G2O Spa + Salon
The wellness world’s obsession with CBD is here to stay — and with it, all manner of spa services capitalizing on the cannabis compound’s therapeutic powers. We found our favorites at G2O, where you can opt for a mani/pedi — complete with a skin-softening CBD scrub and paraffin treatment — or kick back with a massage, made all the more relaxing with pain-relieving CBD oil. Want to really get the full effect? Try the spa’s CBD-infused tea after your service (it’s free!). 33 Exeter St., Boston, MA 02116, g2ospasalon.com.
Clio
Big egos like big flavors, want big portions, and prefer big tables. Little wonder, then, that breakfast at Clio has reached utopian status among so many heavy hitters. Haggle over freshly baked pecan bread. Intimidate the enemy over creamy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, chives, and caviar. Impress your peers with the cool-but-elegant setting and finely tuned service that appears as if on cue. of all: The hotel, known for its personalized service, attracts out-of-towners for whom rolling out of bed and going downstairs for a convenient breakfast meeting is a big, big plus. It's helped to lure away the power crowd from Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons, at least a few morning a week. Eliot Suite Hotel, 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA cliorestaurant.com.
The Butcher Shop
As the longtime wine doyenne of the Barbara Lynch empire, Cat Silirie knows her way around a corkscrew. For proof, look no further than the corner of Tremont and Waltham, where over the past six years she's nurtured this updated boucherie into a temple of vino that effectively puts the cork in the Hub's ersatz wine bars. The list digs deep with bottles from producers and small family farms—even grapes!—we've never heard of, but every server intuits precisely what will rock that plate of charcuterie or artisanal cheese. Hang out and nibble across the meat-centric menu while watching the South End go by, or have a glass while the staff packs your shopping bag with aged steaks, house-cured bacon, and Bolognese sauce. 552 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2118, thebutchershopboston.com.
Chilacates
Socrates Abreu’s J.P. restaurants may be small, but the aromas coming out of his Mexican street-food kitchens are big and bold. There’s no wrong way to go with the mix-and-match menu here: Just choose your "canvas" (taco, burrito, torta, and more), meat, and toppings. Our favorite combos: spicy chorizo and potatoes packed into a burrito, and herbaceous pork enchiladas smothered in salsa verde. Look for two more super-fresh locations coming soon, in Mission Hill and Chestnut Hill. Multiple locations. 224 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, chilacates.mx.
E6 Apothecary
At too many department store cosmetics counters in this town, too-chic salespeople more often than not will slather your screaming pores with overly perfumed chemicals and then, as if a life depended upon it, try to force you into spending upwards of $300 on said chemicals. That's why E6, with its well-organized shelves of hard-to-find lines (from diva staples such as Helena Rubinstein and Versace to cult favorites Rescue Beauty Lounge and Becca) and its always-informed but low-pressure sales staff, remains our local shrine to beauty. 167 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Bondir
Since chef Jason Bond opened the doors last fall, the applause for Bondir hasn't let up. Now, nine months and zero missteps later, he gets another voice added to the gushing chorus: ours. His menus, which change every day, are detailed yet somehow still welcoming and unprecious. His flavors are creative and nimble but restrained, and focused on one thing above all others: freshness. Already he has the rest of the house—staffers and diners alike—dedicated to that idea, and to creating a vibe that isn't about status dining or stuffy service, but about eating deceptively simple, yet simply wonderful, food. 279A Broadway, Cambridge, MA 2139, bondircambridge.com.
Pomodoro
On any given night you can find crowds gathered on the sidewalk outside this cramped, noisy, hole-in-the-wall North Ender, jostling for the chance to dive into some of the freshest homestyle Italian cooking in Boston. Pomodoro is not fancy; it's cash only, and offers only two wine choices, house red and white. But it is damn good. Our advice: While you wait for a table, nibble from a plate of crisp, lightly fried calamari with tomato sauce, and save room for pastas, seafood, and veal dishes that sing with simple bold flavors. Ever-present properietor Siobhan Carew makes this place a gem. 319 Hanover Street, Boston, MA .
