Hairo
As blowout bars become as ubiquitous as Starbucks franchises, many have resorted to a formulaic styling process: wash, dry, and out the door. At Hairo, however, there’s no shuffling through a blow-dry assembly line: You’ll get a personalized ’do from a seasoned stylist, plus expert tips on which looks work best for your hair type. The best part? Your tamed tresses will last for days, with just the right amount of bounce. 163 Newbury St., Boston, 617-266-1199; 2 Winter Place, Boston, 617-231-7914. 163 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, myhairo.com.
Oishii
The name means "delicious," and the food delivers on the promise at this new addition to Boston's sushi scene. (Move over, Ginza.) Hidden away off Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, Oishii was opened by brother-in-law chefs Ting San and Kung San, both of whom trained at New York's raw fish temple, Nobu. On offer are generous portions of delectable fresh fish presented with great art and friendly service. Exclusivity is guaranteed: Oishii seats only 12. However, if you're willing to drive to Sudbury, it has already spawned a somewhat bigger branch. 612 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA oishiiboston.com/about-ch.html.
Cornerstone Books
With tarry-awhile touches like overstuffed chairs, a fireplace, and a wee café offering bites from nearby bakery A&J King, this handsome independent shop encourages people to lose themselves in books. It's also impressively devoted to luring them back out again, as Cornerstone regularly throws open its historic loft space for readings, live music performances, and club meet-ups (Boston's venerable Grub Street writing program recently established its North Shore base here). Part literary salon, part community living room, the store gives bookworms the space—and a gentle nudge—to be social animals as well. 45 Lafayette St., Salem, MA 1970, .
Jack Gantos
This year, Boston's literary world hit the jackpot with national success stories in local writers Erin Morgenstern and Jack Gantos. Morgenstern's fantastical debut novel about dueling magicians, The Night Circus, won raves (and a movie deal). But Gantos, a veteran author and former Emerson professor, soared to even greater heights when he won the Newbery Medal—the kid-lit version of the Best Picture Oscar—for his quirky, semi-autobiographical Dead End in Norvelt, about a boy growing up writing obituaries in an increasingly eerie town.
Uncle Pete's Hickory Ribs
Nestled in East Boston's Day Square, Uncle Pete's is the kind of barbecue place locals keep to themselves. And, really, we'd never have suspected that this lopsided setting, a former Dairy Queen, could produce the most mouthwatering flavor-packed pork, beef, chicken, and ribs we've gnawed this far north. Pete himself makes everything daily, using special combinations of dry rubs and marinades and smoking the meat for five hours or more with a result so succulent that extra sauce and garnishes are superfluous. Equally noteworthy is the care taken here with side dishes, including frosted sweet-potato biscuits, homemade baked beans, and hand-cut fries. 309 Bennington St., East Boston, MA .
Esplanade
Every runner has his or her own personal preference for, say, the simplicity of a small loop around Jamaica Pond, or the solitude of the Somerville bike path. But only the Esplanade trail along the Charles has it all: spectacular views of the Boston skyline from the Cambridge side, Harvard and MIT from the Boston side, and the sailboats and rowing shells from either bank. Not to mention silhouettes of the many bridges. Marathoners-in-training opt for the entire 17-mile loop, but most popular is the three-mile circle between the Mass. Ave. and Longfellow bridges. Sure, it can get crowded, but look at it this way: The camaraderie—and competition—just may push you that much harder. MA
John Weiners
The Poet Laureate of Beacon Hill, the Oracle of Joy Street belongs in the ranks of Boston's most distinguished literati. His remarkable first book, The Hotel Wentley Poems (1959), made him an overnight star of the Beat generation. He hobnobbed with Ferlinghetti during San Francisco's late 1950's Poetry Renaissance, and was a longtime crony of the late Allen Ginsberg. Known as both Genius and Holy Mad Man, he inspired an entire generation of younger poets with his wit and delicate lyricism. This year, after more than a decade of silence, he published a splendid new collection, 707 Scott Street.
