Toro

For all its dynamism, Toro really hasn’t changed much in the decade-plus since it opened, blowing the roof off of Boston’s then-gentrifying South End. The rustic cubbyhole of a storefront it occupies is as jam-packed and convivial as ever with revelers passing porróns of Cava around; day-one staples like grilled street corn and quince-glazed duck drumsticks are still breaking the hearts of every tapas virgin who wanders in unawares. Of course, its success has wrought changes aplenty for chef-partners Jamie Bissonette and Ken Oringer, who’ve gone on to open offshoots in New York, Bangkok, and Dubai. But regulars know that—even as they expect the unexpected from Toro’s blackboard specials (wild boar-stuffed squid, sweetbread pâté, sautéed cockscombs)—they can count on the still-strapping flagship to bring sexy back night after night.