Hairo
As blowout bars become as ubiquitous as Starbucks franchises, many have resorted to a formulaic styling process: wash, dry, and out the door. At Hairo, however, there’s no shuffling through a blow-dry assembly line: You’ll get a personalized ’do from a seasoned stylist, plus expert tips on which looks work best for your hair type. The best part? Your tamed tresses will last for days, with just the right amount of bounce. 163 Newbury St., Boston, 617-266-1199; 2 Winter Place, Boston, 617-231-7914. 163 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, myhairo.com.
Oishii
The name means "delicious," and the food delivers on the promise at this new addition to Boston's sushi scene. (Move over, Ginza.) Hidden away off Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, Oishii was opened by brother-in-law chefs Ting San and Kung San, both of whom trained at New York's raw fish temple, Nobu. On offer are generous portions of delectable fresh fish presented with great art and friendly service. Exclusivity is guaranteed: Oishii seats only 12. However, if you're willing to drive to Sudbury, it has already spawned a somewhat bigger branch. 612 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA oishiiboston.com/about-ch.html.
Cornerstone Books
With tarry-awhile touches like overstuffed chairs, a fireplace, and a wee café offering bites from nearby bakery A&J King, this handsome independent shop encourages people to lose themselves in books. It's also impressively devoted to luring them back out again, as Cornerstone regularly throws open its historic loft space for readings, live music performances, and club meet-ups (Boston's venerable Grub Street writing program recently established its North Shore base here). Part literary salon, part community living room, the store gives bookworms the space—and a gentle nudge—to be social animals as well. 45 Lafayette St., Salem, MA 1970, .
Jack Gantos
This year, Boston's literary world hit the jackpot with national success stories in local writers Erin Morgenstern and Jack Gantos. Morgenstern's fantastical debut novel about dueling magicians, The Night Circus, won raves (and a movie deal). But Gantos, a veteran author and former Emerson professor, soared to even greater heights when he won the Newbery Medal—the kid-lit version of the Best Picture Oscar—for his quirky, semi-autobiographical Dead End in Norvelt, about a boy growing up writing obituaries in an increasingly eerie town.
Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs
Nestled in East Boston's Day Square, Uncle Pete's is the kind of barbecue place locals keep to themselves. And, really, we'd never have suspected that this lopsided setting, a former Dairy Queen, could produce the most mouthwatering flavor-packed pork, beef, chicken, and ribs we've gnawed this far north. Pete himself makes everything daily, using special combinations of dry rubs and marinades and smoking the meat for five hours or more with a result so succulent that extra sauce and garnishes are superfluous. Equally noteworthy is the care taken here with side dishes, including frosted sweet-potato biscuits, homemade baked beans, and hand-cut fries. 309 Bennington St., East Boston, MA .
Esplanade
Every runner has his or her own personal preference for, say, the simplicity of a small loop around Jamaica Pond, or the solitude of the Somerville bike path. But only the Esplanade trail along the Charles has it all: spectacular views of the Boston skyline from the Cambridge side, Harvard and MIT from the Boston side, and the sailboats and rowing shells from either bank. Not to mention silhouettes of the many bridges. Marathoners-in-training opt for the entire 17-mile loop, but most popular is the three-mile circle between the Mass. Ave. and Longfellow bridges. Sure, it can get crowded, but look at it this way: The camaraderie—and competition—just may push you that much harder. MA
John Weiners
The Poet Laureate of Beacon Hill, the Oracle of Joy Street belongs in the ranks of Boston's most distinguished literati. His remarkable first book, The Hotel Wentley Poems (1959), made him an overnight star of the Beat generation. He hobnobbed with Ferlinghetti during San Francisco's late 1950's Poetry Renaissance, and was a longtime crony of the late Allen Ginsberg. Known as both Genius and Holy Mad Man, he inspired an entire generation of younger poets with his wit and delicate lyricism. This year, after more than a decade of silence, he published a splendid new collection, 707 Scott Street.
Yu-Wen Wu
This Taipei-born and Boston-raised artist found her widest audience to date with Lantern Stories, a breathtaking collection of 31 illuminated orbs that hung outside Chinatown this year, each decorated to tell stories of the immigrant experience. It was a stunning exemplar of Wu’s work with abstract drawings and video installations, whose depictions of climate-change and economic data are beautiful from a distance and thought-provoking up close. Boston awaits the story she’ll decide to tell next, and how. yuwenwu.com.
Tavi de la Rosa
Rare is the makeup artist who can shake you out of your routine with a single application of blush and eyeshadow. Tavi de la Rosa, who mans the Sisley counter at Neiman Marcus part-time and preps Boston's style icons, can suss out your look in minutes. For us, that meant smoky eyes, flawless foundation, and near-nude lips, plus a few false-eyelash applications for extra zing.
Dbar
Dorchester has become a hub for Boston's gay scene, with Dbar at the center of it all. From Showtunes Tuesdays to Magnum Saturdays (you'll have to see for yourself), there's always something happening at this Dot. Ave. hot spot. The Christopher Coombs-inspired menu and deftly crafted cocktail list are all the fuel you need to dance into the wee hours when the restaurant transitions into a nightclub. 1236 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 02125, dbarboston.com.
Bodega
This Back Bay boutique is famous for stocking Boston's most fashionable array of kicks. Choose from the latest lines of Nike, Converse, Reebok, and Vans, plus plenty of special-edition hats and graphic tees. The shopping experience, like the inventory, defines what it means to be hip in the Hub: Bodega is pet-friendly and regularly showcases paintings by local artists. 6 Clearway St., Boston, MA 2115, shop.bdgastore.com.
Eastern Bakers Supply
Need a springform pan for a mile-high cheesecake? Eastern Bakers has Boston's broadest, deepest, and widest inventory for baking, pastry-making, and all breeds of professional supplies. This is the place that the professionals turn to, from pots and pans to doo-dads like pastry nozzels, pastry brushes, brioche molds, rolling pins, and paring knives. It ain't pretty in there, but the place works. Ask for Al. His manner seems gruff, but it's a put-on. 145 North Washington St., Boston, MA .
Jim Horgan
Front Street's bar (260 Berkeley St., Boston) is a quiet, secure haven, protected by Horgan. A five-year veteran of the bartending wars of Boston and Cape Cod, Horgan knows his regulars and what they drink, and he protects their privacy. "This isn't a pickup bar," Horgan says. "People come here to relax. Single women come in by themselves and trust me to see they're left alone. People know that no one will bother them here." Front Street, 260 Berkely St., Boston, MA .
Tremont IPA
Enough with the fruit-and-berry recipes made by all those microbreweries that are (not coincidentally) going out of business left and right. Enough, too, with the endless seasonal brews—even the ones from Tremont. It's time to get back to basics, and the finest basic Boston beer is this one, with its malty, hoppy goodness and light copper hue, now on draft year round in the best Boston-area bars and available in bottles in and around town. MA
Duckworth's Bistrot
Before setting up shop in Gloucester, star chef Ken Duckworth gained invaluable training turning out classics like creamy wild mushroom soup and succulent Dover sole in Paris and at Boston's famed Maison Robert. The American desserts, such as peanut butter pie and cheesecake, are the vision of Duckworth's wife, Nicole, a self-trained pastry chef. Each dish, expertly executed and oozing with flavor, is testimony to the couple's passion for perfection. 197 E. Main St., Gloucester, MA 1930, duckworthsbistrot.com.