Queeraoke at Midway Café
Covered in vinyl stickers and rainbow string lights, J.P.’s Midway Café looks like a classic dive bar, but it’s also the spot to sing your heart out every Thursday starting at 10 p.m. A favorite of Boston’s younger queer crowd—but welcoming to everyone—the evening starts with regulars crooning to ’90s and early-aughts hits and ends with wild dance parties. 3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA midwaycafe.com.
Frugal Bookstore
Looking to bolster your collection of anti-racist literature and books about the Black experience? This Nubian Square mainstay has you covered. But what makes owners Leonard and Clarrissa Egerton’s shop an irreplaceable part of Boston’s literary scene is its role as a hub for book groups and social gatherings where both authors and readers of color can feel welcome and be celebrated. Bostonians across the city are vowing to finally listen to Black voices—Frugal has been amplifying them for 12 years and counting. 57 Warren St., Roxbury, MA 02119, frugalbookstore.net.
Monumental Market
Where can you score a bold yet balanced cup of coffee, mouthwatering pastries, and the perfect background tunes for sipping your java back at home? This quick-stop shop, which represents the collaborative entrepreneurship that is the future of Boston’s food world: Baker Kelsey Munger and bean roaster Javier Amador-Peña met at a farmers’ market, opened Monumental together, and tapped local Light of Day Records to stock the space with new and (cheap!) vintage vinyls. Blueberry muffins, cold brew, and David Bowie — yes, please. 36 South St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, monumentalmarket.com.
Grill 23
If Boston’s love affair with all things techy and new ever wears you down, remember: Practice makes perfect, and few steakhouses have fed us for as long or as flawlessly as Grill 23. In the clubby dining room, staffers ferry platters of oysters on ice followed by darkly crusted, tickle-me-pink cuts of salty meat. No gimmicks, no trends. As at any great steakhouse, seafood and sides satisfy—but better to simply order the 100-day dry-aged rib-eye, lean back, and enjoy the timeless atmosphere. 161_Berkeley St., Boston, MA 02116, grill23.com.
Showcase Cinema de Lux
That’s right. Boston’s best wide-release movie theater is in...Dedham. This place was 100 percent built for the blockbuster popcorn flick. Comfortable stadium seating, armrest-shaking surround sound, and a full bar (on the "Lux Level") all coalesce to provide the optimal environment for taking in any film with a "-man" or a numeral at the end of the title (see: Iron-, Bat-, Super-, 1, 2, 3, and so forth). 670 Legacy Place, Dedham, MA 2026, showcasecinemas.com.
Newbury Tailoring Company
For two decades, Boston’s style mavens have trusted this family-owned business with their most valuable wearables, and for good reason. Whether you need your entire wardrobe taken in or a few nips and tucks on an extra-special evening gown, you can trust tailor Flavio Antonio Rivas to get the job done masterfully — and efficiently. 324 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02115, newburytailors.com.
Start at Friday's (26 Exeter St., Boston). Move to Daisy Buchanan's (240a Newbury St., Boston). Wind up at Division Sixteen (955 Boylston St., Boston).
MA
Chris Donovan
Who knew that Boston’s newest fashion superstar would be a retired telephone repairman? After years of dreaming about designing shoes, last year Chris Donovan officially took the plunge and launched his eponymous brand of footwear—and we’re so glad he did. Made in one of Italy’s most famous luxury shoe factories, Donovan’s bold, sculptural boots (pictured) and chic heels are investment-quality pieces that stand the test of time. chrisdonovanfootwear.com.
Marathon Sports
Five years after the marathon bombings rocked the city, Marathon Sports’ Boylston Street location—the site of the first explosion—has become emblematic of Boston’s strength, compassion, and resolve. In addition to outfitting the area’s pavement-pounders with a wide selection of technical clothes and sneakers, the store engages the community with running clubs, classes, high school "team nights" and more. Because everyone’s fitness routine could use a little extra support. Multiple locations. 671 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116, marathonsports.com.
Neptune Oyster
The long lines at this 12-year-old North End standout tell the tale: Neptune still reigns godlike over Boston’s seafood scene. Tides may turn, but with some two dozen locally sourced bivalves, as well as more complex offerings—think seared scallops with pear butter and duck confit—Neptune’s consistency remains awe-inspiring. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA 02113, neptuneoyster.com.
El Oriental de Cuba
Jamaica Plain might be Boston’s single best neighborhood for Caribbean cuisine, filled with homey Dominican, Jamaican, and Cuban restaurants all frying or mashing plantains their own way. The subtly sweet mofongo at El Oriental de Cuba, though, with its pork rinds and garlic oil … that’s the one that leads the inter-island flotilla. The specialty Cubano sandwicah, meanwhile, is the standard by which all others should be judged. 416 Centre St., Boston, MA 02130, elorientaldecuba.net.
Stacey Frasca, Studio 28
What do Lorraine Bracco, Bryan Cranston, and Boston’s own Gretta Monahan have in common? They’ve all taken a spin in Stacey Frasca’s chair. With three decades of experience, the makeup artist’s glam yet natural style has attracted countless VIP clients and locals alike, who stop by Studio 28 for special-occasion makeup, spray tans, and one-on-one lessons. And with virtual services, you can up your cosmetic game without ever leaving home. 568 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482, studio28wellesley.com.
Pho Hoa
That its nook in Dot was recently designated the state’s “Little Saigon” by the Massachusetts Cultural Council is a testament to the rich roots of Pho Hoa. The path to becoming Boston’s best neighborhood for Vietnamese dining was paved by the ’92-opened potager, whose superb noodle soups and other specialties were recently joined by menu items from its former neighbor, Ánh Hóng, to ensure the latter spot’s seven-course beef and fish feast never fades. 1370 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02122, phohoarestaurant.com.
<em>Rita's Spotlight</em> by Rixy
This commission from the City of Boston’s Transformative Public Art Program is a resplendent tribute to beloved Allston fixture Rita Hester, a Black transgender woman whose unsolved 1998 murder helped inspire the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance. Completed last summer, Rita’s Spotlight integrates personal flourishes from the subject — a love for cheetah print, roses, and pearls — with the luminous hues of ’80s wildstyle graffiti, establishing Roxbury-born Rixy as a formidable artist and exciting talent to watch. 506 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 02134, .