Where to go out to eat, with …

As we prepare to leave beloved Boston College - some for the summer, others forever (like me) - I hope you try a new restaurant before departing in tasteless haste. Which raises the eternal question: Where is the perfect place to go? As a connoisseur of cuisine, I believe answering this question shouldn't be based merely on what you wish to eat, but equally on whom you'll dine with. So, in that spirit …

… your friend who's finally sick of Busch Lite …

After suffering through a year of Natty and Busch Lite, wouldn't it be nice to take your friend to a place where beer actually tastes like, um, beer? Bukowski Tavern offers that and more: with 99 bottled beers and 15 rotating beers on tap, you can't go wrong. The small, crowded, charismatic space is decorated with counterculture literary figures such as its namesake, Charles Bukowski, while the speakers blast The Clash and Led Zeppelin. Strapped for cash? On weekdays from noon to 8 p.m., burgers and hot dogs are $1.69 each.

50 Dalton St - Boston, Mass.

T stop: Hynes Convention Center

… your friend you hope becomes more than a friend …

This can be a challenge wrapped within a quandary: How do you pick a restaurant sexy enough for the friend to fall madly in love with you, yet not so obviously romantic that it freaks him/her out? You were thinking somewhere in the North End, right? Wrong. Very wrong. North End screams "date." Instead, head to Newbury Street for a casual afternoon of perusing shops and then "happen upon" Charley's. The inside of this American burger-and-steak restaurant isn't over-the-top romantic, so your choice won't alarm your friend. But request to sit out on the patio, and the twinkling Christmas lights and setting sun will set the mood for you.

284 Newbury St - Boston, Mass.

T stop: Hynes Convention Center

… your friend who thinks a 1 p.m. class is early …

Love brunch but hate waking up "early" (i.e., before 1 p.m.)? Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton Centre solves this age-old college problem by serving a stellar breakfast menu all day, every day. This '50s-inspired diner is a perennial favorite to win for "best breakfast" in all sorts of Boston restaurant awards, and rightfully so. Try the old fashioned french toast ($6.50) with thick slices of Challah bread, or the health-conscious "You Look Mahvelous" omelet ($8.95) with Egg Beaters and low-fat mozzarella with fruit instead of home fries.

30 Langley Road - Newton Centre, Mass.

T stop: Newton Centre

… your friend who spent his whole meal plan at HIllside …

Can't get enough of those New England Classics? Take it up a notch and head downtown to the Parish Café, a restaurant and bar that is famous for its sandwiches. Each sandwich on its extensive list is inspired by a famous Boston chef, so instead of spending mucho dinero at a famous Boston restaurant like Rialto, you can try the sandwich inspired by its chef Jody Adams, aptly titled, "The Rialto" ($11.95), consisting of white bread stuffed with "paper-thin" proscuitto, fresh mozzarella, and basil pesto. An extensive beer list, a sunny patio, and a kitchen that stays open everyday until 1 a.m., add up to Boston-style hedonist heaven.

361 Boylston St - Boston, Mass.

T stop: Arlington

… your Carrie Bradshaw-wannabe friend …

Taking your uber-trendy friend to the Cheesecake Factory would most likely induce yawning, not glee. Instead, take her to Stella, a chic Italian restaurant in the South End, Boston's hip dining district. Stella is classic see-and-be-seen dining, and the bar, outdoor patio, and restaurant are always packed with young, stylish Bostonians. Suggest that your friend try the pomegranate martini ($10), or if she really wants to emulate her idol, she could order Stella's classic cosmo ($8).

1525 Washington St - Boston, Mass.

T stop: Copley or Mass Ave (orange line)