Fish And Chips

For fish and chips, it's hard to do better than Matt Murphy's Pub in Brookline Village. The dish arrives wrapped in newspaper. Pull back the edges and you'll find a plate of gold: generous pieces of fresh cod cloaked in light batter. The fish is tender but not soggy, with a tempered crunch. The chips' crisp exteriors yield to tender innards. Squeeze lemon over the fish and douse the fries generously in malt vinegar; break up the flavors with bites of the pickled onion that comes on the side.

For fish and chips, it's hard to do better than Matt Murphy's Pub in Brookline Village. The dish arrives wrapped in newspaper. Pull back the edges and you'll find a plate of gold: generous pieces of fresh cod cloaked in light batter. The fish is tender but not soggy, with a tempered crunch. The chips' crisp exteriors yield to tender innards. Squeeze lemon over the fish and douse the fries generously in malt vinegar; break up the flavors with bites of the pickled onion that comes on the side.

Saturday is going to be amazing. Saturday is going to be terrifying. It all depends on your point of view. When St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekend, Boston is engulfed in a sea of green beer. (When St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekday, Boston is also engulfed in a sea of green beer, just a slightly smaller one.) The revelers will be out in force, and you will either be among them or you will be hiding at home on your couch. But even the most reluctant St. Patrick's Day celebrant can appreciate a taste of Irish fare this week.

Saturday is going to be amazing. Saturday is going to be terrifying. It all depends on your point of view. When St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekend, Boston is engulfed in a sea of green beer. (When St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekday, Boston is also engulfed in a sea of green beer, just a slightly smaller one.) The revelers will be out in force, and you will either be among them or you will be hiding at home on your couch. But even the most reluctant St. Patrick's Day celebrant can appreciate a taste of Irish fare this week.

You work hard, open a new restaurant, start to see success, then bam! The heavens open up, the rains pour down, and almost as soon as you’ve opened, you’re closed. This is what happened at Think Tank, a groovy little rec room devoted to Asian flavors, mixed drinks, and good music. Launched in June, it shut in July, the basement space disastrously flooded. Would it reopen? It would. At the end of September, Think Tank was back — photo booth, video games, vinyl-spinning DJs, and all. We should celebrate its triumphant return, not just because it’s good to see a local business back on its feet.

BRUSSELS - Cod is slipping closer to disappearing from key European fishing grounds, officials warned yesterday, saying that only steep catch cuts will prevent the loss of a species prized for centuries for its flaky, white flesh. The European Union’s executive body called for sharp cuts in the amount of cod fisherman can catch next year - up to 25 percent in some areas. The European Commission said recent studies showed cod catches in some areas are far outstripping the rate of reproduction of a fish that fed coastal communities for centuries.

Tennis great Chris Evert was in Boston this week to honor Women's Lunch Place director Sharon Reilly . Evert, who's a spokeswoman these days for Hood, presented a $7,500 check on behalf of the company to Reilly's agency. The nonprofit Women's Lunch Place provides food, shelter, and other services to homeless women. The 56-year-old Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam titles, looks like she still packs a wallop… . Tom Brady 's bride, Gisele Bundchen , is back from Paris Fashion Week.

The Red Sox just sent out a press release on some new items at Fenway Park this summer. Here are the highlights: The Boston Red Sox today launched a series of initiatives for the second half of the season intended to enhance the fan experience at Fenway Park and provide more options for fans to enjoy new concession facilities as well as a special opportunity for fans to share their ideas and stories for the upcoming 100th anniversary of America's...

SWEET CAROLINE'S RESTAURANT & BAR 1260 Boylston St., Boston 617-424-1260 www.sweetcarolinesboston.com Things may be awfully quiet at Fenway Park, but the surrounding neighborhood is still a great place to take in a game. At Sweet Caroline's, a newly opened sports bar, there are three 100-inch projector screens and nine HD flat-screen televisions ensuring you don't miss a play. (Note to Michigan fans: It's the official viewing bar for area alumni.)

