Beer Summit
The Beer Summit's ubiquitous pretzel necklaces, old-school cover bands, and mix of beer fans young and old make us nostalgic for the days when Boston was a beer-festival pioneer. The event's focus on New England breweries and blue-collar craft brewers (no exotic rum-barrel-aged or grapefruit-zest-laden über-beers) is downright refreshing. beersummit.com.
Glossier
Shopping for cosmetics is a tactile experience; how else can you know whether the lip gloss or foundation you’re buying actually works for your face? That’s why we’re so glad this cult-favorite beauty brand recently landed in Boston. Brimming with testers of all the must-haves — from the miracle-working brow pomade to the heavenly gel-cream blush known as Cloud Paint — the pink-hued shop is designed for experimentation and delight. 120 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, glossier.com.
Concepts
You know a store has serious cred when it expands from Boston to New York, Dubai, and Shanghai. The international expansion is no surprise, though, when you consider Concepts’ selection of high-end streetwear from sensations like A Bathing Ape, Ami, Rick Owens, and Common Projects — not to mention its exclusive in-house label, which just so happens to be unveiling a sizzling new women’s line soon. 18 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, cncpts.com.
Viola Lovely
The North Shore outpost of this chic shop, which also has a location in the South End, continues to bring a bit of urban sophistication to the wilds of Wenham. Like its city counterpart, the boutique is known to stock statement pieces that say, “Look at me,” but not too loudly, including clothing, accessories, and shoes from brands such as Lemaire and Robert Clergerie. Plus, you’ll score something hard to find at the Boston boutique: parking. 148 Main St., Wenham, MA 01984, violalovely.com.
Perfect 10 Unisex Salon
One look at Perfect 10’s “hair transformation” videos on Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll understand why this salon is a repeat Best of Boston winner. Stylist and owner Kanessa Alexander is adept at working with all hair types and textures, producing some of the most gorgeous crochet braids, silk presses, and all-over color and highlights around. But the most important thing to Alexander is that her clients have healthy hair — something that’s evident in every style she produces. 1896 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132, perfect10hairsalon.com.
Tile Showcase
The tile in your home is as much of an artistic expression as any painting you hang on your wall — an opportunity to bring in colors, textures, and patterns. Tile Showcase has long been known as a mecca for all of the above, from stunning New Ravenna sea-glass mosaics to retro penny rounds and classic subway tile. Bonus: The showroom, located at the Boston Design Center, always has an extensive inventory of in-stock tile, so you may not have to play the home-renovation waiting game. Boston Design Center, Ste. 204, Boston, MA 02210, tileshowcase.com.
School of Rock
Got a budding rock star on your hands? Sign them up for afternoon classes at this edgy music academy, with locations everywhere from Wakefield to Watertown. Here, wannabe drummers, keyboardists, guitarists, and more jam out alongside professional musicians (many of whom trained at Berklee). And forget traditional recitals: Lessons culminate in a full-throttle rock performance that’s more Boston Calling than Beethoven. Multiple locations, schoolofrock.com.
Trade
If chef Jody Adams and restaurant group A Street Hospitality are Boston culinary royalty, Trade is their palace, a soaring testament to Greek and Mediterranean flavors set inside a contemporary-looking taverna accented with verdant foliage. Don’t miss perfectly attuned classics like the grilled octopus or the rosemary-marinated lamb chops, as well as surprising knockouts such as the bulgur chickpea pilaf or the oxtail pastitsio made with fresh pasta and Manouri cheese. 540 Atlantic Ave., Downtown, MA 02210, trade-boston.com.
True Bistro
There are many places to eat meatless meals in Boston these days, but only one place to enjoy a truly sophisticated, fine-dining experience with an entirely vegan menu. Dishes like the crispy oyster mushrooms in guajillo chili sauce with a horseradish-dill aioli will not only dazzle the vegan and vegan-curious in your crew — they’ll also win over the carnivores. 1153 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144, truebistroboston.com.
Contessa
The crown jewel atop the Newbury Boston, Contessa upgrades the restaurant experience from swanky to downright royal. The service? Attentive without fawning. The drinks? The Sgroppino — with lemon vodka, lemon sorbet, and prosecco — is like basking in the sun. The food? A court of northern Italian delights, from pillowy ravioli to garlicky, hot-from-the-grill lamb chops. All of this in a dreamy art deco dining room, with views that are like looking out over the city from a throne. 3 Newbury St., Back Bay, MA 02116, contessaristorante.com/boston.
Zendaya
Even in a city accustomed to A-listers, Zendaya’s time in Boston was the buzziest celebrity residency in years. All spring, fans chronicled her Tatte coffee dates with boyfriend Tom Holland, and roamed the Back Bay hoping to snag the season’s most valuable keepsake: a selfie with Spider-Man’s MJ herself. Zendaya clearly has great taste: She was spotted at Eastie’s beloved Angela’s Café not once, but twice.
Huntington Theatre Company
Live theater came back with a bang this year at the Huntington. Case in point: resident playwright Kirsten Greenidge’s fantastic Our Daughters, Like Pillars was followed by Greenidge and Melia Bensussen’s Common Ground Revisited, a powerful reinterpretation of J. Anthony Lukas’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book about the struggles of three Boston families during the busing crisis of the 1970s. The material may be old, but in the hands of Greenidge and Bensussen, it feels newly relevant. 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, huntingtontheatre.org.
Jake Brennan, "Disgraceland"
A Boston musician with a knack for storytelling, Brennan broke the true-crime mold with “Disgraceland,” a podcast that explores the dark side of the music business, from bad blood to bands on the run. Now with Double Elvis, the studio he cofounded in 2019, the rock ’n’ roll troubadour is producing more than a dozen shows, many of them hosted by big names in entertainment. And get ready for a little more conversation: This year he inked a big-time deal with Warner Music Group that will expand his roster even further. doubleelvis.com.
Paul Butler and Kelcey Rusch, Spoke
The hopeful future of Boston dining — a generational shift toward collaboration over competition — can be glimpsed in the effortless teamwork that co-chefs Butler and Rusch bring to the kitchen at Somerville’s stellar Spoke wine bar. Besides pairing perfectly with the boutique vintages behind the bar, their inventive small plates (say, savory sunchoke doughnuts dusted with XO gouda and powdered leek) speak to a unified vision — hyper-seasonal, polished but playful, highly technique-driven — that is, in a word, singular. spokewinebar.com.
Maryelle Makeup & Hair Artistry
Maryelle O’Rourke and her team of artists are pros at making brides "I woke up like this" beautiful, traveling to venues in Boston and beyond to give you and yours perfectly dewy skin and fluttery lashes. For proof, take a look at the company’s roster of celebrity clients, which includes Her Royal Highness Meghan Markle and Westworld’s Shannon Woodward. MA maryelleartistry.com.