Capone Foods
Italian on demand: Stuff the freezer with an assortment of Capone's gnocchi, ravioli, and tortellini, and toss in a couple of containers of vivid pesto and cardiac-crisis Alfredo sauce. Guaranteed, your guests will bicker over the last square of ravioli stuffed with lobster and crab, the last crescent of aged Gouda tortelloni. The three varieties of fresh gnocchi are addictive— black pepper, chive and sweet potato— and all plump up like miniature footballs when you cook them. 14 Bow St., Somerville, MA .
Jane Maxwell's Room Service
She'll deliver the spread to your door, and it's delicious. Twenty-four dollars buys quiche, Perrier, French bread, sweet butter, broccoli and eggplant in a shallot vinaigrette, and pears with crème chantilly. She will also prepare more elaborate dishes (cold poached salmon, with sauce verte) and choose your wine (Maxwell used to be the sommelier at the Parker House). 266-8277.
Simcha
Simcha is the Hebrew word for joy — and what joy we find in chef-owner Avi Shemtov’s Middle Eastern restaurant, ensconced in a tiny shopping plaza in Sharon. Inspired by the home cooking of his grandmother, who left Turkey for Israel in 1949, Shemtov puts his own unique spin on the cuisine of his ancestors: In his hands, couscous becomes arancini drizzled with smoked-egg aioli, and chickpea-flour fried chicken is served over a sweet-potato purée. The superb falafel, however, is a classic that requires no reimagining. 370 S. Main St., Sharon, MA 02067, simcharestaurant.com.
Avenue Kitchen + Bar
WHAT’S THE VIBE? The kind of lively, late-night-serving neighborhood bar everyone wants in the neighborhood. TASTING NOTES: Cheese is spread to the edges of these thick, focaccia-like rectangles, reflecting the steel auto-part pans in which Detroit-born pizza was first fired. And yet the subtle sweetness of tomatoes shine through thanks to the approach of finishing pies backward, adding the red sauce last and on top. 158 Boston Ave., Somerville, MA 02144, avenuesomerville.com.
Cru
Our favorite time of day to plant ourselves at Cru’s breezy dockside bar is during that sweet spot of around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. After a hot day on the sand, that’s the perfect time to cool off with a Cru-cumber (its famous cucumber martini) and, when hunger strikes — as it always does — the best lobster roll around, served buttery hot or refreshingly cold. One Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554, crunantucket.com.
Estragon Tapas Bar
With authentic tapas, paellas, and other Madrid-style dishes, chef/owner Julio de Haro and co-owner Lara Egger have built a loyal following for Estragon over the past 15 years, both in the dining room and the kitchen — many of the sweet staffers have been with them from the beginning. Weekend diners should request a table in Bar GoGo, the front room that’s also the hippest mid-mod space in the city. 700 Harrison Ave., South End, MA 02118, estragontapas.com.
India Quality
The rooftop Citgo sign isn’t the only Kenmore Square landmark that deserves recognition as a citywide icon. Since opening in a wilder, weirder neighborhood back in ’83, India Quality has outlasted both the punk clubs down the block and most other Indian spots in the city, thanks to the richest chicken tikka masala, brightest lamb vindaloo, and most sopping-sweet gulab jamon milk balls around. 484 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, indiaquality.com.
Adam Berke
Vogue named him one of the "most sought after trainers in America": he has a client list peppered with Boston's beautiful people, and his state-of-the-art gym is more Philippe Starke than YMCA grunge. But don't let appearances deceive you: Berke's a task master who realizes people do not want to be sweating their buns off, doing the same old grunts seven days a week. Gym rats addicted to StairMasters, aerobics, and other such standard pursuits be warned: Berke will have you jumping rope, spinning, and taking part in high-intensity weight training. He will also create an individually tailored diet regime, which can include two glasses of red wine a night. $75/hour. Adam Berke Gym, 1260 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
EHChocolatier
At this sweet slice of heaven on Observatory Hill, apothecary jars of blood-orange caramels gleam beside a case filled with fine bonbons, brown-butter toffee, and craft riffs on candy-bar classics courtesy of Elaine Hsieh and Catharine Sweeney. The chocolate makers are known for infusing their handmade, artisanal confections with fancy teas, spices, and fruit purées, resulting in uniquely decadent treats. The one thing they all have in common? An air of whimsy and dedication to sky-high-quality. 145 Huron Ave., Cambridge, MA ehchocolatier.com.
Dakzen
Save your airline miles: This new Davis Square destination offers all the pleasures of Thai street food, minus the daylong flight. The killer khao soi (“cut rice”) is a study in richness and fiery depth, sharpened with fixings such as pork belly and pickled mustard. Classic pad thai, meanwhile, is mercifully more savory than sweet. And the rice porridge and satiny egg custards at the weekend-only breakfast pop-up (dubbed Egg E Egg Egg) consistently dazzle. 195 Elm St., Somerville, MA dakzen.com.
Island Kitchen
A year-round locals’ favorite, Island Kitchen expanded in 2017, adding a patio bar and a counter serving house-made ice cream and doughnuts in varieties such as maple bacon and Mexican chocolate. But you may have to forgo the sweet stuff after feasting on chef-owner Patrick Ridge’s inspired breakfast and brunch fare: panko-crusted eggs Benedict, apple-bacon-blue-cheese omelets, turkey hash, and fine finnan haddie, preferably washed down by mimosas made with always-fresh-squeezed OJ. One Chin’s Way, Nantucket, MA 02554, nantucketislandkitchen.com.
Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese
After competing on the 2011 season of the Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race, brothers James and Mike DiSabatino parlayed their signature brand of mayo-slathered grilled cheese into two trucks, an Allston brick-and-mortar, and a sweet stand just outside Fenway Park. While their restaurant venture has seen a transition from cheese-on-bread to flat-top burgers and poutine swimming in beef gravy, James says a forthcoming expansion (two locations are due to open in 2015) will delve further into the canon of elevated comfort food. 485 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 02134, roxysgrilledcheese.com.
Spindler Confections
Want to avoid the inevitable box o’ chocolate roulette? Pick up an assorted selection from Jeremy Spindler’s new Cambridge shop, where the truffles are filled with Cabot-butter caramel, the chocolate-covered pretzels are dusted with Atlantic Saltworks sea salt, and the peanut butter cups are pure perfection. Keeping the focus on the local bounty, the confectioner incorporates Carr’s Ciderhouse syrup and Somerville’s pride and joy, Fluff, into his finely crafted sweets. 2257 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140, spindlerconfections.com.
Gallery Naga
There's always something that catches our eye at this contemporary gallery inside the Back Bay's Church of the Covenant. Now celebrating its 40th year, Naga prefers to showcase work by locals, such as Peter Vanderwarker's stunning landscape photography and Gerry Bergstein's mixed-media agglomerations on panels. The other thing the artists all have in common? They hit the sweet spot of challenging the mind while creating images that you can immerse yourself in for years. 67 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, gallerynaga.com.
Party Favors
After tasting every cake in town—hey, anything for the job—it's official: Party Favors' sinfully rich but not-too-sweet cake/frosting combo is the most delectable. You can mix and match colors and flavors for filling and icing, and sample two combinations before making a decision. Bring in a wedding photo of your cake a year later, and the shop will make you a mini anniversary replica for free—a handy service, considering your reception guests will want to devour every last morsel of the original. 1356 Beacon St., Brookline, MA partyfavorsbrookline.com.