Craft Beer Cellar
Much to the delight of local hopheads, this shop—opened in Belmont four years ago by Cambridge Common alums Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker—is now spreading its sudsy gospel to new locations in Newton, Winchester, Braintree, and Westford. In addition to offering tastings and classes, staffers take their inventory of ales and lagers quite seriously, regularly updating the varieties available at each store online (the newly opened Newton Centre outpost alone carries more than 1,000 beers) and cataloging them by brewery, provenance, and style. 51 Leonard St., Belmont; and other locations, craftbeercellar.com.
Zona
If the soothing Aveda products and complimentary herbal tea aren’t enough to invoke tranquility, the lengthy shampooing and blissful scalp massage certainly will. This South Shore salon has been in the Zona family for generations, so whether you’re looking for a quick trim or a complete hair overhaul, you can rest assured that your locks will be in seasoned hands. 65 South St., Hingham; and other locations, zonaprofessional.com.
Trina's Starlite Lounge
The whole point of brunch is that it's an excuse for indulgence. So why not inject a dash of naughtiness and have it on a weekday? We're talking about industry brunch on Mondays at Starlite, where calling in sick is rewarded with a pile of biscuits and gravy, or the brunch burger (crowned with a fried egg). The crowd, mostly restaurant types shaking off the prior night's last call, won't bat an eye at your request for a second butter-maple bourbon with a chocolate-covered bacon slice. 3 Beacon St., Somerville, MA 2143, trinastarlitelounge.com.
Christina's
No child's play, this. Christina's ice cream is an acquired and—unless your offspring have preternatural palates—grownup taste. By that we mean green tea. Adzuki bean. Carrot cake. Fresh rose. Herbal chai. Even the standbys generally get an epicurean twist: The vanilla is malted, and the coffee is cappuccino. All of it is homemade, and flavors change with the seasons and the whims of its creators. When's the last time you saw something sweet taken so seriously? 1225 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 2139, christinasicecream.com.
Hi-Rise Bread Company
Choosing just one of Hi-Rise's cookies is a little like being forced to choose between your children. The almond macaroons taste like an intense nutty cloud. The oatmeal coconut, studded with whole pecans, are as chewy as can be. But it's the deep, dark chocolate sandwich cookies—more brownielike than crunchy and double-stuffed with an extra scoop of vanilla cream—that truly take the, er, cake. 208 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, hi-risebread.com.
Au Soleil Catering
If God is indeed in the details, Au Soleil must be nigh holy. The operation gets every last request right, and often adds a few flourishes of its own. That might mean having bartenders shake up pitch-perfect cocktails to order. Or creating entrées that play up your favorite ingredients, or that reflect the seasonal bounty at chef-owner Frank McClelland's Apple Street Farm. Whatever occasion you're having catered, you can count on the eats being divine. 148 Hampden St., Boston, MA 2119, ausoleilcatering.com.
Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project
Talk about microbrewing: This Somerville-based enterprise was founded by husband-and-wife team Dann and Martha Paquette, and now employs all of four people to meet an ever-growing demand. Pretty Things' masterful ales are made in tiny batches, with each bottle and keg numbered (and slightly different from the next); the Paquettes even design their own labels. Restaurants and shops can't get enough of Jack D'Or, a dry saison with a touch of hops; or Baby Tree, a quad made with plums. MA
Central Bottle and Provisions
We like to think we know wine. But like 99 percent of the population, we really just like to drink it. Thank heaven for Liz Vilardi, the nose-in-the-know at sparkling new shop Central Bottle. While her knowledge of wine is encyclopedic, she and her staff take a decidedly non-snooty approach to tasting and selling it. Explain what you're after, and they'll even help you pick out cheeses, cured meats, and house-made appetizers to nibble along with it. 196 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2139, centralbottle.com.
Sophia's Grotto
In a mere four years this precocious trattoria has grown up into an authentic Old World beauty, its cloistered brick courtyard now mature with ornamental trees and grasses and a massive climbing hydrangea. Prices, though, have barely changed at all, with big bowls of pastas and other Italian standbys averaging about $15. With the patio's bee lights twinkling overhead and a glass of sweetly chilled Grechetto in hand, you'll find Roman holidays don't come any cheaper than this. 22 Birch St., Roslindale, MA 2131, sophiasgrotto.com.
S&I to Go
Notwithstanding the beef tendon fire pot at Montien (still the hottest soup around, in both senses of the word), this unassuming Allston 12-seater is your first-class ticket to Bangkok. The Thai-language menu is filled with enough mild-mannered fare to sate even the most uninitiated of palates, while devotees can delight in rare finds like crispy double-fried catfish laced with whole sprigs of fresh peppercorns and volcanic som tums flavored with raw salted crab. 168a Brighton Ave., Allston, MA 2134, .
Grill 23 & Bar
Where others might lean on 'steak wines' like big California cabs (yawn), Grill 23's DeWinter is likely to suggest a Paolo Bea Rosso 2000, from the little Umbrian town of Sagrantino, for your bone-in filet—he's just that excited about the unsung heroes in his cache of some 1,500 labels. Odds are, you will be, too. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 2116, grill23.com.
Formaggio Kitchen
Formaggio features a carefully considered yet seemingly endless array of marbled blues, sharp cheddars, and runny Robiolas, some of it kept in underground "caves" built to duplicate the conditions of the natural European caverns where cheeses are traditionally aged. You'll find a great selection of other high-end groceries, too, but just try walking out the door without an expertly wrapped wedge of fromage in your bag—it simply can't be done. 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, MA formaggiokitchen.com.
Lolita
A good pickup bar needs two things: a classy atmosphere, and really strong drinks. At Lolita, bartenders pour more than 50 varieties of tequila in a setting more apropos of Dos Equis's Most Interesting Man in the World (as he says, he does not always drink beer) than frat boys. Try the margaritas—they'll make you feel both refined and, let's say, outgoing. 271 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA lolitatequilabars.com.
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Chef Jeremy Sewall has a family connection to the best crustaceans around: His cousin Mark is a Maine lobsterman. And the best vehicle for his wares just may be Island Creek's lobster roll. Mixed with créme fraîche, dill pickles, and celery salt, the succulent meat is stuffed into a house-made rosemary-flecked roll and sent out to the table bursting at the seams. Take a moment to savor the stunning visual, because it'll be gone before you can say, "Pass the napkins, please." 500 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2115, islandcreekoysterbar.com.
Jo Jo Taipei
One bite of this Allston beauty's crisp, pillowy scallion-and-roast-beef pancakes, and you'll never order those sad, green-flecked cardboard slabs from your local Chinese takeout joint again. Here, it's all authentic Taiwanese dishes—like three-cup cuttlefish, spicy beef-noodle soup, and dry-cooked chicken with three peppers—and none of that greasy cream cheese-stuffed crab rangoon or gloppy General Gao's chicken you get elsewhere. 103 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA 2134, jojotaipei.com.