If you’re like me, the only home fireplaces you’ve seen in this city have long-since been boarded up and painted over, the overhanging mantles serving as the only hint of the hearth that once was. If you live in a real home and not an Allston apartment, this probably is not the case. So pin a rose on your nose.

But sometimes leaving the warm and cozy hold of your own living room (with or without a fireplace) and venturing out into the snow and slush to meet friends for a drink just seems like a whole to-do. A cold to-do. A to-do you don’t want to do.

There’s a solution, though, and you just have to catch on. The hottest thing when cold times call for clever measures is to find a bar or restaurant with a fireplace to house you when you must leave home. Spread this idea around between now and March, and your friends will thank you.

And no, Panera and Starbucks don’t cut it.