Pure Oasis
Despite having to temporarily close due to COVID-19 just two weeks after opening its doors, Boston’s very first pot shop has already begun building a loyal customer base. And for good reason: Thanks to the knowledgeable, friendly budtenders; the wide selection of gummies, flower, pens, and joints; and the always stress-free shopping experience, you’ll find yourself chilling out before you’ve even made a purchase. 430 Blue Hill Ave., Boston, MA 02121, mypureoasis.com.
Outdoor Dining
The decision to let restaurants reclaim parking spaces for al fresco tables was a pandemic-era marvel that almost certainly kept some of our favorite spots from going belly-up. It also changed Boston’s dining scene, and its streets, for the better (can you even remember the days when restaurants didn’t spill out into their own elegantly decorated parklets?). Filling all of that space with people rather than lifeless hunks of metal was good for the soul — let’s keep it going in the future.
Trillium Brewing Company
In only the past few years the beer makers have opened a Fort Point brewpub and draft-filled Canton headquarters, kick-started Boston’s beer-garden revolution, and announced a forthcoming Fenway taproom. Through it all, Team Trillium continues to create genre-defining New England IPAs and boundary-pushing pastry stouts. They’re also innovating with less-trendy styles, including European-style lagers and wild ales made with fruits they’ll eventually grow themselves at a Connecticut farm/brewery. 50 Thomson Place, Boston, MA trilliumbrewing.com/fortpoint.
Club Cafe
Careening among all those fluorescent tank tops and gyrating bodies, you’ll find twinks, drag queens, even a jilted ex-lover or two—a testament to Boston’s small gay scene. Strong drinks served with a smile pair well with music that skews heavy toward Bieber pop. Unless, of course, it’s karaoke night. Then all bets are off. 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02116, clubcafe.com.
Grace by Nia
How thrilling to get a stunning live-music venue in the Seaport, a neighborhood increasingly (and thankfully) moving away from its chain-filled reputation. A dream-team collab between Nia Grace (of Roxbury/South End favorite Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen) and Big Night, the hospitality group behind some of Boston’s snazziest nightclubs, the newly opened venue is now the place for both soul music and seriously decadent soul food — did someone say carrot-cake chicken and waffles? 60 Seaport Blvd., 3rd Floor, Seaport, MA 02210, gracebynia.com.
Mamaleh's
Now that it ships nationwide “nosh” packages such as the Dorm Fridge Deli — a packed-on-ice splay of superlative pastrami, corned beef, potato salad, and more — Mamaleh’s moves that much closer to being Boston’s more-youthful answer to Katz’s Delicatessen in New York. Meaning: the place you remember whether you live here forever or a semester, and turn to whenever you need a taste of fresh-challah-, pickled-kraut-, and spicy-mustard-scented home. Multiple Locations, mamalehs.com.
Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood
Sorry, Kelly’s: We’ll gladly bypass Route 1 road rage in favor of this street-side walkup window in Boston’s Back Bay (with an outpost at a nearby food hall), which perfects a beefy North Shore–style “Three-way” sloppy with barbecue sauce and mayo. More than that, though, it also dresses up its plump, brioche-like buns for the city: see the “80T,” a mile-high pile of herb-rubbed Wagyu sliced thin, juicy, and pink, with sharply pickled onions that cut through spicy aioli and cheddar. Multiple locations, cussersboston.com.
Woods Hill Table
"Farm to table" is much more than a catch phrase at this spot from natural-food activist Kristin Canty. Her own 265-acre New Hampshire farm supplies meat for chef Charlie Foster’s refined-rustic fare, from pasture-raised chicken with sauce Périgord to beef tartare with a fresh quail egg. And the farm is growing (newly debuted: ducks) to keep up with Canty’s additional projects, including the just-opened Mexican joint Adelita and a forthcoming restaurant on Boston’s Pier 4 site. 24 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA 01742, woodshilltable.com.
