Grolier Poetry Book Shop
Despite its clutter, since 1927 this small hole-in-the-wall bookstore off Mass Ave in Harvard Square has been the place to buy poetry books of many countries and genres. 6 Plympton St., Cambridge, MA .
Larry Bird. Or Kevin McHale. Or Robert Parrish. Or Dennis Johnson.
Heroic work, and all their numbers should ascend to the rafters.
Privus
Glam décor and upscale cocktails like the dirty wasabi-tini cordon off sushi lounge Privus as 'adult swim' amid undergrad-swamped booze holes. 165 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA 2134, .
Tony Maws, Craigie Street Bistrot
If ever there was a feel-good pill for these challenging times, chef Tony Maws's cooking at Craigie Street Bistrot is it. Troubles fall away as soon as you set foot in this subterranean restaurant and its cozy dining room, a warmly decorated space that oozes with "aw shucks, c'mon in" charm. (Maws's mother even works the door, making everyone feel instantly at home.) Former sous-chef to Ken Oringer at Clio, Maws has made Craigie Street a stage for showcasing his training in Boston and a previous stint in France. The menu, which features five appetizers, five entrées, and five desserts nightly, seduces diners with casual French country flavors: roasted breast of Muscovy duck, herb-crusted monkfish, marinated skirt steak, and classic crème caramel. Each dish perfectly captures the ingredients, all market fresh and seasonal. If you must choose only one reason to love Tony Maws and his little bistro, it's the price: The three-course prix fixe is only $29.99, a cost anyone can swallow. 5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge, MA craigieonmain.com.
Brewer's Fork
With 30 ever-changing draft lines, as well as an ample bottle list, wine offerings from smaller producers, and an impressive roster of ciders, this new neighborhood spot already feels like a standby watering hole. 7 Moulton St., Boston, MA 02129, brewersfork.com.
Toni Columbo Invisible Re-Weaving & Knitting
Like hat-blocking, microweaving is a dying art. But moth holes and cigarette burns are forever, and this is the place to repair them. Columbo's is open only from noon to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. 11 Foster Street (in the North End), Boston, MA invisiblereweaving.com.
Ritz-Carlton Boston
Dark, woody, and intimate, the bar at the Ritz is exactly the sort of watering hole weary travelers and high-end drinkers demand. The martini menu is extensive and intriguing, and the Five Star nut mix (no peanuts in the bunch) adds salty cachet. 15 Arlington St., Boston, MA .
Mexican Cuisine
The Tex-Mex, Mex-Mex, Mass-Mex craze has subsided, but this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in the Forest Cafe still serves the best Mexican food within God-knows-how-many hundreds of miles. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
The Blarney Stone
Priding itself on being the first bar in America to sell Guinness on draft, the Blarney Stone is an essential neighborhood watering hole, whether you're brunching on the leafy patio or enjoying a pint in front of the roaring fireplace. 1505 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA 02122, blarneystoneboston.com.
Southern Proper
Our beef-boiling Yankee town has come a long way with its southern cuisine. But North Carolina native Jason Cheek goes beyond the conventional canon, rattling off the sort of nuanced, modern riffs they’re rocking right this second in Charleston and Atlanta. Think: whole grilled trout nestled in stewed fregula. Short-rib meatloaf dolled up with bone marrow and bracing piperade. And a tea-brined, thyme-scented fried chicken—craggy and orange-rust in color—we can’t stop clucking about. 600 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA southernproperboston.com.
J.P. Licks
Good thing J.P. Licks launched a new line of ice cream cakes in time for its 40th birthday. Now we can properly celebrate the small chain of Boston-area scoop shops, which has gifted us over the years with countless creative flavors served in cones and cookie sandwiches. All of them are still handmade at Licks’ home base in Jamaica Plain, including a few boozy varieties — like caramel-bourbon-fig or cherry-amaretto — that would feel particularly appropriate for raising a ruby anniversary toast. Multiple locations, jplicks.com.
Noel Schroeder
Yoga has gone from niche to the norm. Instructors teach the masses in mat-filled locations everywhere in the city—the gym, the spa, the private studio. All of which makes truly personalized yoga something of a rarity. Noel Schroeder is the exception: Her class at the Sports Club/LA may be filled with deep-breathing bodies, but her teaching methods make the experience feel like a private session. She scans the room constantly, pinpointing when her students need to hold their pose and anticipating a slip-up in form before anyone moves a muscle. Is it any wonder that her fiercely loyal clientele all happen to be lithe and limber-bodied? 4 Avery St., Boston, MA .
Boston Bodyworks Studio
Kathy Van Patten's small private gym in the heart of Beacon Hill is the best home in town of the avant-garde exercise technique known as Pilates. An exercise trend since the early '90s, Pilates is actually a system of workouts that incorporates balance, posture training, and muscle toning; it is particularly favored by dancers and athletes for its effects on coordination. Van Patten is a trained professional who studied at the Pilates Studio in New York before opening her own studio five years ago. Her friendly demeanor, enviable physique, and mastery of the unique Pilates equipment ("the reformer" and "the universal Cadillac" are just two of the highly-specialized pieces) make her a stand-out. 12 Joy Street, Boston, MA bostonbodyworksstudio.com.
Avalon
A little over a year ago, Avalon, the once white-hot star of the Lyons' Group club holdings, had dimmed to white-dwarf status. Except for Sundays, its perpetually successful gay night, the cavernous club was lame. And pretty empty. Enter promoter Steve Adelman, the man behind New York City's Tunnel and, before that, Limelight. Within weeks, Adelman was booking the biggest names in dance music at Avaland, the club's Friday night reincarnation. Superstar DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Little Louie Vega, and Junior Vasquez have all taken turns behind the decks, bringing Avalon to a boil and putting Boston on the dance-club map. 15 Landsdowne St., Boston, MA .
French + Italian
“Look on the bright side” is owner Aimee Lombardi’s motto — something she made very clear over the past year with her selection of cheerful cobalt-blue cashmere crews, citron flats, and yellow track pants. Rolling with the times, the stylish shopkeeper focused on keeping shelves filled with WFH threads that could be Zoom-ready on top, and completely comfy on the bottom — think cardigans and flowy skirts from superstar European lines like Molli, Acne Studios, Ganni, and Sofie D’Hoore. The best part? Every last piece transitions seamlessly to any post-vaccine brunch and vacation plans. 119 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, frenchitalian.com.