A new hot spot in Union Square is Wade BBQ that goes beyond the barbecue bases of smoked brisket, beef ribs and pulled pork with smoked chicken, smoked turkey and even a pulled pork mushroom sandwich. 

What a Soup in Cambridge’s Central Square offers good, hearty warmness that’ll put a bead of sweat on your brow and bring you back for more.

This 1950s-style diner with red vinyl stools, white-and-black tiled floors and upholstered booths is all plant-based, down to the comfort food meatball sub.

The vegan club at Somerville’s Forge Bakery, Bloc and Diesel Cafe; smoked turkey and cranberry sandwich at Flour; and The Dagwood at P&K Delicatessen in Somerville are good not-too-heavy dishes for your January.

A seafood sausage of shrimp, scallops and whitefish in a brioche bun crowned with dill and relish offers joy without the usual meat-based issues.

You can find shoyu-style ramen elsewhere, but this chicken-based white-broth paitan, not so much. Your taste buds will register something new at Tsurumen, something rich and creamy with a pleasingly sweet flourish.

A burger joint is replaced by The Cornerstone, now taking its cues from Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine yet somehow serving up what are, without question, the best fries I have had in my recent, recallable culinary past.

The Midwest Grill, which shuttered as Covid took root, is back as JP Restaurant & Bar with breakfast and Portuguese fare. Brazilian barbecue is due back too.

Ripple Café has “breakfast vibes” and “lunch vibes” that include rice bowls with Jamaican and Creole flair, as well as a divine turkey club.

Frank is the creation of Frank McClelland, who ran the chichi white-tablecloth L’Espalier in Back Bay when Assembly Row was still dingy and dangerous. Now he’s at home in its tony alleyways of conspicuous consumption with a menu of playful nouvelle spins with a focus on seaside New England fruits.