Kara Baskin

6 days ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Where to: Café Saint-Germain in Somerville. Why: For languid, all-day café vibes on the outskirts of Inman Square courtesy of Loic Le Garrec, the force behind many of the area’s French restaurants. The backstory: Le Garrec grew up in the Odéon quarter of Paris and left to travel — “I was young and stupid,” he says, laughing. He went first to Montreal and then tried to catch a bus to New York City. Fortunately, the bus was canceled, so he boarded one bound for Boston instead. That was in 1997.

6 days ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Which is why I was excited to pick up “The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success,” out on Tuesday, May 6, from Pulitzer Prize-winner Susan Dominus, the mom of college-age twins. In the book, she chronicles the trajectories of modern, high-achieving families to tease out lessons from their upbringing. Some were well-connected; others weren’t. Some were prosperous; some weren’t. But they did have a few things in common.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Coming soon: The Seaport spices up the nighttime with Tacos El Chikis, opening later this spring from the team behind neighborhood party spot Committee and Newbury Street’s Eva, with menus from Eva executive chef Vince Carideo. Expect tacos with a Lebanese twist, such as lamb al pastor, marinated mushrooms, and roasted vegetables, plus crispy pork belly and grilled skirt steak. There are also breaded pork cutlet sandwiches, bean-and-cheese stuffed tortillas, and rice bowls.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Patio season has arrived. As always, call ahead to confirm that your favorite patio is greeting guests, since moving the party outside is often a last-minute, weather-dependent decision. This list is updated routinely. Abe & Louie’sA classic Back Bay steakhouse, complete with a heated patio lined with heat lamps that opens on Thursday, May 1. 793 Boylston St., Boston, 617-536-6300.

1 week ago | jewishboston.com | Kara Baskin

Two students from Epstein Hillel School in Marblehead have won first place in ADI’s “Make the Change Challenge,” competing among more than 300 students across North America. Sixth graders Charlie Sobelman from Marblehead and Alice Dunn from Lynn won a $1,000 grand prize by designing a “Confidence Patch” that addresses the physical and emotional needs of pediatric patients with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Their patch is a decorative sticker that surrounds a feeding tube.