"The smoky, sour, fiery-hot food of China’s Hunan province isn’t easy to track down in Boston. Thankfully, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen in Kendall Square exists. All the dishes on the enormous menu are served family-style, and almost everything is spicy, whether it’s braised frog, cumin-y sizzling lamb, or green pepper with century egg. Come here with a group that relishes heat, or that friend with a low spice tolerance who you love to torture. The cocktails are pretty unique too, especially the drinks made with the Chinese sorghum-based spirit baijiu, which you can put away while listening to the live bands that perform here on Wednesdays and Thursdays." - tanya edwards, megan zhang, dan secatore, catherine smart, jonathan smith