Native
Looking for unique pieces you won’t find elsewhere on the South Shore (or the rest of the country, for that matter)? Marie Flaherty travels the world to find them, so you don’t have to, working directly with co-ops, fair-trade organizations, and individual artists to source one-of-a-kind Indigenous, tribal, and folk art. Enter her store and be wowed by the color and design of everything from a South African basket woven with rainbow-colored wires to maximalist earrings and necklaces from Ecuador. 51 Front St., Scituate, MA 02066, shopnativeonline.com.
Haven Beauty
It’s not just our hair that has grown great lengths since Haven won Best Salon west of Boston last year: The team has since added a stylist, massage therapist, and two aestheticians — with plans to keep expanding. Needless to say, your options for a day of pampering are plentiful at this holistic salon, but we’ll be back for the refreshing cut and meticulously painted balayage that left our locks looking like a work of art. 14 Church St., Hopkinton, MA 01748, havenbeautyma.com.
Audubon Circle
Mention the word "pot-stickers" to any fan of this bar and restaurant and you'll elicit a hunger-induced roar of approval loud enough to rival those coming from nearby Fenway Park. This sleekly designed, darkly lit neighborhood fave is run by an affable staff and is the perfect place for everything from after-game-burgers to after-work cocktails. Added bonus: There's plenty of on-street meter parking along Beacon Street outside. 838 Beacon St., Boston, MA auduboncircle.us.
Coach
Ever wish for an elegant overnight bag, one that can hold all your clothes and accessories but doesn't resemble something from a military maneuver? Coach has the answer. With its new store open at Copley Place, the luxe leather manufacturer continues to expand and redefine its products, recently adding luggage to the line-up. From men's dop kits to large duffles, Coach's Hamptons Travel Collection is perfect for quick overnight trips, and also includes pieces for the long haul. Copley Place, Boston, MA coach.com.
UpStairs on the Square and Via Matta
In replacing their much-loved UpStairs at the Pudding (some considered it the real institution of Harvard Square), Deborah Hughes and Mary-Catherine Deibel had big shoes to fill—their own. But they've done it, creating an outstanding restaurant that has surpassed the expectations of even their most loyal following. The décor is at once outrageous and glorious—plaid patterns on the walls with animal-print carpeting, jewel-toned upholstery, massive fireplaces, gilded mirrors, and lots of pink. Two menus, in the hands of chefs Susan Regis and Amanda Lydon, offer everything from simple grilled cheese and rich tomato soup to flavorful Kumamoto oysters, roasted lamb, and rabbit. Don't miss the "wedding cake for one" dessert: The portion is large enough to share, but this is a divine indulgence for you and you alone. Via Matta, meanwhile, has had the kind of debut year legends are made of: Mick Jagger commandeered a table not once, but twice in the restaurant's first two months of business. Add to that gushing praise from critics nationwide and you've got, by all accounts, a bona fide success. But is that really a surprise? Schlow and partners Christopher Myers and Esti Benson know how to put on a show, as evidenced by the success of their powerfully stylish Radius. At Via Matta, the gloss is toned down, but the style still shines through, with an elegantly casual dining room, cozy bar, and adjacent café. Then there's the food: perfectly executed traditional Italian fare bursting with flavor, from the simple spaghetti aglio e olio to pan-roasted chicken—all dishes that will make you long for another serving. UpStairs on the Square: 91 Winthrop St., Cambridge; Via Matta: 79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA upstairsonthesquare.com; viamattarestaurant.com.
A Good Yarn
No matter what project they've got in mind, people with the gumption to make something themselves all need to start from the same place: that is, surrounded by the best materials. A Good Yarn stuffs quality supplies into every nook and cranny of its tiny Brookline Village store, enticing knit-wits with yarns in a wide spectrum of colors and weights (from baby to bulky to super bulky and beyond) by brands like Art Yarns and Colinette. The experts behind the counter can explain a tough pattern or point out the right needles or hooks for the job, and the store schedules classes for knitters at every level. 4 Station St., Brookline, MA 2445, agoodyarn.biz.
