As 2017 draws to a close, here’s a look back at the year in restaurant openings and closings, top news stories, most-read maps and guides, and more.

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Scorpion Bar/Facebook

From breaking news of a college bar closure to the debuts of a variety of novelty venues, these are the stories that you read the most this year.

1. Boston Restaurants Standing in Solidarity With ‘A Day Without Immigrants’ Strike: A list of restaurants that closed on February 16 and messages of support from others.
2. Sunset Grill & Tap and Patron’s Have Closed: But Sunset Cantina remains open for business.
3. Les Sablons Debuts in Harvard Square: Look inside Island Creek Oyster Bar’s brand new Cambridge sibling.
4. Cowabunga! A4cade and Roxy’s Central Are Here to Fill Your Life With Joy: Sneak a peek inside the best collaboration ever — and then go play.
5. A Christmas-Themed Bar Pops up in Boston This Fall: “Miracle on the Charles River” almost has the same ring to it, right?
6. Cannonball: A Caddyshack-Themed Bar Just Opened in Downtown Boston: “Gambling is illegal at Bushwood, sir.”
7. Two Big Clubs Open in the Seaport Next Week, and There Will Be Scorpion Bowls: Big Night Entertainment Group’s Scorpion Bar and the Grand are about to arrive.
8. Lookout Rooftop & Bar at Seaport’s Envoy Hotel Will Become an Igloo Wonderland: Drink cocktails outside in protective bubbles of warmth.
9. Boston’s Eater Awards Winners 2017: The restaurants, chefs, and taprooms that made the city run wild this year.
10. Buttermilk & Bourbon Fills Back Bay With Fried Chicken and Beignets Starting Today: Chef Jason Santos draws inspiration from New Orleans.

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Katie Chudy/Eater

You all really like brunch, don’t you? These are the maps you viewed the most in 2017.

1. The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston: This map is aimed at answering any question that begins, “Can you recommend a restaurant?” Updated quarterly.
2. The Hottest Restaurants in Boston Right Now: This map highlights a dozen hot new dining destinations to check out, focusing on places that have been open for under six months. Updated monthly.
3. The Hottest Brunches in Boston Right Now: Shake up your brunching routine with the newest options in town — a mix of brand new restaurants and older restaurants that are newly serving brunch. Updated seasonally.
4. Where to Eat at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS): The best meal of your entire life: It probably wasn't in an airport. However, if that's where you need to be, here's where you should eat.
5. The Fall 2017 Restaurant Opening Guide: Boston Proper: It was a delicious season. Here’s everything that opened.
6. The Ultimate $1 Oyster Guide: Where to find dollar oyster deals in Boston and beyond.
7. Vital Brunch Spots to Know in Boston: Whether you're up for a classic dish, dim sum, or something with a little Southern flare, here are some essential Boston-area brunches that'll knock your socks off.
8. Where to Eat Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Boston: The city has plenty of meat-free options.
9. The Cocktail Heatmap: Where to Drink Right Now: Hot new places to drink a cocktail or three. Updated seasonally.
10. Essential Boston Coffee Shops: Start your caffeine adventure here.

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Sarah Storrer for Eater

Three significant restaurant openings and closings from each month of 2017. Click on any month’s name to be taken to an in-depth summary of that month’s openings, closings, and most-read news stories, maps, and guides.

January

• Openings: Roxy’s Central/A4cade (Central Square, Cambridge), Frenchie (South End, Boston), Pagu (Central Square, Cambridge)
• Closings: The Elephant Walk (Porter Square, Cambridge), Soulfire (Mission Hill and Allston, Boston), Tequila Rain (Fenway, Boston)

February

• Openings: By Chloe (Seaport District, Boston), Buttermilk & Bourbon (Back Bay, Boston), Publico Street Bistro & Garden (South Boston)
• Closings: Boston Beer Garden (South Boston), T.W. Food (Cambridge), Aurum Pies (Jamaica Plain, Boston)

March

• Openings: Back Bay Beats (aka B3) (Back Bay, Boston), Kokeshi (Salem), Troquet on South (Leather District, Boston)
• Closings: Crossroads Irish Pub (Back Bay, Boston), Baja Betty’s (Brookline Village), J&M Diner (Framingham) — but it has since reopened in a new location

April

• Openings: Bess’s Cafe (Brookline), Laughing Monk Cafe (Mission Hill, Boston), Les Sablons (Harvard Square, Cambridge)
• Closings: Chau Chow City (Chinatown, Boston), East Ocean City (Chinatown, Boston), Inna’s Kitchen (Newton) — but it remains open in a stall at the Boston Public Market

May

• Openings: North Square Oyster (North End, Boston), Num Pang (Back Bay, Boston), Spoke Wine Bar (Davis Square, Somerville)
• Closings: Bondir (Concord) — but it remains open in Cambridge, Panera Bread (BU), Prince Postale (North End, Boston)

June

• Openings: Cultivar (Downtown Boston), Cunard Tavern (East Boston), Ledger (Salem)
• Closings: Blue Ginger (Wellesley), Journeyman (Union Square, Somerville), Seven Star Street Bistro (Roslindale, Boston)

