracking and -sucking action. We're all friends here—tuck that napkin into your shirt and let the ocean-juice squirting begin.

[528 Comm. Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.532.9110. easternstandardboston.com]

[summer dining 08]

Genius on the half-shell

Get the shuck out with Island Creek Oysters

Shore Gregory, director of business development for Island Creek Oysters, is on the phone when we arrive at their Duxbury headquarters. One can't help but overhear: The call's with someone from Per Se in New York. Gregory greets us with a nonchalant fist-pound as he wraps things up with the Michelin-starred client. They sound like personal friends.

[summer dining 08]

A flash in the pan

Blink and miss these height-of-the-season ingredients

Craigie Street Bistrot

Homemade garlic sausage, ragout of forest mushrooms, farm fresh egg and garden herb coulis, $16

As chef/owner, Tony Maws reinvents the menu by the day, if not the hour, so you're rightly assured food at the pinnacle of farm-freshness. Between independently foraged fungus and a garnish of edible in-season flowers, this dish isn't mere dinner—it's performance art.

[5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge. 617.497.5511. craigiestreetbistrot.com]

 

[summer dining 08]

Sit, boy, sit

Spilled bowls, stolen fries and sidewalk-level sightings

I am not in a state of confusion or delusion about whether my dog is actually my child.

Eko is a big brown lab mix. He has no qualms about licking the floor, sleeping in dirt, chewing on raw bones or sniffing poop. He's sweet enough when snuggled on the couch, but show him a squirrel and it's not hard to remember that he's one evolutionary step away from a wolf.

[summer dining 08]

An auspicious meating

Plus cream, eggs and protein with ethical particulars

Bloc 11 Café

Cage-free organic egg & cheese sandwich, $4 (with prosciutto, $6)

Café owners Jen Park and Tucker Lewis provide a handy (and socially responsible) meal on the go, uniting bread baked at local yeast wizard Iggy's with eggs laid by liberated chix. Mass-produced McBreakfasts worldwide shudder, carving deep inferiority complexes. Yay: It's working.

[11 Bow St., Union Sq., Somerville. 617.623.0000]

[summer dining 08]

This little piggy went to market

Under the knife of chef Adam Fuller at Great Bay

The pig was to be delivered promptly at 10am.

In the relatively calm early hours of the kitchen at Great Bay, the air takes an anticipatory turn to the fleshy arrival: a 102-pound pig slung over the shoulder of Aidan Davin, co-owner of Stillman's Farm. Freed from its plastic wrappings, the animal emerges whole and shaved, soon relinquished to the long table along the wall. Executive chef Adam Fuller, who mere seconds ago composed an aromatic cardamom-, cumin-, cinnamon-inflected spice rub for cured pork belly, receives the animal and prepares for carnage with a grin.

[summer dining 08]

The crisper whisperer

Wrangling greens with chef David Punch of Ten Tables

Perhaps you're part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, receiving the freshest crops from the farm. Or maybe hitting up your local farmers market with a crumpled wad of cash is part of the weekly regimen. But what happens after you get home? The counter's covered by a slew of raw veggies, and suddenly you're feeling a little anxious. What are you supposed to do with it all? How does a chef see a salad in an asparagus, a chilled soup in a bulb of fennel, a sweet sorbet in a strawberry? Well, I asked one.

[summer dining 08]

Pick your ears

That's some friggin' sweet corn

SILVER POLYRESIN CORN

These shiny picks are the T-3000 of corn-holding technology, chic enough for any kitchen or rooftop affair. In a pinch, you could also smelt them down for spare dental fillings or butter-flavored bullets, solving that ever-pesky werewolf problem.