The Red Lion Inn
The Red Lion's lure as a hangout is potent, and has been since 1704. The rustic, cozy bar inside has an original old beam ceiling, huge brick fireplace, wide plank floors, and outdoor patio seating. And if you've had one too many, there are 15 gorgeous suites upstairs, all with fireplaces and Jacuzzis. 71 South Main St., Cohasset, MA redlioninn.com.
Sullivan's Tap
Consider yourselves warned: This place features the same rough-and-tumble ethic as the B's defensemen. Sure, there are other bars with superior viewing experiences, cleaner bathrooms, and more-refined crowds. But no one captures the spirit of the sport the way Sullivan's Tap does. Plus, the beer here is about as cheap as it gets. 168 Canal St., Boston, MA 2114, .
Brian Phillips Photography
You'll never have an "I'm going to kill him!" moment with Phillips. The one-time Associated Press shutterbug has shot such heady assignments as New York Fashion Week, but is just as excited to photography newlyweds smooching. Impressively unobtrusive and down-to-earth, he unfailingly captures the details that matter. brianphillipsphoto.com.
Kashmir - Viselli Santoro Salon
Delivering a stylish scissoring and blow-dry in under an hour, one-name-wonder Kashmir is adept at making chair-side chitchat, which puts her clients quickly at ease. At less than 60 bucks a session, their wallets feel much the same way. 297 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2115, visellisantorosalon.com.
Circle Furniture
We know that kitchen chair you’ve been working from since March hasn’t exactly been kind to your back, hips, or knees. Family-owned Circle Furniture offers the seating you desperately need right now, from high-back Stressless models that conform to your body’s movements to sleeker mesh numbers boasting adjustable headrests. Good luck choosing just one. 31 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 02116, circlefurniture.com.
Michelle Lee, Salon Eva Michelle
A go-to since she and Eva Mustafai opened their eponymous studio in 2011, Michelle Lee is behind many a Bostonian’s perfectly piecey locks. A proponent of razor-cutting, Lee can craft textured layers like no one else, earning her a regular spot on a slew of “best” lists—including this magazine’s—and a presence at New York Fashion Week. We can’t all be Debbie Harry, but after a sit in Lee’s chair, we can at least have hair that looks like hers. 37 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, salonevamichelle.com.
Adamas Fine Jewelry
Brother-and-sister team Anto Aboyan and Veronica Sagherian know that the first rule to making one-of-a-kind jewelry for discerning customers is simple: sit back and listen. Next come hand sketches, computer-generated images, and even a 3-D wax model before the piece is hand-cast and gems are skillfully set. Feeling a little less creative? No pressure—you can’t go wrong with a selection from the store’s own line of bracelets, rings (pictured), earrings, and necklaces. 22 Lincoln St., Newton, MA 02461, adamasfinejewelry.com.
Branch Line
It’s the answer to most dining dilemmas: sophisticated enough for dinner with the parents or second dates but mellow enough for kids, with a roomy patio and a menu that’s just as large (don’t miss the colossal burger). You might spy owner Garrett Harker mingling on the bocce court, where little ones can frolic without raising eyebrows. Best of all, the patio is heated year round, so you can dine outside even when temps dip. 321 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472, branchlinearsenal.com.
Landry's Bicycles
As interest in biking soars to new heights, Landry’s has met the moment with unmatched care and attention to newbies, while also catering to a wave of repairs — be they from road warriors putting in extra mileage or stir-crazy locals digging old rigs out of the basement. Upgrading your ride? Help the bike-hungry masses by trading in the old one at the Landry’s Comm. Ave. outpost, where the team can patch it up, get it back on the floor, and keep the cycling surge rolling along. 1048 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, landrys.com.
Green Turtle Floating Bed and Breakfast
Want to get away without actually going anywhere? Book a night aboard one of the Green Turtle’s floating guest rooms. Docked in Boston Harbor, the comfortable 45-foot yacht and houseboat lovingly tended to by proprietors Jon Dolence and Karen Maciejewski feel like they’re a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city, even if you can still see the skyline while savoring breakfast and coffee from the dock. One Pier 8 13th St., Charlestown, MA 02129, greenturtlebb.com.
Flatbread Company
Gather around a pizza made with organic ingredients at Flatbread Company, the area’s most kid-friendly restaurant. When that last slice has been swiped from the tray, the brood can bowl to their hearts’ content at the on-site lanes while you kick back at a nearby table and enjoy one — or a few — of the many ice-cold, local brews on tap. 45 Day St., Somerville, MA 02144, flatbreadcompany.com.
Love Dog Hot Dog Buffet
In the parking lot of a motorcycle dealer in the distant shadow of the Encore casino, a trailer bumping Latin beats serves hard-to-find Brazilian hot dogs deep into the night. The ridiculously delicious sliced dogs, if ordered complete, are as (over)loaded as they would be at a block party in Rio — hot-pressed with sweet corn and peas, seasoned beef sauce, mayo, mashed potato, and more, more, more. You will devour one. You will be called “friend.” You are so coming back. 1865 Revere Beach Pkwy., Everett, MA 02149, facebook.com/vandeju.
Legal Sea Foods
When seafood titan Roger Berkowitz sold the local-born restaurant chain that his father conceived as a single fish market in 1950, we had one important question about the new corporate owners: Would they — heaven forbid! — mess with the family’s famous chowder recipe? Thankfully, the answer is a definitive “hell no.” Nothing changed about those iconic cups of super-creamy chowder studded with sweet clams, though as with every taken-for-granted pleasure, we found we loved it more for the sudden fear of losing it. Multiple locations, legalseafoods.com.
Ganko Ittetsu
Tucked inside a historical arcade-style mini mall in Brookline, you’d never know this pint-size restaurant is the place to go shopping for the area’s best bowls of savory ramen. Ganko Ittetsu nonetheless stands out for serving its eminently slurpable noodle soup Sapporo-style, meaning everything is painstakingly prepared in a wok. The result? Especially deep, soul-warming flavors with undertones of caramelization that evoke only one word: sold! 318 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, gankoramen.com.
Winnetu Oceanside Resort
The Winnetu takes the prize this year not only for its comfort, charm, and amenities such as poolside cabanas and front-lawn clambakes, but also for its new programming. The resort’s Over-Sand Beach Day package includes a bottle of prosecco, a picnic lunch, and a permitted Jeep waiting to take you on a romp to one of the island’s outer beaches. Signature oyster tours and kayaking expeditions, meanwhile, round out the summer adventures. 31 Dunes Rd., Edgartown, MA 02539, winnetu.com.