A. Russo & Sons
When you're ready to put some sizzle in your pan, there's no better place to start than at Russo's. Its esoteric selection of produce—Thai okra, dandelion, Asian pear, lychee nut—provides endless inspiration, while the cheese counter brims with imports from the likes of Italy (Robiola), France (at least three Bries), and Spain (Garrotxa). Plus: fresh pasta, salumi and charcuterie, a full array of baked goods, vibrant cut flowers and plants...better break out the reusable grocery bags now. 560 Pleasant St., Watertown, MA 2472, russos.com.
Symphony Sushi
This place is constantly mobbed with lively diners—a sure indication of its status as neighborhood staple. With reasonable prices, speedy service, and generous portions, the sushi bar does particularly well with the area's college crowd. After gorging on maki, order one or two of the mochi ice cream patties; the light (and lightly priced) sweets are a fine way to end your meal. 45 Gainsborough St., Boston, MA 2115, symphonysushi.com.
Lexington Farmers' Market
This ever-expanding outdoor market now includes more than 30 food vendors selling everything from produce, meat, and fish to cheese, bread, pastry, gelato, and local honey (not to mention a couple dozen artisans hawking handmade jewelry, pottery, and the like). There are also occasional classes on topics like raising your own chickens, and an outreach program that teaches schoolkids about eating local and cooking with fresh ingredients. Lexington, MA 2421,
Michael's Deli
If you're looking for deli atmosphere, head to Rubin's—it's like a time machine, taking you back to an era when the term 'hot tongue' had nothing to do with Lady Gaga. But for pure beefy deliciousness smushed between slices of rye, there's no topping Michael's in Coolidge Corner. It's small, it ain't fancy, and there's barely anywhere to sit. But just try to tell us, with sauerkraut and Russian dressing dripping down your chin, that it's not the best corned beef sandwich in town. 256 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2446, michaelsdelibrookline.com.
Ten Tables
Talk about spreading the love. This year the team at Ten Tables expanded across the Charles, giving Hub cuddlers the choice of intimacy (the tiny J.P. original) or intrigue (the new Cambridge location, full of cozy dark nooks). Both locations feature upscale comfort dishes, like house-made pasta and skillet roasted Giannone chicken, for under $25. Chef David Punch also does a nightly $45 prix fixe, ostensibly for customers with other things on their minds than menu decisions. 597 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, tentables.net.
Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q
This is Blue Ribbon's third straight year notching a win, which means we've already waxed rhapsodic about its smoked-to-perfection brisket and tender pulled pork. (For maximum enjoyment, mix the above liberally with any of the house sauces.) Thus, knowing it's the details that make the difference, this year we pay special homage to the baked beans. They're the glue that binds any self-respecting barbecue meal, and Blue Ribbon's are superlative. 908 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 2476, blueribbonbbq.com.
Arthur & Pat's
The ramshackle exterior and the proudly mismatched chairs and handmade signs that shout out house specials at this seaside Brant Rock favorite may be no-frills, but the menu itself is thrill-packed. Dig into omelets stuffed with serrano ham and Manchego cheese or buttery pancakes piled high with fresh berries. It all arrives fast, and invariably accompanied by a snarky comment from the curmudgeonly but efficient waitstaff. 239 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2050, .
Berkshire Ice Cream
You're hot; it's cold. Ice cream in the summer is a no-brainer. Ordering Berkshire Ice Cream, on the other hand, is hardly straightforward: the 67 all-natural varieties—espresso crunch, peach, black raspberry, oh my!—are heavenly. Made from local Golden Guernsey cream, the stuff is so good, and the lines for it so long, that dozens of grocers have started to stock it. Which means you can now taste every flavor in your own sweet time. 56 Main St., Lee, MA 1238, cakewalkbakery.com.
The Raw Bar
Mashpee's New Seabury is one of the Cape's toniest communities, brimming with quaint shops, picture-perfect lawns, and crushed-seashell pathways. The Raw Bar, which dispenses cheap beer beneath bare-breasted mermaid memorabilia, is the one place locals and visitors can really let their hair down. And they do—over platters of raw oysters, littlenecks, and heralded lobster rolls. The latter are technically big enough to share, but if you're like us, you'll want to savor every bite of your own. 252 Shore Dr., Mashpee, MA 2649, therawbar.com.
Sel de la Terre
Raise your glass to wine director Erik Johnson. An unapologetic Francophile with a giddy crush on Burgundy, Johnson has forsworn his first (and oh-so-pricey) love to find us delicious bargains from France's southern regions and local wines like the Sel de la Terre Rosé from Westport Rivers. With most bottles priced in the mid-$30s, it's a list that deserves to be feted. 255 State St., Boston, MA seldelaterre.com.
Khao Sarn Cuisine
Order pad thai, if you must. But what makes Khao Sarn worthy are its specialties from the northern reaches of Thailand—miang kum, for example, is a do-it-yourself dish that lets you wrap a few flakes of baked coconut, roasted peanuts, and tiny dried shrimp in a spinach leaf and finish with a dollop of sweet sauce and a squeeze of lime. It's a flavor explosion—and your new must-have at any Thai meal. 250 Harvard Ave., Brookline, MA khaosarnboston.com.
Taqueria La Mexicana
For muy delicioso and auténtico Mexican food north of the border, make a beeline for this Union Square hot spot, featuring colorful woven tablecloths and walls bathed in warm yellow. Burros overstuffed with juicy steak, smooth guacamole, chunky salsa, and sour cream highlight the menu, but no matter what you order—from the tamales, enchiladas, and flautas to chile rellenos, vegetarian tacos, and homemade flan—you're guaranteed exceptional food at reasonable prices. 247 Washington St., Somerville, MA .
Kristen D. Murray, No. 9 Park
Some desserts are among life's sweetest rewards precisely because they aren't too sweet. Kristen D. Murray understands this. Consider her walnut pain perdu, a soft and almost custardy bread laden with tart red currants, rich, nutty crunch, and tangy water-buffalo-milk yogurt sorbet. Or feast your eyes—and stomach—on her black pepper cheesecake, a masterpiece of smooth cheese jolted with black pepper and cut with the soothing sweetness of caramelized pineapple and tart-as-can-be-green apple compote. 9 Park St., Boston, MA no9park.com.
Jeanne Lee
Jeanne Lee doesn't shy away from problem toes—no, she specializes in them, taking the time to rigorously cleanse, file, buff, exfoliate, and massage before unscrewing the cap to your desired polish. And because Lee works with only one other nail technician (her mother) in her fourth-floor Newbury Street space, you're all but guaranteed a tranquil experience. 125 Newbury St., Boston, MA jeannesalon.com.
Chatham Bars Inn
Had Fitzgerald created Jay Gatsby today, he might have installed his debonair protagonist at the Chatham Bars Inn. The 1914 hotel's foyer alone, with its polished wood floors and stately white columns, is redolent of money and understated class. Still a place where old New England summers, the property now encompasses 25 acres of landscaped grounds, four restaurants, a state-of-the-art spa, 40 guestrooms, and 30 private cottages, a handful of which sit on bluffs overlooking the Atlantic. 297 Shore Road, Chatham, MA 2633, .