Bikes Not Bombs
Some bike shops take themselves too seriously—What, you don’t know how to change a chain? At this unassuming yet hip workshop, however, even complete novices are welcome. Staffers will patiently answer any questions about the trials and tribulations of urban cycling before steering you toward a superb selection of sleek new city cruisers from brands like Bianchi and Linus, as well as refurbished wheels. And that kindness extends to all aspects of the nonprofit: Bikes Not Bombs ships thousands of refurbished two-wheelers to partners across the world, and supports the community closer to home with a youth-employment program for Boston’s aspiring mechanics. 18 Bartlett Sq., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, bikesnotbombs.org.
Bos. Shop South End
Since it replaced the beloved Olives & Grace last summer, this sweet boutique, which showcases goods from Black-owned businesses, has taken over the mantle of Boston’s most thoughtful — and beautifully merchandised — gift shop. Drop in for a bag of loose-leaf herbal tea, a box of locally made chocolates, or a cute little “plant baby” for your dinner-party host (even better, spring for the curated gift box). No matter what you choose, you can be confident you’ll always get the same thing from the person receiving it: another invite. 623 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118, blackownedbos.com/bos-shop.
Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale, the Koji Club
When nationally noted sake pro Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale left O Ya in early 2020 to open Boston’s first sake bar, she couldn’t have imagined the pandemic-related obstacles she’d face. But after pivoting to offer virtual drink-to-learn sessions, she’s finally opened the doors to her intimate brick-and-mortar bar at the Charles River Speedway, where she delights locals with sakes never before seen in the Hub — like the fresh and lively namazake, a springtime special — and enlightens them on Japan’s national drink with the approachability and sense of fun of a most-formative teacher. thekojiclub.com.
Bianca
Imagine eating at O Ya, Boston’s swankiest sushi spot, but with children (actually, maybe don’t imagine that). Dining at its sister restaurant gets you pretty close, with a few very important distinctions. One, an excellent kids’ menu that includes a Wagyu cheeseburger and a Valrhona chocolate-chip cookie. Two, plentiful outdoor seating, perfect for those who haven’t quite perfected their indoor voices. Grownups, meanwhile, appreciate the O Ya–quality sushi (e.g.,hamachi crudo with Meyer-lemon ponzu) — and everyone loves the pizza. 47 Boylston St, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, biancachestnuthill.com.
Marvelous Barber Lounge
Ready to make a statement? Trust your next ’do to Lex Andre Daluz and his team of artist-slash-barbers, who have taken Boston’s barbering world by storm since expanding here from Brockton two years ago. While they’re deft with standard cuts for all hair textures, the showstoppers are their custom designs, for which they shave complex geometric patterns and draw lifelike portraits on the backs of clients’ heads — all with just a set of clippers and a straight razor, and maybe a pop of attention-grabbing hair dye. They also operate the single most impressive hair-related Instagram account we’ve seen … ever? Multiple locations, marvelouscuts.com.
Sault New England
As long as Boston’s stylish men never lose their taste for leather-scented candles and pants held up with twists of nautical rope, Sault will continue to be indispensable. A new women’s section appears not to have affected the store’s emphasis on laid-back yet fashionable accents for the fellas, from killer railroad-spike-inspired bracelets from metal jeweler Giles & Brother to leather bi-folds from Todder. And lest men be excluded from the self-care trend, the shop also offers an assortment of high-end grooming products, including beard oils and one very preppy whale-shaped nail brush. 577 Tremont St., Boston, MA saultne.com.
WERS
We love a tote bag as much as the next person, but after a while, the GBH and New Yorker ones start to pile up. WERS, Emerson College’s radio station, not only plays some of the best eclectic music around town — from singer-songwriters, rock, and R&B to show tunes and a cappella — its live-music swag also beats all. Baseball caps, T-shirts, hoodies, and coffee mugs all blare your allegiance to Boston’s best college radio station and make you look younger and hipper than you actually are. 120 Boylston St., Theater District, MA 02116, wers.org.