Puritan Co. The James Beard Foundation has announced its 2013 award finalists, and Greater Boston chefs and restaurants are among the semifinalists. Congrats to all, and best of luck! Will Gilson’s Puritan Co. is in line for two awards: Best New Restaurant, and Gilson himself is up for Rising Star Chef of the Year; The Hawthorne is in it for Outstanding Bar Program; Barbara Lynch (No. 9 Park) for Outstanding Chef; Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana for Outstanding Pastry Chef; Oleana for Outstanding Restaurant; Roger Berkowitz of Legal Sea Foods for Outstanding Restaurateur; Eastern Standard for Outstanding Continue reading >>>

By Milton J. Valencia and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff Award-winning crime writer Patricia Cornwell has won $50.9 million in a lawsuit in federal court in Boston. Cornwell, a 56-year-old native of Florida who has lived in Greater Boston for the past six years, had sued her former finan­cial management company — Anchin, Block Anchin LLP — and its former principal, Evan H. Snapper, for negligence in the handling of her ­finances, contending that Snapper and his colleagues personally benefited from their dealings with Cornwell and cost her and her company tens of millions Continue reading >>>

Award-winning crime writer Patricia Cornwell has won $50.9 million in a lawsuit in federal court in Boston. Bill Greene/Globe Staff Evan Snapper, one of the defendants sued by novelist Patricia Cornwell, leaves the federal courthouse in Boston. Cornwell, a 56-year-old native of Florida who has lived in Greater Boston for the past six years, had sued her former finan­cial management company — Anchin, Block Anchin LLP — and its former principal, Evan H. Snapper, for negligence in the handling of her ­finances, contending that Snapper and his colleagues personally benefited from their dealings Continue reading >>>

When the Harpoon Brewery opened in Boston’s Seaport District in 1986, the neighborhood was industrial and desolate, and there was only one brewery in all of New England. Today, there are 44 craft breweries in Massachusetts alone.  Restaurants now line Seaport Boulevard, and Mayor Menino is trying to reinvent the area as the Boston Innovation District. Harpoon has already undergone its own transformation.  Earlier this month, co-founders Rich Doyle and Dan Kenary unveiled a $3.5 million renovation that includes a European-style beer hall and a catwalk Continue reading >>>

For a number of underground subcultures in Greater Boston in the 1980s and ’90s, the now-shuttered Central Square nightclub ManRay was as iconic a place as Filene’s Basement was for shoppers or Fenway Park is for local sports fans. In an early incarnation, ManRay was mainly a gay club. Later, it hosted events for Goths, leather fetishists, and devotees of New Wave synth music, and it provided a venue for insurgent bands like Nirvana. While some neighbors viewed the club with suspicion, ManRay’s very existence showed people with few other local footholds that Greater Boston could make room Continue reading >>>

   Hospice of the North Shore Greater Boston (HNSGB), a leading non-profit hospice provider in Massachusetts, has announced its new Provider Relations Team. According to Lyn Skarmeas, vice president of Business Development and Provider Relations, this team of six provider relations coordinators will be working with physicians, hospitals, home health providers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, long-term care facilities and other community organizations to educate providers and patients and assist with patient referrals for hospice service. “I am extremely excited to have the Continue reading >>>

SUNDAY: Leana Wen ("When Doctors Don't Listen: How to Avoid Misdiagnoses and Unnecessary Tests") reads at 1 p.m. at The Book Shop, 694 Broadway, Somerville TUESDAY: Tracy K. Smith (“Life on Mars”) reads at 4 p.m. in the Coolidge Room, Ballou Hall, Tufts University, Medford … John D. Spooner (“No One Ever Told Us That”) reads at 6:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge … William Martin ("The Lincoln Letter") reads at 7 p.m. at Tewksbury Public Library, 300 Chandler St., Tewksbury … Wendy Francis (“Three Good Things”) reads at 7 p.m. at Porter Square Continue reading >>>

Based upon latest guidance, only slightly tweaking my snowfall map. Most snow 4AM-10AM. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BDR7y4vCYAAbpNQ.jpg – @BarryWBZ

Much of Eastern Massachusetts will likely be blanketed by up to 4 inches of snow from a cold front swinging south this weekend, the National Weather Service said. Greater Boston saw a high of 47 today, accompanied by clear skies and a southwest wind gusting up to 26 miles per hour. But a Canadian low is forecast to move south overnight, creating conditions for rain and snow into Saturday, said weather service meteorologist Charlie Foley. “Winter’s not over yet,” Foley said. Snow showers are possible throughout the state before 2 p.m. Saturday. Snow will transition into rain before turning Continue reading >>>

The parade of snowstorms continues as up to 6 inches of snow from a cold front swinging south this weekend will make today’s clear skies and mild temperatures a thing of the past, the National Weather Service said. Greater Boston will see highs in the low 50s today accompanied by clear skies and a southwest wind gusting up to 26 miles per hour before a Canadian low moves south overnight, creating chances for rain and snow into Saturday, said meteorologist Charlie Foley. “Winter’s not over yet,” Foley said. Snow showers are possible throughout the state before 2 p.m. Saturday. Snow will Continue reading >>>