Before 2020, each December in which I was fortunate enough to serve as your restaurant critic brought a “year in review.” After the annus horribilis fading in our rear-view mirrors, it seemed wrong to issue a casualties list while so many places could only be hibernating.

Instead, I’ll focus on presenting places that I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find still playing the hits with undimmed gusto. Oases where you can forget, at least until you have to mask up to go to the bathroom. Maybe two hours if you stop chugging water like a horse.