"It’s been a banner year for new, high-end sushi spots cropping up in and around the Boston area. One of the latest new entries is XOXO Sushi Bar, which put down roots in Chestnut Hill. (For those driving in, the complimentary valet parking is a nice touch.) Executive chef Kegan Stritchko, an alum of Ken Oringer’s luxurious sushi restaurant Uni and the more casual sushi spot Fat Baby in South Boston, takes an experimental approach to items like Ora King salmon sashimi, here paired with a Thai herb puree and fermented gooseberry salsa, and plates like a buttery, flaky, miso-marinated black cod served with pickled radishes and blistered shishito peppers. There’s also a robatayaki section of the menu featuring charcoal-grilled skewers including Hokkaido scallops with lemon miso butter and skirt steak with cured egg yolk." - Erika Adams, Nathan Tavares