Bombay Club
There are other Indian restaurants in town, but none present top-quality food as consistently as the Bombay Club. Check out the Chicken Tikka Masala, and try the garlic and onion naan as an accompaniment to your meal. The lunch buffet is easy on the taste buds and the wallet, and the restaurant's top-floor view of Harvard Square doesn't hurt, either. Harvard Square Galeria, 57 JFK St., Cambridge, MA .
Avalon, Sunday nights
Many area nightspots sponsor weekly gay nights, but none satisfies the masses quite like Avalon Sundays. Beautiful players sip cocktails and get groovy in superlative style to pumping tunes spun by local DJ heavyweights, while drag queens take advantage of the airline hangar of a dance floor to strut their stuff. 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA .
Orinoco
At this brightly decorated eatery, the pernil arepas ooze mojo-marinated pork and Guayanés cheese, and the tequeños melt at first bite. And unlike its sister locations, this Orinoco also offers a full bar—order a tart caipirinha and raise a toast to Venezuelan cuisine done right. 22 Harvard St., Brookline Village , MA 02445, orinocokitchen.com.
Galleria Umberto
Thick and fluffy with just the right amount of crunch, Umberto’s Sicilian crust is the perfect vessel for a complete smothering of herbed tomato sauce and bubbly, browned cheese. Just be sure to get there early (before noon is a good rule of thumb), as the place shuts down once the pizza has disappeared. 289 Hanover St., Boston, MA 2113, .
Concord Caterers
Mark Gallagher has fed the cast of Love Story, the Kearns-Goodwin wedding party, the Harvard Lampoon's centennial guests, Henry Kissinger's pals, and a bunch of People's Republic scientists with particularly fussy palates. He has done Iranian banquets, dinners based on Thomas Jefferson's personal recipes . . . but never turkey and mashed potatoes. Burlington, MA
Jason Lomberg, Plaza III
Attentive and charming, Lomberg plies his trade in the tourist-infested depths of Faneuil Hall Marketplace, where he's developed an admirable tolerance for onerous drink orders. But it's his particular facility for novelty frozen martinis—try the Orange Julius—that makes him worthy of toasting. 101 S. Market Bldg., Boston, MA 2109, plazathreeboston.com.
Tom Ponticelli
Surely, you must have done something right recently to deserve dessert at the Four Seasons. Whether you choose a dense and delicious chocolate mousse cake, the scones served warm from the oven, or platters of exquisite miniature pastries. Ponticelli's artistry is worth blowing your diet for. Skimp on calories somewhere else. Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
The Middle East Restaurant
Best now, with its mix of jazz and international music in its back room. And better this fall, when the owners expand into the enormous basement space below the restaurant (once a candlepin bowling alley) to create a 130-person-capacity rock club. 472 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA .
Sesuit Harbor Café
Sure, seafood is easy to come by on the Cape. But you're reading this magazine, so you’re looking for the best. Pack your cooler and sunscreen and snag a picnic table at Sesuit Harbor Café: Yes, you’ll wait in a line out the door, sit outside rain or shine, and BYOB, but once those heaping trays of lobster rolls, fried scallops and clams, and Cape Cod Bay oysters are in front of you, you’ll understand. sesuit-harbor-cafe.com.
Laugh Boston
Okay, so Laugh Boston may be smack in the middle of no man’s land (has anyone ever actually been to the convention center?), but we promise it’s worth the trek—and so do plenty of big-ticket comedians. Jimmy O. Yang, Leslie Jones, and Dulcé Sloan have all hit this Seaport-ish establishment, as has cult-favorite storytelling series “The Moth.” So grab some pals and an Uber—a belly-laughing night awaits. 425 Summer St., Boston, MA laughboston.com.
Polpis Bike Path
Looking for a post-quarantine quad challenge with the best views on the island? Stretching from the Old South Road rotary all the way to ’Sconset, this 9.5-mile paved route is it. Once you’ve cruised past the sky-blue inlets of oyster farms and mile upon mile of emerald-green moors buzzing with songbirds, soothe those achy muscles with an icy drink from the Sconset Market, or refuel with an ice cream (or two). An easy and quick pedal from there to the Sankaty Head Light offers an unforgettable view of the Atlantic. Nantucket, MA
See
This shop's limited-edition, retro-funky frames—in specs and sunnies—will give you 20/20 vision, and the service is a perfect 10, too. High-quality craftsmanship seals the deal: We've had our sturdy See frames for four years, and they've fallen on the floor, been crushed by a toddler, and gone through the dryer—and never snapped under pressure. (Multiple locations.) 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, seeeyewear.com.
Razors Barbershop
In a time of disposable blades and unisex salons, you’d be forgiven for thinking the straight razor shave had gone the way of Brylcreem and wooden teeth. But practitioners of the lost art still remain, including master barbers Anthony and Joseph Berriola. If you haven’t experienced the pleasure of shaving oils, hot towels, and a warm lather, do plant yourself in their Somerville barber chair. It’ll be the best $25 you’ve ever spent. 308 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02144, razorsbarbershop.com.
Trevi Cafe and Wine Bar
Yes, it’s nestled within the tourist mecca of Mashpee Commons. No matter: Once you step into Trevi, you might as well be on a European vacation with your secret paramour. There’s an expansive covered terrace overlooking a soothing backlit fountain, a vast menu of global wines, and a list of generously poured cocktails (the Trevi Tini is our favorite). 25 Market St., Mashpee, MA 02649, trevicafe.com.
Equinox Chestnut Hill
We get it: Membership at Equinox Chestnut Hill is pricey. But once you consider the 37,000-square-foot gym's unparalleled offerings—including some 100 classes per week in five dedicated studios—the $165 monthly fee seems justifiable. Add the indoor lap pool, eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, juice/smoothie bar, and WiFi-equipped lounge, and you may never want to leave. 200 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, equinox.com/clubs/boston/chestnuthill.