"Boston has a spectacular banh mi scene, but the best of the best can be found at Ba Le in Dorchester. Its barbecue beef banh mi may just be the best sandwich in the entire city. The bread, which is baked in-house, has a shatteringly crisp exterior and a pillowy interior, and it is packed with fresh vegetables and sweet, charred strips of beef. Plus, some optional fresh jalapeno if you like it spicy. The shop remodeled and expanded its interior during quarantine, with now even more Vietnamese pantry staples, delightful sweet and savory pastries, and other goodies on offer. Be sure to pick up a Vietnamese iced coffee while you’re there." - Terrence Doyle, Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Nathan Tavares