Bakers' Best Catering
When the only thing the family can agree on is not to sweat over a hot stove, 10-time winner Bakers' Best has got something to satisfy every craving: Dieting Dad will love the grilled vegetable, hummus, and cucumber wrap. Mom will savor the crab cakes with spicy rémoulade on the side. And the kids will fight—good-naturedly, of cours—over who gets second helpings of the cream cheese brownies. 27 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA 2461, bakersbestcatering.com.
Coonamessett Inn
With its glossy, red shingles and gabled roofs, the Coonamessett Inn is the epitome of old Cape Cod, a perfect setting for high-style weddings and anniversaries alike. But you needn't wait for a special occasion: Sunday brunch features an array of delicious classics, from make-your-own omelets and baked salmon with special weekly sauces like beurre blanc or citrus, melon, and mango, to oversized fruit plates and gorgeous renditions of sweet favorites like chocolate mousse and carrot cake. 311 Gifford St., Falmouth, MA 2540, capecodrestaurants.org.
Les Zygomates
The pleasures of wine-drinking diminish considerably when everything a restaurant pours (a) puts you in debt or (b) comes from a vintner or varietal you've never heard of. Cheers, then, to Les Zygomates for its accessible list aimed at connoisseurs on a shoestring. Arranged by color and grape, the menu boasts dozens of wines under $50. There's even a quick-hit guide to bottles that can be had for an Andy Jackson or less, a handy resource for diners who are really pinching pennies. 129 South St., Boston, MA 2111, winebar.com.
L'Espalier
For a modern Boston tea party, head to L'Espalier on a Saturday afternoon, when the Back Bay brownstone is filled with elegant ladies nibbling on pastries and canapés. We recommend Red Riding Hood's Basket: savory tea sandwiches, melt-in-your-mouth scones with crème fraîche, and chocolate-dipped strawberries or Valrhona milk chocolate mousse tarts. The tea, delivered with a graceful flourish, is brewed just so and punctually refilled. You won't want to spill a drop. 744 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2199, lespalier.com.
Jumbo Seafood
If lobster was exclusively meant to be served boiled and dunked in butter, God would not have created ginger and scallions. One mouthful of the crustacean at this Chinatown gem, and you'll rethink the wisdom of the clambake. Equally transcendent are the whole, crispy fish; the jumbo shrimp netted live from an in-house tank and fried in a spicy orange sauce; and the (yes, delightful) Seafood Delight. 5 Hudson St., Boston, MA 2111, jumboseafoodrestaurant.com.
Clear Flour Bread
The crisp, airy baguettes and delicious country loaves are an excellent reason to make this European-style bakery the stop for your daily bread. But it's the cinnamon 'morning buns,' pear-ginger coffee cake, and apricot brioche that make us loyal—nay, slavish—customers. Clear Flour's crowning glory, and on this even the most exacting French pâtissier would have to agree, is their chocolate croissant: diaphanous, buttery, divine. 178 Thorndike St., Brookline, MA 2446, clearflourbread.com.
Sandrine's Bistro
The ambiance seems a touch suburban. But no matter: At Sandrine's, all eyes are on chef Raymond Ost's accessible French classics. Follow a salmon crepe starter with seared sea scallops and mashed potatoes piqued with sauerkraut or the house speciality, an Alsatian tarte flambé. Even the (quelle blaspheme!) meatless options (eggplant and cheese ravioli, stuffed artichoke) are fantastic. 8 Holyoke St., Cambridge, MA 2138, sandrines.com.
Tony Maws, Craigie On Main
Tony Maws is the anticelebrity chef. Undistracted by fame and fortune, he is laser focused on ferreting out the finest ingredients from local farms and transforming them in his cramped Cambridge kitchen into deliciously unexpected dishes like roasted Vermont organic squab with pomegranate-rose gastrique and sour milk panna cotta with candied fennel. Which, of course, is exactly what makes Maws a shining star. 653 Main St., Cambridge, MA 2139, craigieonmain.com.
No. 9 Park
Regulars at No. 9 Park are devoted to the house cocktail for the same reason they are to chef Barbara Lynch's prune-stuffed gnocchi with foie gras: It's simplicity perfected. While similar combos at other establishments tend toward the cloying, the Palmyra balances subtly sweet Rain vodka—made from white corn—with locally picked mint and a squeeze of lime to create an irresistible, always refreshing summertime sipper. 9 Park St., Boston, MA 2108, no9park.com.
Pierrot Bistrot Fran
It may be, as the book contends, that French Women Don't Get Fat. But that's only because they don't have Pierre Sosnitsky feeding them. At the Maison Robert alumnus's 11-month-old Beacon Hill bistro, the house pâté is rich, the beef bourgignon hearty, and the profiteroles irresistible. About the only things that don't feel authentically, unrepentantly Gallic are the pleasantly reasonable prices. 272 Cambridge St., Boston, MA pierrotbistrot.com.
Rani Indian Bistro
Rani is a study in contrasts. The spicy pinch of lamb vindaloo meets the sugary melt of mango chutney, and the taste of sour curry is followed by the sweet nectar of a rose lassi. No taste bud is ignored at Coolidge Corner's hottest new bistro. The atmosphere is airy and pleasant, with authentic décor to match the authentic Hyderabadi cuisine. And the service is as steady as the stream of locals coming through the door. 1353 Beacon St., Brookline, MA ranibistro.com.
Hot Dog Annie's
It's hard to place the exact ingredients that make up the house signature sauce—an addictive barbecue-onion mixture that has led generations to this off-the-beaten-track hot dog stand with its siren call. What is clear is that it tastes damn good on a hot dog, especially on the small and skinny, slightly crunchy ones grilled up without ceremony at this shack behind Worcester's airport. Order three dogs for less than five bucks, and ask for some extra sauce to take home. 244 Paxton St., Leicester, MA 1524, .
Thinking Cup
Amid the vibeless businesses catering to tourists around the Common, Thinking Cup reminds us of the downtown that Bostonians deserve: grownup, urbane, and a little sexy. Outfitted with a sweeping marble counter and leather banquettes, this newcomer channels an old-school European café while crafting deeply flavorful espressos, lavish Valrhona-chocolate mochas, and mor—all using Oregon's legendary Stumptown roasts. But the apex of Thinking Cup's artisanry just might be its Pour Over: a single flawless cup, ground and brewed expressly for you. 165 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2111, thinkingcup.com.
Mooo
Scrap all the formulas for what makes a great steakhouse (clubby this, old-world that) and swap them for brave new interpretations. That's just what the team behind Mooo (chef Jamie Mammano and partner Paul Roiff) did, and this year, the place has come into its own. The room hews more to regal French than chop hous—as does the exacting, well-timed service. Still, a steakhouse is about the meat, and Mooo bumps it up a notch—and duxelles that's as gloriously reinvented as the restaurant itself. 15 Beacon St., Boston, MA 2108, mooorestaurant.com.
Toro
Even diners who prefer their atmospheres serene are willing to brave the frenetic crowd here for one reason: the food. Simple tapas like tortilla espanola shine; the wine-braised short ribs are so rich they could almost double as dessert; and the house specialty, maiz asado (grilled corn with aioli, lime, and aged cheese) has made an addict out of many. Come in early if you're after a seat, as this place packs 'em in like sardines nearly every night. 1704 Washington St., Boston, MA 2118, toro-restaurant.com.