Vizio Optic
Galina Rabkin can't stand a smudged lens any more than she can abide a crooked frame. The petite Russian-born optometrist is a perfectionist through and through, and she's arranged her spare Brookline Village boutique accordingly: Polished specs by Chanel, Prada, Face à Face, and the cleverly kooky XIT decorate the backlit walls and fill the neat wood-and-glass cases. Behind the scenes, her spotless exam room and state-of-the-art vision equipment are organized and unintimidating. And should Vizio not have your preferred pair, Rabkin will go to great lengths to order or import them. 11 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, viziooptic.com.
Provincetown Theater
Considered influential by everyone from Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill to Richard Gere, and known as nothing less than the birthplace of American drama, Provincetown has given its heady thespian spirit a high-voltage jolt with this new, year-round playhouse. The classic black box setup has flexible seating, state-of-the-art lighting, and a killer sound system so it can accommodate its two resident companies (the Provincetown Repertory Theatre and Provincetown Theatre Company) as easily as its high-profile productions by writers such as Eve Ensler, Douglas Carter Beane, and Terrence McNally. 238 Bradford St., Provincetown, MA provincetowntheater.org.
Airi Jewelry & Gallery
We all have go-to ensembles, the ones we pull from the closet at least once a week because they make us feel good. But when you need just a little something extra to make yours special enough for [insert occasion here], a pair of statement earrings goes a long way. Enter the wearable art from Boston-based Airi. Crafted from stainless steel and tarnish-resistant brass, founder Maya Alia’s geometric wired pieces — we especially love the golden arches and the floral-shaped “ear jackets” — make even the simplest outfit look chic. shopairi.com.
Bonde Fine Wine Shop
This wine shop in Harvard Square sells more than world-class bottles. It sells art: from handcrafted contemporary glassware to silver corkscrew cufflinks and other “sommelier jewelry.” It sells education: Grape expert Bertil Jean-Chronberg regularly leads ticketed tastings and private experiences around Bonde’s gathering table. It proffers a sense of community, too: The shelves include eco-conscious bottles from Jean-Chronberg’s Black Donkey Project — dry whites and fruity reds produced in collaboration with top wine- makers to support nonprofits like No Kid Hungry. We’ll drink to that. 54 Church St., Cambridge, MA 02138, bondewines.com.
Black Market Nubian
For husband-and-wife team Chris and Kai Grant, founding this Roxbury-based market in 2017 wasn’t just about giving local Black- owned businesses a much-needed platform; it was about revitalizing the neighborhood. It’s no surprise, then, that Black Market has since evolved to include a public-art initiative, designed to support area artists in the creation of community-centric murals throughout Nubian Square. And as for the pop-ups? They’re still going strong, with events featuring vendors hawking bath products, handmade jewelry, sweet treats, and more. 2136 Washington St., Boston, MA 02119, blackmarketnubian.com.
HausWitch Home + Healing
Erica Feldmann’s spellbinding boutique blends the metaphysical (spell kits and tarot decks) with the sort of good taste even the devoutly unspiritual can appreciate (art by indie makers, naturally dyed meditation pillows). The shopkeeper draws on her background in design and feminist theory to help people spark some interior magic while encouraging self-care through reiki and tarot readings at the shop’s nearby “healing space”—this is Salem, after all. hauswitchstore.com.
Jeremy Ogusky
You get a CSA box from your local farm and you’re on a first-name basis with your butcher, but what about the plates and bowls you set the table with every day? A worthy addition to any Boston cabinet, potter Jeremy Ogusky’s durable, unpretentious pieces can be purchased on Etsy; biannual open-studio days at his J.P. workspace, meanwhile, welcome all to come learn the art of pottery. claycrocks.com.
Sinesia Karol
Sinesia Karol’s playful yet sophisticated bikinis, one-pieces (pictured), and cover-ups were born out of her desire to help buttoned-up New Englanders feel as comfortable and confident in swimwear as the women she knew growing up in her native Brazil. Her eponymous brand’s signature style? Artful prints and unexpected cutouts guaranteed to have you strutting in the sand like it’s your personal runway. sinesiakarol.com.
Walter Hill, Social Club Barbers
Walter Hill’s Downtown Crossing shop is perpetually buzzing. It’s no wonder: Once the traveling groomer for boxer Floyd Mayweather, he claims to have cut his first head of hair at age 11. His dedication to the art of men’s grooming extends to his luxuriously close shaves as well as his minty and citrusy lotions that he crafts himself. Now that’s what we call a cut above. 333 Washington St., Boston, MA 02108, socialclubbarbers.com.