Mare
Less is more at Mare. Whether it's the unusually stark décor (more SoHo than North End) or the delicate hand chefs use on the restaurant's high-quality seafood. No heavy sauces here. The whole sea bass is grilled with just a dash of lemon, salt, and herbs, and meaty scallops sit pristinely atop homemade lemon angel-hair pasta. The tasting menu is worth every penny. 135 Richmond St., Boston, MA 2019, mareorganic.com.
El Pelón Taqueria
Pictures of Mexican wrestlers, Day of the Dead skeletons, and photos of Pancho Villa bolster the authenticity of this Mexican outpost in the Fenway. Unlike at other assembly-line burrito joints, the burros here don't mush together into a single taste on the palate. Each ingredient—Mexican rice, succulent, homemade guacamole, and grilled steak, chicken, or fish—bursts with its own spicy flavor inside the symphonic whole of the roll. A word of warning: If you ask for extra hot sauce, you better mean it. 92 Peterborough St., Boston, MA elpelon.com.
Harvey's Hardware Company
The question is not what they have for sale at Needham's trusted Harvey's; it's what they don't have on the shelves. More of an "everything" store in the old-fashioned sense of what a hardware store should be, Harvey' stocks an astonishing assortment of home wares, from gas grills to bread briskers. Of course, the usual screwdrivers and hammers are on display too. Prices aren't the lowest, but the service has a sense of humor and the kids get lollipops—it's that kind of place. 1004 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, MA .
Repertoire
If you visited Fifteen Beacon in th past few months and wondered how to replicate the sleek look at home, go no further than Repertoire. Showcasing the best of contemporary design and technology, this showroom designed by Fifteen Beacon interior guru Celeste Cooper features lines by Agape, Antoine Proulx, Ceccotti, and bulthaup kitchens—furniture and accessories that prove function actually follows form. 114 Boylston Street, Boston, MA .
Kitchen Arts
Kitchen Arts is the Chanel of cooking and baking stores: Its surroundings are simply much more stylish than its competitors'. But there's also substance to back up the finery: Kitchen Arts carries all the important manufacturers that professional chefs recommend using at home, from Le Creuset crockery to Wusthof knives to All-Clad pots and pans. These wares aren't cheap, to be sure, but they last forever—if not, the Kitchen Arts staff has been known to be very helpful in replacing parts of worn equipment. 161 Newbury Street, Boston, MA .
DKNY
The Queen of Seventh Avenue has expanded her empire to Newbury Street. The diffusion line from Donna Karan finally has a home of its own. The clothing for men and women is a little edgy without being too extreme, has definite street credibility, and is moderately priced. The store carries the entire range of DKNY products, including shoes and accessories. 37 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Luxe at Mohr & McPherson
Run your hand across the wall of hanging fabric and imagine it transforming your home: a swath of creamy silk; a swag of blended cotton or crinkly linen. Resident textiles expert Chloe Sachs gets a dreamy look when she describes how draperies can divide spaces. And you'll discover she's not too far off base when Luxe turns your boxy bedroom into a filmy-walled boudoir. 81 Arlington St., Boston, MA .
The Dutch Flower Garden
You can't walk by without looking twice. The cascade of color beckons from the pavement, and spontaneity pays. For the romantic gesture of the moment, or a few blooms to grace your dinner table, pick a few posies by the stem or grab a tiny basket of flowering plants and vines. The whole shopfront reeks of romance and fresh beauty from the wrought-iron filigree to the lush sidewalk display. 164 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Wulf's Fish Market
There's nothing flashy about this 85-year-old institution. But when it's New England seafood you're shopping for, quality trumps flair. The fish at Wulf's, mostly local and undeniably fresh, comes in seasonally, so the selection is well edited and cut to order, sometimes straight from the whole animal. Experienced and genial, the butchers are clad in white aprons and quick with a recipe or thoughts on this season's striper run. 409 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, .
Highland Kitchen
We could give this award solely on the merits of Highland Kitchen's tangy, saucy shrimp and grits. But there's so much more to love. Teeming with noisy families and rumpled Camberville denizens, Highland on Sunday mornings is the antithesis of the fussy, overdressed, brunch-is-a-verb scenes of the South End and Harvard Square. Come unbrushed and unshaven, order up a "biggie" mimosa, fried green tomatoes, and those grits, and you may never want to brunch the other way again. 150 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 2143, .
Toscanini's
There's no tastier version of the New England staple than Toscanini's traditional vanilla malted frappe—not just in the Hub, but anywhere under the sun. Oh, and when it is under the sun, the dairy delight holds up superbly: Served in a clear plastic cup and plugged with a wide straw, the thick frozen shake stays that way until the very last slurp of homemade greatness. 899 Main St., Cambridge, MA 2139, tosci.com.
Tupelo
Fun as it is to play hooky from the world at a cool, insidery haunt, at some point you need to get along home, culinarily speaking. And ringing that get-your-butt-in-here-for-supper bell with both hands is Tupelo, a southern joint that sets the table with soulful family recipes and heavenly desserts (brown-butter pecan pie!). Most Inman folks weren't raised on this kind of food, but judging by the way they've been packing into Tupelo since its April debut, maybe their kids will be. 1193 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 2139, tupelo02139.com.
Parish Cafe
This perpetually crowded spot sits comfortably at the top of the Boylston bar heap, an elevation earned by its killer sandwich list—a sort of gastronomic group project showcasing recipes from Ming Tsai, Susan Regis, and similarly revered local chefs—and a prime location mere steps from the Public Garden. Winning a seat on the patio makes neophytes feel lucky; the good-natured bustle and sophisticated grub make Back Bay regulars feel right at home. 361 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, parishcafe.com.
Arthur & Pat's
We swore that this year would be different. Surely there was some out-of-the-way truck stop or quirky-crunchy café tucked away in a random cow town that had slipped beneath our radar. After downing piles of leaden pancakes and a coop's worth of ho-hum omelets, though, we're sticking with the still-matchless Arthur & Pat's. This Marshfield phenomenon has the cheese-slathered home fries, sugary slabs of banana bread, and crusty Aerosmith sightings we crave on a weekend morning. 239 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2050, .
Rubin's Kosher Restaurant Delicatessen
Yarmulke-bedecked customers attest to the kosher bona fides at this Brookline mainstay, where the takeout case is long and complete, the sandwiches are overstuffed with choice cuts, and the pickles—well, Rubin's knows from pickles, offered free in the tightly packed dining room. And you can bet your tuches that Bubbe would approve of the meat knish: flaky crust setting off pillowy mashed potato and salty ground beef, the whole mess served piping hot. 500 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 2446, rubinsboston.com.