Kara Baskin

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Summer is here, and you just might crave somewhere family-friendly to unwind — ideally affordable, stress-free, and delicious. To get in the spirit, these are some of my favorite, approachable places to eat with kids in Boston and slightly beyond. It’s open again for the summer, offering a fuss-free place to land overlooking Boston Harbor after an Aquarium visit.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

Openings: New York City sensation Xi’an Famous Foods — beloved for spicy, hand-pulled noodles swimming in chili oil with cumin lamb — now has a ghost-kitchen branch in Roxbury (94 Shirley St.), with a storefront opening in Downtown Crossing later this year. Owner Jason Wang confirms the expansion. “Xi’an Famous Foods is expanding into Boston, in the form of corporate-owned locations. Our first step into the market is in the form of a ghost kitchen located in Roxbury.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

In recent years, the friendly tavern has endured thanks to the Hamourgas family, locals who took over in 2001. Today, Dracut’s Penelope Hamourgas, 40, runs the business alongside her mom, Penny, with the help of her younger sister — and a friendly young ghost. The Worthen House on Worthen Street in downtown Lowell.HandoutTell me about the Worthen. My parents bought the Worthen in 2001. My father was a musician.

1 week ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

New England got a chilly reception at the James Beard Awards in Chicago on Monday. The awards are widely regarded as the Oscars of the food world, honoring the best and brightest restaurateurs, chefs, and hospitality professionals in the country. Sky Haneul Kim from Gift Horse in Providence, R.I., was named Best Chef Northeast. Gift Horse is a raw bar with South Korean influences. However, that was the lone New England award, despite an impressive array of local finalists.

2 weeks ago | bostonglobe.com | Kara Baskin

It’s the worst nightmare for any parent whose kid plays sports — or any parent, period. In February 2022, at a basketball game at the Brooks School in North Andover, 15-year-old student-athlete Preston Settles collapsed and stopped breathing. He was rushed to Lawrence General Hospital, flown to Tufts Medical Center, and ultimately treated at Boston Children’s Hospital. His parents, Darryl Settles and Dr. Lisa Owens, clung to hope. Preston was healthy. He’d never shown signs of illness before.