Best folk club

It's amazing that a place so small (capacity 125), so old (nearing half a century), and so subterranean (an anti-tower), can retain its reputation as the premier folk-music venue in New England. Club Passim, which dominates this category every year, is a juggernaut and shows no signs of slowing. Ever hear of Joan Baez? Joni Mitchell? Taj Mahal? Suzanne Vega? Tom Waits? Bob Dylan? They're all Passim alums. Ever hear of Rachel McCartney? Mieka Pauley? Jake Armerding? Maybe, maybe not. But they're the ones cutting their teeth at Passim these days. Besides being a club, Passim is also a nonprofit organization committed to the promotion and preservation of folk music in all its forms. Home to an historical archive, children's programs, a music school, and the restaurant Veggie Planet, Club Passim continues to thrive underground like a hardy root.

Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, (617) 492-7679.