Car Talk.com
This companion to the long-running National Public Radio show extends the lunacy that you hear on the air every Saturday. The centerpiece of Click and Clack's home page is "Time Kill Central," which includes features like the Hate Mail Generator (which can churn out letters to lousy mechanics) and the Daily Didactic Diversion, a trivia contest. You can also print out your own traffic tickets—like a "Blue Hair Offense" for people who can't see over the wheel and rive 35 mph in a 65 mph zone.
Teresa Heinz, aka Mrs. John Kerry
Best: Lauren Rauschenbach, aka Mrs. Henri Rauschenbach. Indicted on charges of shilling for jailed financier Carmen Elio, the ape Cod senator gallantly laid the blame for his predicament on his wife's expensive tastes. "My wife was, you know, prodding me a bit," Rauschenbach said. "My wife comes from a family with dollars. You know, Lauren's the only one of the daughters that's married to a guy who's making 30 beans a year." Even Better: Teresa Heinz, aka Mrs. John Kerry. See Best Quote.
The Emerald Necklace
What’s large, lucky, and green all over? Nope, it’s not a monster leprechaun; it’s the Emerald Necklace, the name for the tremendous 1,100 acres of public park space that connects Boston’s neighborhoods, from the Back Bay to Jamaica Plain to Dorchester. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted more than 100 years ago, the parks continue to serve as many Bostonians’ backyards, offering everything from quiet walks to sailing and golf, plus the Franklin Park Zoo — a true sanctuary within our city. emeraldnecklace.org.
M.F. Dulock
This neighborhood meat market specializes in ethically sourced, hormone-free meats—all raised on pasture within 250 miles of Somerville—and nose-to-tail butchery. That means you’ll see hard-to-find proteins such as livers and blushing lamb’s hearts, along with house-made sausages, pork cutlets, chicken, and slabs of brisket. Want to try them all? Subscribe to M.F. Dulock’s meat club and take home new cuts every month. 201A Highland Ave., Somerville, MA mfdulock.com.
Temporary Solution Staffing
Jobless recovery or none, work still needs to get done: Telephones need to get answered, mail needs to be sorted, and bosses need to have someone to order around. Providing that work force is the raison d'être of Temporary Solution Staffing, which recruits aggressively, screens rigorously, and follows up with a rare level of attention to each assignment to make sure that the match was a good one. 540 Tremont St., Boston, MA .
Boston Center for Adult Education
Nowhere is there a better selection of outdoorsy activities than at the Boston Center for Adult Ed. Learn safety and with supervision all the invigorating, fresh-air passtimes easily accessible to you in the area: moonlight paddling on the Charles, sea kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, rollerblading, horseback riding, urban biking treks, polo— or for the unrepentantly sedentary, a Polaroid scavenger hunt via limousine. 5 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA .
Belle Isle Seafood
Twelve rolls into our research, it seemed there was no escaping the Bun Situation: perfectly sweet meat marred by stale, soggy, cold, dinky, or too-hearty bread. Then we tried Belle Isle's roll. The buttery, griddle-crisped hot dog bun brilliantly holds its own against the tender tail, knuckle, and claw meat stuffed inside. One Main St., Winthrop, MA 2128, belleisleseafood.com.
Sweet Life Cafe
Ten bucks says if you were asked to imagine your ideal evening of outdoor island dining, you'd pick something with a water view. Oh, naive soul: On the Vineyard, the most delicious outdoor experience happens in Sweet Life's fragrant garden, where threads of tiny white lights illuminate a handful of white-tableclothed seatings. The food is similarly divine: Lively island fare such as sweet-and-spicy roasted scallops, savory halibut with curry onion rings (a must), and salmon with lemon salsa round out the experience. 63 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, MA 2557, sweetlifemv.com.
Neptune Oyster
Neptune's menu is a smorgasbord of briny delights: locally harvested cherrystone clams, littlenecks, and shrimp cocktail. But the true draw here is the mighty oyster—more than a dozen varieties pulled from as near as the waters off Wellfleet and as far as Washington state. For those still coming up in the school of oyster-ology, the menu explains not just where the selections hail from, but how they'll taste going down. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA 2113, neptuneoyster.com.
Main Street in Essex
Why limit yourself to one seafood venue when you can have it all on just one block? Main Street's dream team of major seafood players—Tom Shea's (for unbeatable grilled seafood), Woodman's (for topnotch classic fried clams, lobster tails, and scallops), and Periwinkles (for expertimental, fusion-minded fish dishes)—offers Cape Ann's highest concentration of fine fish. Put together, they provide what may just be the perfect seafood sampler. Main Street, Essex, MA .
French + Italian
Remember the linen sundress you scored at that small boutique down a side street in Milan? Aimee Lombardi fills her gorgeous Marblehead shop with precisely that kind of merchandise: dresses, bags, and necklaces by cosmopolitan designers that hail mostly from—you guessed it—France and Italy (Pepita, Isabel Marant, A.P.C., Anne Willi, and so on). 129 Washington St., Marblehead, MA 1945, frenchitalian.com.
The Liberty Hotel
Built into the former Charles Street jail, the Liberty was designed to cleverly highlight the original building's mid-19th-century monumentality. Despite its jailhouse origins, the hotel's rooms are captivating (in a good way), with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of amenities. There's also complimentary yoga on Saturdays and bicycles for touring around Beacon Hill. Skipping either would be criminal. 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, libertyhotel.com.
Torbert MacDonald State Park
No need for hiking boots and day packs at this nexus of nature and urbanity. A stroll through Medford's Torbert MacDonald State Park provides ample fodder for urban birders, with sightings of red-tail hawks common. And though the stresses of the daily grind are just a few steps away, the sweeping views of the Mystic River and winding walking paths will make them feel a world away. 4253 Mystic Valley Pkwy., Medford, MA 02155, .
Savenor's Cambridge
"What's for dinner?" Ask that question to the butchers at this family-owned nose-to-tail institution, and you'll get plenty of inspiration. Perhaps they could butterfly a veal breast so it's stuffing-ready? Or maybe you'd prefer a few prime dry-aged steaks for the grill? From pasture-raised Berkshire pork to organic Giannone chicken, you'll find only the best cuts—and the best advice—behind the counter. 92 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, savenorsmarket.com.
The New World Tavern
Clio and Uni alum Johnny Sheehan has taken his talents south, to a funky tavern in downtown Plymouth. Here, friends catch up over spicy Sichuan ramen; bar snacks like yuzu-glazed pig tails and crispy chickpeas dusted with ras al hanout; and an extensive charcuterie selection. Sheehan's creativity works well with the three dozen craft beers on draft and more than 100 bottled brews from around the globe. It's a new world in Plymouth, indeed. 56 Main St., Plymouth, MA 02360, thenewworldtavern.com.