Lester Harry's
Spending time in the serene and lovely Lester Harry's is like entering a magical portal to a land where babies don't ever cry or spit up, and there are no finger-paint fiascos, tantrums, or time-outs. Okay, maybe that's just our sleep-deprived imaginations drifting again, but we blame the future-heirloom frocks from Makie, Flora and Henri, and Bleu Comme Gris for being so dreamy. 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA lesterharrys.com.
Salmagundi
Ladies in the market for a cloche, toque, or fascinator (though nothing quite on the scale of Princess Beatrice's) emerge just as satisfied as the brave men who venture in to procure fedoras, bucket hats, and Panamas. Sorry, Red Sox, but thanks to Salmagundi, we're temporarily putting all of our flat-brimmed baseball caps into storage—at least until playoff season. 765 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA salmagundiboston.com.
Dick's Sporting Goods
City Sports has dominated this category for years, and if you're trying to pull off athlete chic no matter the cost, it's still a fine choice. Weekend warriors as concerned with price and performance as stylishness, though, should make tracks for Dick's. Here you can score everything from sturdy Russell sweats to high-performance Under Armour tees to footballs, camping tents, and bows and arrows. Alas, the only thing we couldn't find was our long-missing jump shot. 1336 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 1760, .
Violet Skin Boutique
You don't have to worry about that,' says Shaw when we tell her we really need a therapeutic massage, not just a light shoulder rub. As she begins to press and knead, our concerns, and stress knots, melt away. Shaw's firm touch relaxes and revitalizes as she instinctively homes in on problem areas, leaving us free to daydream or doze. 257 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, violetskinboutique.com.
LuxLash
We can't quite put our finger on when brow shaping morphed from a quick rip of indifferently applied tape into an art form. But we do know that LuxLash has perfected the procedure. The specialty spa, so popular it moved to a larger location six months after opening, charges a reasonable $25 to $35 for a painless, expertly waxed and plucked arch. Owner Suzanne Cats has even developed her own brow-extension technology for those who believe more is more. 232 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, luxlash.com.
Centre St. Cafe
Visions of the Moosewood Cafe dance in our heads. This Jamaica Plain eatery isn't quite the famous haven that spawned all those veggie cookbooks, but it offers meatless dishes flavorful enough to satisfy a carnivore. In fact, a musrhoom-potato stew was so rich, we were convinced it had a beef-broth base. (It didn't.) We also loved the salads and the curried stir fry. You'll find an occasional fish or chicken dish, but this is veggie heaven, 1960s-style. 699 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA .
Mistral
Mistral has always been a cool place to eat, but in the past that was more to do with the scene than the food. This year, we're happy to report that chef Jamie Mammano's cuisine is worth getting dressed up for too. The menu is eclectic in the truest sense of the word; offerings span the globe, including dishes from Italy (homemade designer pizzas), France (a silken foie gras terrine), and our own soil (tenderloin of beef with horseradish potatoes). All are carefully executed, with special consideration given to presentation and plating. 223 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA mistralbistro.com.
L.A. Burdick
We love the cozy tables in the storefront overlooking Brattle. We love the tiny chocolate mice, complete with colorful ribbon tails. But what we really adore is the fact that all of the chocolate in this sweet-tooth cafe is handmade, down to the decadent hot chocolate, whipped up from equal parts chocolate and milk (!). The heavenly libation comes in dark, milk, and white chocolate (sometimes), and is so thick it sticks to the roof of our mouth. Imbibe with caution: It's been known to make even the most jaded gourmands swoon. 52D Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA burdickchocolate.com.
Tremont Summer Ale
After three years of winning Best Beer honors (Tremont Ale, Tremont IPA, and our favorite, Tremont's cask-conditioned Best Bitter), the Charlestown brewery introduced its seasonal Summer Ale last year. We were disappointed, to say the least. Yet when a 12-pack of it arrived this year, we were pleasantly stunned: They kicked out some of the cheaper grains, fiddled with the hops, and turned out the best damned baseball-watching, lawn-mowing beer in history. Are you listening, Fenway Park?
Toscanini's
Owner Gus Rancatore is a bona fide gourmet, a guy with a penchant for combining unusual flavors and unique textures. As a result, his inventive ice creams—in flavors like goat cheese-brownie, bourbon flake, and even pancake—push the boundaries of the palate while remaining undeniably delicious. Our favorite way to enjoy his scoops? Nestled in an Iggy's brioche bun and drizzled with hot fudge—it's the ice cream sandwich, Gus-style. 899 Main St., Cambridge, MA tosci.com.
Oleana
The regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea offer an embarrassment of culinary riches: olive oil, figs, and an abundance of fresh herbs and exotic spices. Fortunately, we have Oleana, so we need only trek to Cambridge to get our fix of buttery hummus, spiced lamb with garlic and yogurt, and the most elegant falafel in town. Order tapas-style from the appetizers to make the most of the menu—and be sure not to miss the chickpea terrine with apricot, pistachio, and tahini sauce, or the shockingly tender tamarind-glazed beef with eggplant purée and pine nuts. 124 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 2139, oleanarestaurant.com.
Coppa
We didn't need last year's Food & Wine accolades to tell us that Jamie Bissonnette rocks. The famously inked chef drives the two hottest spots in town—Toro and Coppa (co-owned with Ken Oringer)—which launched our obsession with charcuterie and offal. And while it will pain us to share his skills with New York when a Toro location opens there later this year, we're proud he'll be showing that city what Boston is made of (hint: a whole lotta pork). 253 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA 2116, coppaboston.com.
Todd Maul, Clio
While the sheer number of cocktails on the 80-drink list makes our frontal cortex twitch, it's the list's creator who brings it to refreshing, delicious life. With extreme attention to detail (black-lime-stuffed ice cubes, anyone?) and a downright hospitable attitude (we love a bartender who can carry a conversation from Roald Dahl to canoeing to why lemon juice extracted in a centrifuge makes the best Tom Collins), Maul runs a drink program like none other in the city. 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, .
Formaggio Kitchen
If we could be anything in the next life, we'd come back as a mouse so we could gnaw our way into this wondrously stinky store. Even on a human scale, Formaggio's stock of cheese is jaw-droppingly vast, with wheels of Belgian Gouda, logs of superfresh Vermont chevre, and blue-veined hunks of Spanish queso azul. The staff has tasted most of it, so ask for advice on what to buy—or even better, taste it yourself. They're glad to share. 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, formaggiokitchen.com.
L'Andana
Everything about Italian specialist L'Andana (which this magazine named the Best New Restaurant of 2008) is so generously proportioned that it might seem excessive. That's fine by us, considering that Jamie Mammano of Mistral, Teatro, and Sorellina fame is the one laying on the flourishes. So, yes, we'll happily loll in the overstuffed banquettes; order up big bowls of dreamy homemade pastas or three-course Tuscan suppers with enormous, flawlessly grilled steaks; and raise our giant wine glasses to the joys of going overboard. 86 Cambridge St., Burlington, MA 1803, .