William K. Millar Associates
Prepare detailed written reports along with certificates of inspection. Very thorough and thoughtful. 26 Main St. (P.O. Box 613), Concord, MA .
Diseño
As home store after home store opened this year, we wondered, Do we have enough space for all this stuff? If it comes from Diseño, we'll make the room. A trip back to his home in Buenos Aires usually yields owner Frank Campanale yet another South American showpiece to sell alongside the finely detailed leather furniture, artisan-crafted pillows, cowhide rugs, and creamy alpaca throws in this handsome South End shop. Diseño also doubles as a shopper's hangout, where the coffee is strong and Latin music videos stream throughout the day. 409 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 2118, disenobos.com.
Louis Boston
The ground-floor inventory at Louis Boston changes as often as Maria Fei's whim dictates—which is to say, almost daily. The veteran home-accessories buyer is constantly tweaking the store's displays to incorporate her latest prizes, gleaned from upscale markets and dealers around the world. Porcelain tea sets by Mat & Jewski and graceful Astier de Villatte flatware are juxtaposed with handcrafted birch birdhouses; dotted amid the lighting fixtures are vintage French dishes and glassware, handmade candles, and even a clutch of beautifully preserved antique handbags. 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2110, louisboston.com.
La Petite Maison
Bastion of awe-inspiring seaside houses that it is, the South Shore is flush with well-stocked home shops. Among that crop, the undisputed attention-getter is the nine-year-old La Petite Maison, brimming with French-inspired panache. Its trove of sumptuous Yves Delorme bedding, Matouk towels, eye-catching Juliska glassware, and vintage silver and porcelain is unparalleled in making the interiors of local oceanfront manses as fabulous as their views. 142 North St., Hingham, MA 2043, .
Juniko
This Hanover workout center is less a gym and more a lifestyle dojo. Named for Japan’s "Twelve Lakes" and cofounded by jujitsu world champ Daniel Gracie, Juniko takes a fitness-academy approach to wellness, offering adult- and child-level formats to suburbanites investing in their whole family’s health. Held in a sleek studio, the classes—including Brazilian jujitsu and aerial yoga—feel more like performance art than exercise. But you’ll still want to reward yourself with a visit to the on-site juice bar for kale smoothies, avocado toast, and take-home cleanses. 1376 Washington St., Hanover, MA 02339, juniko.com.
Chris' Texas BBQ
Purists might be put off by the fact that there's pizza on the menu, but it's impossible to argue with the down-and-dirty authenticity of Chris' barbecue sauce. This place would be right at home on a Memphis side street, from the friendliness of the staff to the offbeat customers who wander in now and then. Try the Dallas-sized plate of meaty, flavorful ribs, or the heaping pulled-pork sandwich. Both ooze in a sauce that is at turns sweet and spicy, changing subtly with each bite. There are traditional side dishes such as collard greens and cole slaw, but the sweet potatoes drowned in maple syrup are a must. 1370 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester, MA .
Durty Harry's
Sorry to disappoint Clint Eastwood fans, but this much-loved dog spa and shop is named for owner Michelle Fournier's Lab-retriever mix. Pooches are the stars here as groomers lovingly shampoo, trim, and clip. There's even pickup and drop-off service for Charlestown residents so your pup can greet you at the door, clean and styled, when you arrive home from work. Fournier and her team also dole out advice on toys and training, deliver food free of charge, and host gratis Ruff Week parties in Charlestown's Paul Revere Park. 287 Main St., Charlestown, MA durtyharry.com.
Geraldine Cole, Style Your Threads
When your wardrobe starts to feel like the by-the-pound pile at the Garment District, it’s time to give Geraldine Cole a call. The fashion maven began her career working in the costume departments of various theaters, eventually starting Style Your Threads when friends kept asking her for outfit advice. She’ll organize and cull your closet (or "archives" as she calls it), put together the ultimate special-occasion ensemble, or even pick out the perfect gift. MA styleyourthreads.com.
Larry Bird and Kevin McHale
The former for the regular season, of course. The latter for the play-offs.
Beacon True Value Home Center
Squished into a Beacon Hill storefront is this incredible urban resource center. Need to rent a power drill? It's five bucks a day. Run out of paint in the middle of a job? Head right over. Want to plant a window box full of tulips? Seeds of every sort are out front on the sidewalk (in season). Plus, the store sells the entire Leatherman line of cool-dude tools, and the service is terrific; these guys make Bob Villa look like he needs a little renovating. 216 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA .
The People Who Gave Us Hope
If we could dream up a 2020 all-star squad of heroes, champions, and advocates, it would look a lot like this: Community organizer Gladys Vega (1) of the Chelsea Collaborative, who has spent the past two decades fighting for social justice but swiveled her focus to feeding 11,000 residents each week as the coronavirus ravaged her city. Public health advocate and Harvard professor of epidemiology Marc Lipsitch (2) would also make the team, in no small part due to his consistent and clear message, whether speaking to us in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or the Boston Globe: Never underestimate COVID-19. Our best city politician is Julia Mejia (3), the first immigrant and Latina on the Boston City Council, who fought back against racist harassment after taking office in early 2020. She has also worked to improve bilingual communications in Boston and even made a series of TikTok videos with her daughter to liven up the mood at City Hall during the early days of the pandemic. Ibram X. Kendi (4), meanwhile, is the man of the hour and our hope for humanity. A bestselling author, the 2019 Guggenheim Fellow recently became a history professor and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, where he’ll lead many of the country’s brightest minds to solve problems of racial inequity. His books, including How to Be an Antiracist, are already required reading among those in the know around town. As for the best social justice advocate in Boston? That’s Monica Cannon-Grant (5), a Roxbury mother of six children who rallied tens of thousands of residents to Franklin Park to peacefully protest police brutality. She also runs a victim-assistance program that supports men, women, and children of color through her organization Violence in Boston. And though he’s best known for his moves on the court, Celtics star Jaylen Brown (6) is our clear choice for celebrity ambassador—he’s peacefully protested, regularly speaks about race in America, and was honored at the State House this year for his charity work with children. We’re proud to have him on our home team.
Summer Girls, University Home Services
This firm will arrange for qualified baby-sitters to accompany your family on vacation and help take care of the kids, at modest prices. 9 Crest Rd., Wellesley, MA .
Sekali
Whenever Sekali announces preorders on Instagram, the food sells out faster than plane tickets for post-vaccine vacations. Why? Because Borneo-born chef Derrick Teh’s transportive, modern Malaysian-inspired recipes are world-class — from the jars of sweet and creamy coconut-milk jam he home-delivered during the pandemic to the plates of richly spiced short-rib rendang available for pickup during his restaurant pop-ups. He doesn’t have his own brick-and-mortar (yet!), but with talent like this, he’ll go far no matter what the future holds. instagram.com/sekaliboston.
Bella Sante
We've tried it at home. We've done the booth. We've stood stark naked before strangers and had every inch of our bodies airbrushed, only to emerge St. Barts brown on one side, Back Bay white on the other. But we never got the elusive all-over glow until we went to Bella Santé, where an almost painfully thorough full-body exfoliation precedes careful application of Phytomer's clear (!) bronzer. It won't streak when you sweat or rub off on your clothes, which means that even after a sticky, slow ride to the beach, we pulled up looking as if we had been there all summer long. 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, bellasante.com.
Bread & Circus Whole Foods Markets
As with all of B&C's stock, the prices are a bit higher, but the quality is way higher. So is the variety, which rotates on some regularity. Our favorite: the monster green olives stuffed with cloves of garlic. Funky, but yummy. All locations, .