Larry O'Connor, Black Magic
O'Connor's men (he's got two crews) dress in the traditional top hats (tails optional in summer) to do your chimney. And now's the time to get an appointment: fully three quarters of the company's business is done between September and December—and we're talking about thousands of chimneys. O'Connor started in Stowe, Vermont, in 1973, and moved here five years later. He's good, and very neat, too. "We make sure we keep our customer's homes clean by taking along an industrial vacuum cleaner to every job." Ah, progress. Cambridge, MA
Mamaleh's
We'd love to tell you how tasty the hot house-smoked pastrami and creamy blintzes are at Mamaleh's, but oy vey, we're stuffed like a kishka and can barely finish writing this. For years the area has been short on real-deal Jewish delicatessens, and now we finally have one that satisfies all of our cravings, right down to the cherry phosphates and crisp, golden latkes just like Mom used to make. Bring the experience home with you via the takeout counter, generously stocked with all manner of smoked fish and cold cuts. One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139, mamalehs.com.
Exodus
Toasted or untoasted? Either way has its advantages. Fresh off the shelf at baker Adam Hirsh’s long-awaited new shop, the bagels are a soft, chewy foundation for substantial sandwiches such as the Monumental, featuring a hard-boiled egg, local greens, and bacon. Warmed, the crisp exterior crackles pleasantly. Bagel lovers can’t go wrong with flavors like "everywhere" (a thoroughly seeded everything); jalapeño-cheddar; and egg—but our favorite order is sesame, toasted to bring out the nutty flavors, with a generous schmear of house-made bacon-everything cream cheese. 3346 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, exodusbagels.com.
Chuck Bass, Pini Swissa Salon
We came to Bass with a three-month-old haircut on the fritz. His diagnosis? Too heavy, especially around the shoulders. Within 60 seconds the stylist had devised a surgical plan: longer in the front, with flattering layers in the back. And then he swiftly and quietly went to work, using both wet and dry cutting techniques to sculpt our mane as if it were a statue made of clay. The result: a cut with body, style, and plenty of personality. Bonus: Bass sees clients as early as 6 a.m., so you don’t have to wreck your work day (or fight Newbury Street traffic) for a trim. 18 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, chuckbass.com.
Biltmore-Green
Ardent followers of the tenet 'Well, you just never know,' we're not the types whose weekend gear will fit in a tiny backpack. And so the crew at Biltmore-Green has come to know us by name. The Back Bay shop has our favorite high-end Tumi and Hartmann rollers; durable Samsonite and Swiss Army suitcases; and leather totes from Bosca and Jack George. If your packing preferences lean toward the aforementioned knappie, well, you can buy simple, sleek carry-ons here, too. Just don't complain if you wind up needing the shoes you left behind. 176 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Fred Donovan and John Dewar
The John Dewar & Company operation has been in business only since October, but already its commercial clients include Front Street, the Hermitage, and Jason's. The Dewar company also encourages retail business at its 753 Beacon St., Newton, address. According to Fred Donovan, the vice-president and chief meat cutter of the store, "We're not trying for the strong sell. We just want to satisfy the customer. We don't care if they come in for one hot dog or four ounces of hamburger. We treat all our customers the same." John Dewar & Company, .
Bakers' Best
Great service, flavorful food, beautiful presentation—and a willingness to take on any affair, no matter how small or bizarre—set this small company apart from its bigger sisters. From weddings and wakes to corporate conferences and informal dinner parties (sans staff), Bakers' specialties include grilled Norwegian salmon with citrus salsa, rack of lamb with a honey-peppercorn crust, grilled teriyaki chicken, and imaginative hors-d'oeuvres such as artichoke hearts with Parmesan triangles, pan-seared dumplings, grilled lime-marinated scallops, and Tandoori shrimp. Plus an attitude that makes you feel as special as your event. 27 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA .
T. W. Food
Sparks fly every time we enter the unassuming front door of this charming Cambridge eatery. Maybe it's the sparse, soft-lit dining room, filled with just 10 white-linen-topped tables accented by fresh flowers. Or maybe it's the anticipation of chef Tim Wiechmann's divine French-influenced fare (we're still daydreaming about the house-made rillettes, and the squid-ink gemelli with Moosabec mussels and razor clams). Whatever the reason, no matter how many other discerning diners make the pilgrimage to T. W. Food, it always feels like our special place. 377 Walden St., Cambridge, MA twfoodrestaurant.com.