East Ocean City
A good gourmet always appreciates knowing where his food comes from. And at East Ocean City, where lobster, fish, shrimp, and king crab swim happily in large tanks before being plucked for your plate, it's pretty obvious. The menu includes everything from exotic shark fin soup to classics like sweet-and-sour chicken and beef with mushrooms. The fish dishes are all flaky as only just-caught fish can be, and the accompanying fresh vegetables and savory sauces make each dish pop with flavor. 25-29 Beach St., Boston, MA 2111, .
Bar Mezzana
Go for the house-made pastas and crudos, stay for the…well, everything else. Two years in, chef Colin Lynch and his team have hit their stride, doing a dizzying number of things well. Toasting a special occasion? Sit back with a bottle of Barolo and let Lynch send out a chef’s-choice parade of inspired dishes. Craving a casual bite? The bar-only chicken Parm sammy (served Mondays) has a cult following, the burger is among the best in town, and, believe it or not, they pour a mean scorpion bowl here, too.. 360 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, barmezzana.com.
The Club Car
Housed in a Nantucket Railroad car, this 41-year-old stalwart got a gorgeous redesign last year courtesy of its new owners, who earned their bona fides at Boston favorites like Toro and Grill 23. Chef-partner Mayumi Hattori’s Cali-inspired cuisine is top-notch, but we especially love the scene at the bar, which pours local Cisco brews and cocktails such as the Garden Variety, a refreshing mash-up of tequila, cucumber, and lime. Live piano music gets the party started while keeping it classy. One Main St., Nantucket, MA 02554, theclubcar.com.
Silver Whisk Bake Shop
You personalize so many elements of your wedding day—why have a basic cake? Silver Whisk Bake Shop works with each couple to create a confection unique to their style, with two constants: understated elegance and surprising flavors (think: matcha and lychee). And while COVID-19 temporarily puts a pause on parties, the Stoneham bakery has been staying busy delivering wedding-cake tasting boxes and packaged petit fours—jewel-like sponges coated in Swiss-meringue buttercream and sealed with chocolate that are a perfect taste of sweeter times to come. silverwhiskbakeshop.com.
The Urban K9
A wag-worthy alternative to the city's many well-intentioned but hospital-like kennels, the Urban K9 is based in a Roslindale home that owners Karen Donoghue and Erika Forssberg are happy to share with their four-legged clients. After being dropped off (or fetched by the duo's 'pet taxi' service), Fido is let out on his own schedule, taken to the park for group romps, and tucked into his very own doggy bed at night. For owners who prefer not to board, the Urban K9 will make dog-sitting (or cat-, bird-, fish-, or hamster-sitting) house calls, too. 129 Malden St., Boston, MA 2118, theurbank9.com.
Sweet Cheeks
Anatomy of a Winner: Contained on a paper-lined tray (and scattered on the reclaimed wood table) is barbecue bliss, as follows. 1. A variety of house-made hot sauces lets you dress your meat as you please. 2. Fist-size biscuits are sinfully buttery and flaky. 3. Thirst-quenching cocktails come in a mason jar. 4. The crunchy "farm salad" provides welcome relief from the richness of the meat—and from the 5. cheesy, crumb-topped broccoli casserole. 6. The main event, the pork ribs, are smoky and tender. 7. Old-school accoutrements include pickles, shaved white onion, and squishy white bread, all of which balance the heat. 1381 Boylston St., Boston, MA sweetcheeksq.com.
Paws Club
A cage for your cairn? Quelle horreur! As long as poochie can hold her own on the playground, she can roam with the big boys at Paws. This doggie camp is both day care ($17 per day) and overnight stays ($25 per night); dogs can romp supervised in the half-acre backyard (half paved, half stone). Don't let the modest house fool you: There are 11 rooms decorated with beds and couches where pooches can sleep. Cats are welcome too (in their own rooms, $12 a night). 113 Central Street, Stoneham, MA pawsclub.com.
