Bread & Circus Whole Foods Markets
As with all of B&C's stock, the prices are a bit higher, but the quality is way higher. So is the variety, which rotates on some regularity. Our favorite: the monster green olives stuffed with cloves of garlic. Funky, but yummy. All locations, .
James at Solus
Our test of a good haircut: Will it grow out gracefully? In other words, can we get an extra week out of it without looking like outtakes from Headbangers' Ball? James's cuts make the grade. 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Dan Duquette
Mercy, the suit wasn't here 10 minutes and the gonfalon was ours, by God. What are the Sox going to do for front-office help if somebody steals Peter Gammons's Rolodex?
Boston Calling
Get ready for some really cathartic moshing: After two years of heartbreaking cancellations, our marquee music festival recently announced its return for 2022 — and it did so with a bang, bringing back 2020’s promised headliners Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine. Allston, MA bostoncalling.com.
Ronan Park
So maybe Fields Corner is named for colonist Zechariah Field and not for its green spaces. Still, we'd like to point out that the neighborhood has some mighty fine fields. Our favorite, Ronan Park, hosts an annual kite festival. Dorchester, MA 02122, boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation.
G2O Spa and Salon
Carefully considered questions about pain points and pressure yielded a rigorous 60-minute massage ($125) that turned our computer-worn shoulders and chair-stiffened lower back into Jell-O. An aprՌs-treatment hot-tub soak on the penthouse level, meanwhile, helped bring the brain back into alignment. 278 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, g2ospasalon.com.
Sephora
We have only one rule when shopping at this cavernous cosmetics shop: Bring cash. How else to limit ourselves while stuffing our basket with lotions, powders, polishes, and liners? Oh, and there are the goodies tempting us from the bins near the checkout line... sephora.com.
Lester Harry's
Instead of being bigger versions of Cabbage Patch dolls, kids here are littler versions of our best-dressed selves. That means ruffled frocks by Splendid and Twelfth Street, snappy orange cargos from Jean Bourget, and Eberjey Indian-motif swimwear. (Excuse us, but does this come in a size 32T?) 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA 1945, .
Pamela Santorelli
A store with avant-garde clothing needs a sales assistant who can steer a client through it. Pamela Santorelli of Louis Boston does just that. She's relaxed and refreshing, patient and pressure-free. And she tells us when something looks terrible without hurting our feelings. Louis Boston, 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Barneys New York
It's said that what separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize. If you're looking for pashminas, the flash of a Fendi croissant bag, beaded scarves, shoes, or jewelry, Barneys has it. And it can make or break even the most stylish fashionista's outfit. The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
Kitchen Arts
This family-owned store gets our raves for the chef (or wannabe) looking for the best items to outfit the serious kitchen. Competitive prices on brands such as Calphalon and All-Clad, but beats everyone on price for top-of-the-line cutlery. Nice selection of hard-to-find gadgets as well. 161 Newbury Street, Boston, MA .
Brendan Behan Pub
Far too many of our Irish pubs cater to students, putting flat-screens on the walls and wings on the menu. Suddenly you're not in a pub at all, but some grotesque shamrock-themed sports bar. Here, there are no such transgressions. No LCDs. An extensive beer and whiskey list. This is what makes the Behan Irish. And this is why it beats them all. 378 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, .
Grill 23 & Bar
Carnivores descend upon this old-boy's-club dining room to eat big portions, tell tall tales, and pay top dollar. While some of our more subdued purveyors complained of undue ambient noise, you can always request the quieter area beyond the bar. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Japonaise Bakery
Honestly, we don't know whether it has fewer calories than any other chocolate cake, but we can eat a dozen slices of this featherweight chocolate banana cake without feeling guilty. That's our definition of lite. 1020 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA .
Rev. J. Donald Monan, Chancellor, Boston College
What Father Flanagan was to Boys Town, Father Monan is to our little burg, Boyos Town—brokering the stadium deal that kept the Pats in town in much the same way he did when he rescued the Fleet Center years ago from the usual tribal mischief.