You can’t manufacture authenticity, you have it or you don’t, just like you can’t suddenly decide to be cool. Gus’ is a veritable lighthouse of authentic cool in the north end, the one reliable place left north of North since the demise of the North End Pub where you can see some of the best musical acts around---recent names have included Hey Rosetta, The Whiskey Kisses, Amelia Curran and the Just Friends Brunch during the Pop Explosion---and to get a reasonably priced beer and snack at the same time. Mingle with the locals, a nice mix of student life and other north end dwellers, and soak up the ambiance. There’s nothing quite like it, dude. 2605 Agricola, 423-7786
First runner up: Peddler's Pub
Second runner up: Split Crow