LONDON - Coastlines, working patterns, and even the country's most famous meal are under threat from climate change, Britain said yesterday in its first-ever national assessment of the likely risks. The $4.4 million study sets out the most pressing climate change problems expected to affect the United Kingdom, from rising sea levels to more frequent summer droughts. In a gloomy forecast for Britain's environment department, a panel of independent analysts predicted that as many as 5,900 more people could die as a result of hotter summers - but also claimed...

LONDON - Coastlines, working patterns, and even the country's most famous meal are under threat from climate change, Britain said yesterday in its first-ever national assessment of the likely risks. The $4.4 million study sets out the most pressing climate change problems expected to affect the United Kingdom, from rising sea levels to more frequent summer droughts. In a gloomy forecast for Britain's environment department, a panel of independent analysts predicted that as many as 5,900 more people could die as a result of hotter summers - but also claimed there will be a sharp...

Saloon 255 Elm St., Somerville 617-628-4444 www.saloondavis.com Open seven days, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; hot supper served until 10 p.m. All major credit cards accepted Handicapped-accessible The drinks are the thing at Saloon, a handsome new establishment on Elm Street in Davis Square. With 105 varieties of bourbon, top-notch craft beers, and an impressive roster of traditional cocktails, Saloon is perfect for those looking to wet their whistle in style.

Lorenzo's Restaurant 500 W. Grove St. Middleborough 508-947-3000 www.lorenzos.net Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations accepted Major credit cards accepted Lorenzo's Restaurant, located just off the rotary in Middleborough, offers good Italian food, and lots of it, for reasonable prices, which may explain why the eatery has...

What looked for a moment like an 18th birthday for the ages became one of the glummest in an instant. Matt Owens, a senior quarterback who had never before known a winning season, was leading undefeated Cathedral High downfield in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl when he faked a handoff, rolled right, and scampered 56 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. An official threw a flag. Holding, Owens thought. But it was directed at him, for unsportsmanlike conduct:While sprinting toward the end zone, he momentarily, and jubilantly, raised his left hand.

BURKE"S SEAFOOD 61 Billings Road, Quincy, 617-328-9765, www.burkesseafood.com. Wheelchair accessible. All major credit cards. Prices Appetizers $2.49-$6.49. Sandwiches $6.99-$14.99. Entrees $8.99-$16.99. Hours Tue-Wed 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Liquor Beer and wine May we suggest Crab cakes, stuffed quahogs, lobster roll, fried scallops, fish and chips, fisherman"s platter, broiled salmon. The fish you eat at Burke's Seafood is in the display case, cut by Richard Burke, who opened the place in...

SWEET CAROLINE'S RESTAURANT & BAR 1260 Boylston St., Boston 617-424-1260 www.sweetcarolinesboston.com Things may be awfully quiet at Fenway Park, but the surrounding neighborhood is still a great place to take in a game. At Sweet Caroline's, a newly opened sports bar, there are three 100-inch projector screens and nine HD flat-screen televisions ensuring you don't miss a play. (Note to Michigan fans: It's the official viewing bar for area alumni.)

BURKE"S SEAFOOD 61 Billings Road, Quincy, 617-328-9765, www.burkesseafood.com. Wheelchair accessible. All major credit cards. Prices Appetizers $2.49-$6.49. Sandwiches $6.99-$14.99. Entrees $8.99-$16.99. Hours Tue-Wed 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Liquor Beer and wine May we suggest Crab cakes, stuffed quahogs, lobster roll, fried scallops, fish and chips, fisherman"s platter, broiled salmon. The fish you eat at Burke's Seafood is in the display case, cut by Richard Burke, who opened the place in 1979 and has been...

Tennis great Chris Evert was in Boston this week to honor Women's Lunch Place director Sharon Reilly . Evert, who's a spokeswoman these days for Hood, presented a $7,500 check on behalf of the company to Reilly's agency. The nonprofit Women's Lunch Place provides food, shelter, and other services to homeless women. The 56-year-old Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam titles, looks like she still packs a wallop… . Tom Brady 's bride, Gisele Bundchen , is back from Paris Fashion Week.