Toshi Reagon, ArtsEmerson
When musician and activist Toshi Reagon signed on to work out of Boston for the year, she and everyone else assumed that her masterpiece, a musical adaptation of Octavia Butler’s iconic sci-fi novel Parable of the Sower, would hit the stage in March to wild acclaim. That didn’t happen, of course, but lucky for us all, Reagon is still here, prepping for a rescheduled production this coming October and working on her related Parable Path Boston program, which aims to engage the community around the issues of climate change and social justice. parablepathboston.com.
Red's Best
We’re forever hooked on this superlative supplier of all things local seafood, whose fresh catch from small-boat New England fishermen frequently lands at the city’s best restaurants. Its vendor stall inside downtown’s Boston Public Market (plus BPM’s upcoming Logan Airport emporium) also sells grab-and-go options such as lobster rolls and poke bowls. But even while COVID has kept us from going inside, local delivery and convenient curbside pickup from Red’s HQ on Boston Fish Pier is picking up the slack. 100 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02108, redsbest.com.
Pini Swissa, Pini Swissa Salon
In a sun-drenched studio high above Newbury Street's more fashionable end, Pini Swissa studies your head from every angle, scrupulously analyzing your hair before he makes his first snip. It's that attention to detail that makes Swissa, born and raised in a small Israeli village where he got his start trimming shrubbery, the preferred hairstylist of Boston's first family: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen. As you sip a cappuccino from a silver plate while Swissa crafts a dapper coiffure straight out of GQ, you, too, will feel like a five-time Super Bowl champion. 18 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, .
Belle Maison
You can thank the Tager family's sharp eyes and dead-on sense of balance for many of Boston's most beautiful homes. Principal Sheldon Tager brings to his two New England antique shops in Newton and Nantucket the same originality and knowledge that has made him a nationally acclaimed interior designer. The proof is in the distinctive pieces—from American crafts to French country gems—brought back from regular trips to Europe, antique shows, and auctions. But the true kicker is how the store mixes and presents them: a subtle drama that flat-out nails the art of rustic refinement. 26 Elliot St., Newton, MA bellemaison23.com.
Sunset Grill & Tap
Given all the sterling pubs in Boston, a city that's become a destination for the beer-drinking world, you'd think Sunset would see stiffer competition in this category. Yet there's no arguing with the math: Over 100 beers on tap plus 380 microbrews equals 10 of Boston nods in the past decade. From the Hazed & Infused American pale ale to a host of obscure but lip-smacking Belgians, there's always something new and intriguing on offer. More important: The staff is as astute about beer as sommeliers are about wine, minus the superciliousness. 130 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA 2134, allstonsfinest.com.
Frank's Steak House
This isn't the place where the suits go to celebrate closing a big deal, or the restaurant everybody talks about down at the club. It is, in fact, something much better: Boston's oldest steakhouse and a Porter Square institution. Locals arrive by 9 Wednesday through Saturday so they can listen to performers such as Preacher Jack on keyboard while digging into a New York sizzler—an unadorned 14-ounce sirloin that arrives at the table sizzling, as advertised, in a cast-iron skillet. The marinated steak tips, prime rib, and seafood are every bit as terrific. Oh, and forget about the wine list: Just order a beer. 2310 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA frankssteakhouse.com.
Savenor's Market
Gourmets and gourmands alike have for generations found solace in this small family-run specialty foods shop; the high culinary priestess herself, Julia Child, called founder Jack Savenor her butcher for decades. No wonder. The friendly, knowledgeable staff will guide anyone through the international selections, doling out advice on how to serve foie gras or properly prepare lion meat. The cases stocked with imported cheeses, a commendable produce section, and bread from Iggy's all earn this neighborhood market an enduring place in Boston's epicurean pantheon. 160 Charles St., Boston, MA savenorsmarket.com.
Julie Michaud, Michaud Cosmetics
A good eyebrow artist can change your face, but a great one can change your world. Part therapist, part girlfriend, and all parts godsend, Julie Michaud is Boston's arch angel. Her minimum-pain tweezing sessions—peppered with good gossip, health factoids, and beauty tips—result in perfect but natural brows fit to flatter every face. And while Michaud's talent has turned her scheduling book into a fortress (be smart and book months in advance), it's also turned the business into a dynasty; if Julie's booked, don't hesitate to make a reservation with any of her equally adept colleagues. 297 Newbury St., Suite 21, Boston, MA .