Sure signs of the season: Shad, crocuses — and another issue of the Spring Dining Guide, in which I look back at previously reviewed restaurants in the area and take their temperature anew.

Hot or not?

The following 19 restaurants were selected for all manner of reasons. Some have added new chefs or expanded their visions. Others initially met with rants in this space; have they improved with time? In a few cases, my choices were based on the simple reality that I hadn’t dropped by in years, and anyone who eats out regularly knows that restaurants can change like kings on “Game of Thrones.”

Unlike the annual Fall Dining Guide, a toast to favorites, this dispatch includes a fair number of dislikes. My feeling is, diners have as much to gain from knowing where not to spend their precious time and hard-earned money as they do from hearing about the market’s best in class.

As a bonus, my Weekend colleague Fritz Hahn rounded up a pack of top bartenders and asked each to create an original, warm-weather cocktail. Drink up!

See more images from the restaurants here.