Q Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Q Restaurant Chinatown is a cross-roads of cultures, and Q clearly understands the assignment: In one place, it offers people-pleasing Chinese classics like kung pao shrimp and scallops, a great Japanese sushi bar, and Mongolian-style hot-pot cooking. When we’re not around tables bubbling our own veggies, meats, and noodles in the peanut-y Malaysian satay broth, though, you’ll find us grabbing a lychee or ginger “Q-tini” at the bar, the perfect perch for a pre-theater cocktail. 660 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111, thequsa.com.
Union Square Donuts
This newcomer—which shares space with Cafe Tango, in Somerville—goes way beyond boring crullers and plain old glazed, offering a roster of flavors like chocolate chipotle, brown butter-hazelnut crunch, and orange-ginger cream. Sorry, Dunkin'—we'll be taking our doughnuts with a side of locally sourced frosting from now on. 16 Bow St., Somerville, MA .
The Seven Sisters
Born-and-bred Vineyarder Ty Sinnett views her store not only as a shop but as a mission to support slow fashion and design. As such, the worldly goods on offer here are as thoughtfully sourced as they are gorgeous, from sustainably crafted hand towels to zero-waste hair accessories. After all, what’s a better gift than helping to preserve our planet? 19 Main St., Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, thesevensisters.co.
Bella Santé
There’s a lot going on inside Bella Santé’s largest location, including a hair salon, a makeup bar, mani-pedi stations, and 15 rooms for day- and medspa services (including the 30-minute HydraFacial that left our skin exfoliated and moisturized). But somehow you’ll feel free from distractions and totally at ease after donning a robe and entering the dimly lit lounge. Pro tip: Come early to use the steam room in the locker area. 190 Linden St., 2nd Fl., Wellesley, MA 02482, bellasante.com/pages/bella-sante-wellesley-day-spa.
Annalouise Rusk, Green Tangerine Spa & Salon
DIANA LEVINE. STYLING BY JULIE SILVA Even if you didn’t know that colorist Annalouise Rusk is the direct descendent of hair-care royalty—her parents, Irvine and Louise, created the globally recognized Rusk prouct line—you’d probably guess that her talent for effortlessly prescribing and executing spot-on color treatments lies deep within her DNA. See: our head-turning balayage highlights in all the right places. 39 Dalton St., Boston, MA greentangerinespa.com.
The Smoke Shop
With the pandemic-time addition of a fourth Smoke Shop location — this one in Harvard Square — we’re now never more than a fork’s distance away from Andy Husbands’s tender pulled chicken or best-in-class burnt ends. The chef recently released his sixth cookbook, The Smoke Shop’s Backyard BBQ, but we’ll still leave our smoked-meat cravings to the pitmaster as often as possible. Multiple locations, thesmokeshopbbq.com.
Ánh Hồng
Brian Samuels Fields Corner has, well, cornered the market on top-tier Vietnamese, especially the magical half-mile stretch of Dot. Ave. dotted with a dozen joints serving exemplary banh mi and pho. Our current crush? Nearby Ánh Hồng, where the caramel-sauce catfish is a salty-sweet dream, licorice-laced broths gurgle with musky complexity, and the seven-course beef feast is priced right for Tuesday night. 291 Adams St., Dorchester, MA 02122, anhhongboston.com.
Harvest
With the doors at UpStairs at the Pudding closed, we've turned to another gem for outside dining. Just sitting in Harvest's enclosed, shaded garden patio off Brattle Street provokes daydreams—and offers the evidence that this Harvard Square institution has entered the millennium with style and good service. Chef Josh Foley's everchanging menu is burgeoning with New England ingredients (if there are scallops on the menu, order them) that are as fresh as the patio's air, and make us happy the management extends our unreliable warm seasons with powerful gas heaters. 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA harvestcambridge.com.
Dairy Fresh Candies
It's hard to decide whether Dairy Fresh deserves our vote more for its nonpareil assortment of confections or for its friendly and informative staff. Its two narrow rooms are packed to the rafters with such imported and domestic treats as Italian baci (kisses), Turkish pistachio nuts, Lake Champlain chocolates, and Dancing Deer cookies. Around the holidays, the little shop kicks into an overdrive that would wear out even an Oompah-Loompah. 57 Salem St., Boston, MA .
Taqueria La Mexicana
Don't let the hairnets scare you: This Union Square joint is the closest you'll find to authentic Tex-Mex in Boston. It even saved one of our friends from moving back to the land of the Rio Grande. The red peppers and zucchini used for the veggie burros are grilled to a juicy crispness while you watch. Don't miss the fabulous homemade corn tortillas! 247 Washington Street, Somerville, MA cantinalamexicana.com.
Antico Forno
Dining at a lively North End restaurant doesn't have to mean slurping spaghetti in tight quarters. In fact, Antico Forno is spacious enough to accommodate a weeknight impulse visit, family in tow. The thin-crusted pizzas from the brick oven are divine (our favorite is topped with artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and white truffle oil), as are hearty pasta dishes like linguine baked in parchment with tomato sauce and a generous serving of shellfish. 93 Salem St., Boston, MA 2113, anticofornoboston.com.
Uni
When this newly revamped sushi hot spot introduced a weekend-only, late-night menu, we put it into our regular post-party rotation. With its umami-packed ramen topped with barbecued eel; blistery bonito-topped shishito peppers; soft, unctuous pork-belly buns; and deep-fried hot dogs with miso-mustard sauce and pickled vegetables, Uni provides us with an excellent excuse for sleeping till noon on Sunday. 370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, unisashimibar.com.
Sam's at Louis
We've been known, on those perfect 72-degree days, to work an "emergency" business lunch at Sam's into our schedule. Neither Newbury Street's sidewalk cafés nor Cambridge's funky hidden patios can match the scenic respite from the daily grind that this Seaport gem delivers. And considering the crowds on the huge, sun-drenched deck—noshing on polished yet unfussy fare (like the tomato-marmalade BLT)—it seems we're not the only ones who've caught on. 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2110, samsatlouis.com.
Allston Car Wash
When our test vehicle went in, it was encrusted with mud, pollen, tree buds, and bird droppings. When it came out, it looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. These guys attack each car with painstaking indvidual attention, all for just $7.25 for an exterior wash ($6 with a fill-up at the adjacent pumps); they even shine the rear-view mirror. Here, "hand-dried" doesn't mean a halfhearted swipe with a dirty towel, either. There's usually a line, but the wait is worth it. 434 Cambridge Street, Allston, MA theirving.com.
Jerry Remy's Sports Bar and Grill
Back during the NCAA basketball tournament, we spent an afternoon at the Remy's near Fenway. It almost broke our head. It wasn't just that there were a zillion TVs, but that the two biggest ones over the bar were 11 feet long. (That's, like, two Dustin Pedroias!) With an exceptional beer list and more-than-good-enough food, there's no place better to spend NFL Sunday, college football Saturday, or, really, any day. 1265 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2215, jerryremys.com.