Brewer's Fork
As much as we’ve enjoyed the silver lining that was takeout four-packs with our wood-fired pizza, nothing compares to a beer — fresh from the draft! — at the Brewer’s Fork bar. That’s because co-owner Michael Cooney brings craft-beer-world bona fides to this suds-and-pies joint, making it a place to find rarities — like an IPA from Bissell Brothers or sour beer from Jester King — from the buzziest breweries. 7 Moulton St., Charlestown, MA 02129, brewersfork.com.
Urban Soirée
When up-and-coming event planner Renée Sabo launched her own boutique firm in 2017, she quickly established herself as one of the city’s go-to vendors. While her creativity and attention to detail shine through in each wedding the Urban Soirée founder brings to life, it’s her deep commitment to her clients and community that impresses most. When the coronavirus outbreak threatened to derail untold brides’ and grooms’ big days, for example, Sabo sprang into action, sharing crucial postponement and rescheduling advice on her blog and teaming up with fellow pros to offer gratis planning consultations for local couples in distress—true leadership, if ever we’ve seen it. urbansoireeboston.com.
Castle Hill on the Crane Estate
A visit to this sprawling 1928 manor and grounds is like a trip to your eccentric auntie’s house — without any strings attached. Enjoy unusual kid-friendly entertainment (Siamese cat hunt, anyone?); tours led by household staff in 1920s period dress; outdoor summer concerts; or a frolic on Crane Beach. Ownership by the Trustees of Reservations ensures robust programming, with special “CraneExplorer” activities for the under-12 set — typically mini hikes with more guided stops along the way (see: the popular twilight full-moon stroll). 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich, MA 1938, thetrustees.org/place/castle-hill-on-the-crane-estate.
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.
The New England Soup Factory
These unassuming storefronts take their motto—Feed Your Body Well—to heart, with some 75 alternating choices, all wholesome and flavorful. We slurped lentil; sweet and sour cabbage with fresh dill, white bean, and tomato; numerous chowders; and hearty chilis. Iced soups include banana, honey, and almond; blueberry and peach; and the old, spicy standard, gazpacho. And the Factory makes a matzoh-ball soup to make a Jewish grandmother proud. Our only complaint is that there isn't a Soup Factory in every neighborhood. 2-4 Brookline Place, Brookline, MA .
Mondi Hodgdon, Dani Wagener Beauty
A good brow-shaping can change your life. Really—every time we leave Mondi Hodgdon's chair, the compliments start pouring in. Did we lose weight? Get a tan? Suddenly we have cheekbones, and our eyes pop without mascara. Hodgdon's tools are tweezers and a bit of wax, but she might as well be sprinkling pixie dust. 125 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, daniwagener.com.
Your Dream Bridal
Bridal-gown stylists deal with a cross-section of the touchiest subjects: our relationships with our bodies, our closest family members, and our money. Your Dream Bridal’s Malinda Macari expertly guides you through that emotional minefield, landing you and your perfect gown—handpicked from designers such as Jesus Peiro and Truvelle—securely on the other side. The icing on the cake? Macari insists on booking just one client at a time, so you and your squad get the boutique all to yourselves, ensuring that the experience is both meaningful and safe. 730 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776, yourdreambridal.com.
Haley House Bakery Café
After closing for a year to retool, this nonprofit bakery and “social enterprise” returns to Nubian Square with new African and Caribbean influences on the menu—try the house-baked chapati flatbread wrapped around Haitian pikliz—and an even stronger equity-minded mission. In addition to providing job opportunities to marginalized community members, the café now employs “open book management,” a format that helps staff learn, stem to stern, how a business really works. 12 Dade St., Roxbury, MA 02119, haleyhouse.org/hhbc.
Last Hurrah, in the Parker House
He who laughs, lasts. 60 School St., Boston, MA .
Taza Chocolate Factory Tour
The Wonka-esque factory may be hard to find, but the chocolate samples (in flavors like chipotle chili) are well worth the extra effort. 561 Windsor St., Union Square, MA 2143, tazachocolate.com.
Omni Parker House
Invented at the Omni Parker House back in the days when men wore top hats and no one had heard of hydrogenated fats, this custard-filled, chocolate-topped sponge cake is the 19th century at its most decadent. 60 School St., Boston, MA omnihotels.com.
Boston Opera House
Attending a show here is not unlike sitting inside a gigantic inverted wedding cake. Three years after a painstaking $30 million restoration, the Opera House shines once again as the city's most opulent venue. As for the performances—whether flashy Broadway tours, big-name rock acts like the White Stripes, or Boston Ballet's Nutcracker—all seem to gain a bit of extra polish from this gilded Beaux Arts masterpiece. The 1920s proscenium mural alone is worth the ticket price. 539 Washington St., Boston, MA broadwayacrossamerica.com.
Frank's Steak House
This isn't the place where the suits go to celebrate closing a big deal, or the restaurant everybody talks about down at the club. It is, in fact, something much better: Boston's oldest steakhouse and a Porter Square institution. Locals arrive by 9 Wednesday through Saturday so they can listen to performers such as Preacher Jack on keyboard while digging into a New York sizzler—an unadorned 14-ounce sirloin that arrives at the table sizzling, as advertised, in a cast-iron skillet. The marinated steak tips, prime rib, and seafood are every bit as terrific. Oh, and forget about the wine list: Just order a beer. 2310 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA frankssteakhouse.com.
Bangkok City; House of Siam
No doubt about it—the Tie Restaurant makes for a very bad pun. So sue us. The fact is we're torn between two establishments that offer grace, charm, goodwill, and friendliness in abundance—and good food. Take Bangkok City, back phoenixlike from the ashes after its 1998 fire, with new decor. We recommend the shrimp with three chilis, but the more adventurous among you might for the secret, superspicy Thai menu the restaurant offers to real Thais—and the rare Yank who has an asbestos-coated palate. (When you try it, you'll understand all too well why the place went up in flames.) | But House of Siam is equally enticing. Everything's fresh at this friendly South End fave, with its stylish decor: the tom ka gai (chicken coconut soup), spicy garlic shrimp, fabulous dumplings, spring rolls, and duck panang. Wonderfully attentive to detail, both in preparation and presentation (note the origami carrots), House of Siam also has a wine list that, while short, is well thought out and boasts fine values under $20, including a Guigal Cotes de Rhone at $19.25. 167 Massachusetts Avenue; 542 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Pump House Surf Shop
Opened with the money earned from a dish-washing job by a guy who started surfing on the Cape when he was 5, the Pump House has surf attitude. All the salespeople surf, of course; most wear board shorts in the store, whose back wall is stacked with 100 boards ready to throw on top of the VW and take to the nearest beach, five minutes away. The Pump House also offers rentals, repairs, and lessons, and sells apparel, Frisbees, and the wetsuits that are standard gear for any true New England surfer. 9 Cranberry Highway (Rte. 6A), Orleans, MA pumphousesurf.com.