July

• Openings: Cafe du Pays (Kendall Square, Cambridge), Pammy’s (Between Central and Harvard squares, Cambridge), Ruckus (Chinatown, Boston)
• Closings: Belly Wine Bar (Kendall Square, Cambridge), The Blue Room (Kendall Square, Cambridge), Khao Sarn (Coolidge Corner, Brookline)

August

• Openings: Best Burger Bar (Brookline Village), Kummerspeck (Worcester), Milkweed (Mission Hill, Boston)
• Closings: The Fireplace (Washington Square, Brookline), Lanes & Games (Cambridge), Tavern Road (Fort Point, Boston)

September

• Openings: Field & Vine (Union Square, Somerville), Prairie Fire (Coolidge Corner, Brookline), Yume Ga Arukara (Porter Square, Cambridge)
• Closings: Back Bay Harry’s (Back Bay, Boston), Hops Test Kitchen & Raw Bar (Inman Square, Cambridge), Some ‘Ting Nice Caribbean Restaurant (East Somerville)

October

• Openings: Eventide Fenway (Fenway, Boston), Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar (Fort Point, Boston), Momi Nonmi (Inman Square, Cambridge)
• Closings: Atlantic Beer Garden (Seaport District, Boston), Cinderella’s (Central Square, Cambridge), Grub (Mission Hill, Boston)

November

• Openings: Citrus & Salt (Back Bay, Boston), The Smoke Shop (Fort Point, Boston), Zia Gianna (Dorchester, Boston)
• Closings: Bottega Fiorentina (Newton) — but the Brookline location remains open, Jamie’s Grille & Pub (North Scituate), Self Portrait (Cambridge)

December

• Openings: Fat Baby (South Boston), Moody’s Delicatessen (Back Bay, Boston), Our Fathers (Lower Allston, Boston)
• Closings: East Coast Grill (Inman Square, Cambridge), Pikaichi (Allston, Boston), Sunset Grill & Tap (Allston, Boston)

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Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

An index of all of our year-end content, including the results of a survey of local food writers.

• Boston’s Eater Awards Winners 2017: The restaurants, chefs, and taprooms that made the city run wild this year.
• One 2017 Restaurant Opening to Know in Every Boston Neighborhood: Use this map to catch up on the year’s new restaurants one neighborhood at a time — one restaurant in each.
• The Most Beautiful New Boston Restaurants of 2017: Take a gander at these stunners.
• These Restaurants Closed in 2017: An archive of stories about restaurant closures.
• These Are the Most Bizarre Search Terms That Brought You Here This Year: “do men like steaks”
• Boston’s Top Restaurant Standbys of 2017: Waypoint, Chilacates, and More: Local food writers discuss their regular haunts of this past year.
• Boston’s Top Restaurant Newcomers of 2017: Pagu, Cafe du Pays, and More: Local food writers share their thoughts on the year.
• 2017 in One Word: ‘Fast-Casual, Poke-Geddon, Overheated’: Local food writers sum up the restaurant world’s year in one word.
• The Hottest Dining Neighborhoods of 2017: Seaport District, Central Square, and More: Local food writers zero in on the busiest areas of the year
• The Biggest Dining Surprises of 2017: The Restaurant Boom Continues (and More): Here’s what local food writers were not expecting this year.
• The Biggest Dining Grievances of 2017 Mostly Stem From a Continuing Labor Shortage: Local food writers share their complaints.
• The Saddest Restaurant Closures of 2017: Dive Bars, Sunset Grill & Tap, and More: Local food writers mourn the year’s shuttered spots.
• The Best Meals of 2017: Crudos, Hand-Pulled Noodles, and More: Local food writers rave about their best meals of the year.
• Headline Predictions for 2018: All-Day Dining, Breweries, and More: Local food writers share what they think will happen in the food world next year.
• The Best Local Food Writing of 2017: Local food writers share their favorite pieces by other local food writers in our most meta survey question yet.

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Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

A few favorite stories, maps, and guides from the year.

• 40 Things You Should Eat Today: Recommended eating (and drinking) around Boston.
• Allston Food Crawl: Savory Meat Wrapped in Dough Blankets: The neighborhood is awash in tacos, burritos, shawarma, dumplings, and buns. Why settle for one or the other?
• Beer & Mortar: Tasting Trailblazers at Cambridge Brewing Company: Brewing craft beers since 1989.
• Boston’s Most Essential Bars: Cocktail destinations, beer bars, wine bars, sports bars, and dives.
• Boston’s Most Iconic Dishes: Get to know the city with these essential eats.
• A Guide to Dining and Drinking in Portsmouth and Kittery: Take a trip up to the New Hampshire-Maine border.
• Longtime Cheese Expert Louis Risoli Is Retiring From L’Espalier: But he won’t stop blue cheesin’.
• The Small Kitchen Doing Big Things in Lower Roxbury: At Bintimani, wife-and-husband duo Baindu and Sahr Josiah feed Lower Roxbury food from their native Sierra Leone.
• Take a Road Trip to These Dog-Friendly New England Breweries: Beer. Dogs. What could be better?
• Tim Maslow Wants to Open a Restaurant That Boston Can Love: Meanwhile, the new father is finding joy in helping out at Mida in the South End.
• Where to Eat Fried Clams in and Around Boston: The North Shore is home to some of the best clam flats in the world.

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