Eastern Standard
Out in public, and especially out at the city's better restaurants, you want as few people as possible to notice when your princeling starts whacking his silverware together or gleefully tossing sugar packets onto the floor. Luckily, the popular Kenmore Square brasserie has a dining room that's plenty large and noisy enough to absorb such commotion. Order the refined mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake for the little one, and treat yourself to mustard-glazed salmon or house-made cavatelli. The absence of dirty looks will make everything more delicious. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
Dogspa
Care to try some terrier-misu? Or perhaps the matching pet-owner jewelry is more up your alley. Regardless, the two-legged and four-legged alike are barking up a storm about DogSpa, Beverly's grooming, retail, and nutritional haven. For the languorous pooch, there's an aromatherapeutic quiet room; for the vivacious pup, "Smelly Dog" deodorizations; for all of man's best friends, a chrome state-of-the-art grooming zone with anti-fatigue padded mats, HydroSurge spa baths, and expert stylists. All dogs may go to heaven, but really, what can heaven have on DogSpa? 45 Enon St., Unit 5, Beverly, MA beverlydogspa.com.
Andrew Michaels Salon & Spa
Natural light pours through this flat-out gorgeous house of beauty, converted from an early 20th-century library into a world-class spa and salon. In the copper-beamed mezzanine color areas, Andrew Micahels and his staff expertly highlight, tint, and gloss, while in the cavernous, mosaic-tiled spa below, guests are treated to rejuvenating cranberry scrubs. Vichy showers, lymphobiology facials, and massages. The professional staff, exceptionally well trained, never misses a step, and a small boutique peddles great product lines including Molton Brown and M. D. 47 Ocean Ave., Salem, MA andrewmichaelsspa.com.
Bliss Home
We all know the standard china and silver registries backwards and forwards, but at Bliss Home, newlyweds learn to expect the stylishly unexpected. This is where they find not only exquisite Spanish handcrafted rugs and French crystal Champagne glasses, but avant-garde curvilinear bookcases and natural-horn pâté spreaders. Bliss consultants can guide you through the registration process even if you're a flat-, serve-, bar-, dinner-, or stemware novice. And if you think it all looks good here, just wait 'til you see it in your house. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA blisshome.bridgecatalog.com.
Garment District
Rummaging through the racks at the Garment District is like looking for the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. That perfect paisley shirt, pleather skirt, or even preppy blue blazer is there—you just know it is—but the place is so full of classics (designer and otherwise), it sometimes takes a while to find it. By the end of your tour, you've got three hot-pink shopping bags full of inexpensive low-fashion masterpieces, from jeans to jumpers, leather jackets to costume jewelry. Behind the punk rock, studded collars, and tattoos, the store's employees are some of the friendliest around. And if you have a few extra bucks, the landfill piles of leftovers are downstairs at Dollar-a-Pound. 200 Broadway, Cambridge, MA garment-district.com.
The Pop Center
Working from home when you have small children is great — that is, until your four-year-old shows up in the back of a Zoom call covered in fingerpaint from head to toe (only a slightly exaggerated story). With daycare spots limited and nannies harder than ever to find, busy moms and dads have been flocking to this Newton coworking space, where parents and young kids can work and play side by side thanks to wellstaffed playgroups, private nursing stations, and cozy coworking lounges with a call pod and nap rooms (for grownups, too!). 1037 Chestnut St., Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464, thepopcenter.com.
Daily Paper
Find everything from lobster Benedict to big-as-your-face pancakes at this cheery diner, which also serves an excellent lunch. (Beware the enormous Daily Paper burger, topped with onion rings.) Service is beyond cheerful—our waitress handled an unwieldy party of 10 with genuine care. 644 W. Main St., Hyannis, 508-790-8800; 546 Main St., Hyannis, 508-775-9711. 644 W. Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601, dailypapercapecod.com.
Pho Lemongrass
Pho Lemongrass's pleasantly expansive menu almost dares you to find something you can't get excited about. How about a dozen ways to do rice vermicelli, or a build-your-own stir fry? Our pick is the namesake rice noodle soup, packed with spicy shrimp, chicken, or beef and not-soggy vegetables. The waitstaff is patient and kind, ensuring that even if you take a risk with a new dish, you'll never be less than thrilled with what's set before you. 239 Harvard St., Brookline, MA pholemongrass.com.