I took a stroll down memory lane recently when I had lunch with my nephew at Boston’s Top of the Hub. Neal, my nephew, is about to graduate from Cornell. In addition to his studies, he works at a research lab, so he spends summers and most breaks in Ithaca. We try to get together at least once when he’s home for a visit, usually ending at one of our favorite haunts in the suburbs, but I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately as Neal prepares to graduate from college, while his sister, Meaghan, looks forward to high school graduation and starting college in September. I had been planning a visit to the Apple mega-store on Boylston Street in Boston’s Back Bay, which just happens to be almost directly across the street from the Prudential Center, home to the 52-story Prudential Building, which for a time in the mid-20th century held sway as Boston’s tallest skyscraper. Top of the Hub, an iconic Boston eatery, presides over the city from its perch on the 52nd floor offering panoramic views in all directions. It had been at least four decades — maybe more — since I last set foot in the space. Back then, my grandmother would gather me and my siblings, all dressed up for a day in the city, and load us into her Oldsmobile 88. We’d lunch at the Top of the Hub, then stroll down Boylston Street to the Public Garden to ride the Swan Boats. In the intervening years, I had come to consider Top of the Hub a tourist trap, luring innocents in with the promise of great views while delivering mediocre food and service at a hefty price. I didn’t want to spoil my own fond memories, so I stayed away. But nostalgia and proximity got the best of me a few weeks ago, so Neal and I boarded the elevator for a quick ascent to the 52nd floor. What a pleasant surprise. The restaurant is lovely and the aforementioned views are spectacular. We passed by a cozy bar as the hostess led us to the corner table in the dining room. The extensive menu featured a mouth-watering selection of reasonably priced options, but it’s hard to beat the three-course ($22 per person) fixed-price lunch menu offering soup or salad, a choice of three entrées and two dessert options. (A fixed-price dinner menu is offered at $55 per person; $75 with wine pairings.) Neal and I had a fabulous lunch, and instead of tarnishing my childhood memories, the return visit gave me new memories to cherish. I didn’t try to convince Neal to ride with me on the Swan Boats. That might have been pushing my stroll down memory lane a bit too far. Plus, it was too early in the season. Maybe next time. — Lisa Matte, editor in chief