The food is quite good, but the service is not just unpleasant but downright strange. You'll probably be insulted or yelled at by the staff, but those customers who don't mind a bit of abuse keep coming back for the dishes they like.

Cafe Graffiti closed and might be reopening in the old Martignetti space.

Not so great during the day and even worse for, but that's not what makes this place work so well. The secret? Their 4am closing time. This is the perfect place to go after most of the bars have shut down, or when you can't sleep. Old staple for the woozy alcohol stomach at 3 am. Get some food to settle your stomach and of course a double espresso for the drive home. If you want romantic coffee and dessert, go down the street.

The Gelateria in Boston's North End is owned by Frank De Pasquale, who first started with Il Panino and also owns the more high-end Bricco and Mare. His gelato is made on site with a $30,000 Italian-made gelato machine. This is rich, dense, hardcore Italian gelato, and the place makes 50 flavors of gelato and sorbetto every day. The atmosphere is quite nouveau with a flatscreen TV and color-changing LED walls. Open until midnight every day. Bonus: gelato stuffed cannoli.

Cheap Sicilian slices that are in very high demand. This is because the pizza is made in the morning by Ralph and John for a few hours on weekdays, and when it's all sold out they close up shop. Crazy lines, but the turnover is quick. The décor isn't much to talk about, it's more like 'early lunchroom cafeteria' but the crowds that gather before they open up don't seem to mind one bit. They also have a short menu of calzones and subs, but the pizza is what everyone wants.

Convenience store that does double duty by providing the public at large with tacky Boston tourist items. Because, you know, there's not enough of that out there. Don't expect the friendly treatment when you walk in the door, because this place is all down to business about getting the locals their fix of lottery tickets and cigarettes. If you can't find something yourself, forget about asking where it is, you might as well just turn around and go home empty handed. That's the great thing and the bad thing about it: nobody cares about you.

This shop has been in business for a very long time, and has definitely become a neighborhood staple. Although they tend to sacrifice some high fashion for the sake of practicality, the shop is a solid resource for the seasonal standards. A lot of funky shoes and boots that won't make you fall and break your neck when you walk around the city.

Bike Riders, a Boston-based bike tour operator has offered distinctive, luxury bicycle vacations throughout the regions they know and love since 1991.