Rustic Kitchen, Boston

Rustic Kitchen - While the culinary inspiration here is rustic, the upscale decor and fine-dining service is anything but. You can come just to eat and drink (hey, that's what restaurants are for,) but you might as well feed your brain too since they make it so easy. If you want to learn how to make their Mediterranean dishes yourself, sign up for a cooking class at the restaurant. And if you want to learn about Italian wine, the bottle list is both extensive and easy-to-understand. Once you know your sangiovese from your sagrantino, hop over the Charles to their Cambridge location.