Tree House Brewing Company
Okay, so it’s not technically a bar, but with tickets required for entry (and sometimes selling out), this brewery’s new Sandwich outpost is certainly the most coveted spot around to sip suds at a picnic table overlooking Cape Cod Bay or inside an airy, whitewashed taproom. That’s thanks to Tree House’s IPAs, imperial stouts and porters, and more, which beer aficionados have traveled from far and wide to sample since the brewery opened its first location in western Massachusetts 11 years ago. We’ll let you in on a little secret: They taste even better on vacation. Sandwich, MA treehousebrew.com/visiting-sandwich.
Bristol Lounge
Like early 19th-century vintage and all the glamor it entails, the Bristol Lounge is back. Actually, like the classic pearls and impeccably cut suits you'll find around its tables, the Bristol never really went away. But after losing this category last year to the Harvest, the Four Seasons' lounge and its burger have reclaimed their places in our hearts, and the reason why is simple: sweet beef that fills your mouth with so much flavor it's almost surreal. Toppings—from the thick and fruity slice of ripe tomato the specialty mustards and perfectly toasted bun—are first rate. Service is prompt and polite, and the setting is pure suave sophistication. Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA fourseasons.com/boston/dining/the_bristol_lounge.
Redd's in Rozzie
We're tempted to call what Redd's does "home cooking," but given that this version of comfort food would require an apprenticeship at a southern barbecue joint, the ability to break down an entire pig, and a smoker in the backyard, we're not exactly talking about our home. Redd's nails everything, from the house-made pickle plate (try the pickled cabernet grapes) and apple mignonette-topped raw oysters to the just-about melt-in-your-mouth pulled-pork sandwich. If this is how you cook at home, we're coming over for dinner. 4257 Washington St., Roslindale, MA 2131, reddsinrozzie.com.
Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary
There are plenty of petting zoos around where you can go to toss a few pellets to the farm animals — but here, it’s more about learning how to care for and coexist with our four-legged friends. Wannabe farmers can wave hello to sheep, goats, pigs, cows — and sometimes their babies — in their pastures, and see how food is sustainably raised at the farm’s Learning Garden. And if your junior farmer is itching for more, go birding on the nature trails and play a game of seasonal wildlife-themed bingo while you’re at it. 208 S Great Rd, Lincoln, MA 1773, massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/drumlin-farm.
Park-9 Dog Bar
There’s no other place we know of where you can order a cocktail for yourself and a perfectly paired treat for your canine. At New England’s first-ever dog bar, kick back with your BFF and enjoy a 10,000-square-foot space complete with lounge areas, two bars, and a cool backyard vibe. 48 Waters Ave., Everett, MA 02149, park9dogbar.com.
Crema Cafe
By virtue of its excellence-obsessed baristas and premium roasters (Terroir, Barismo), our city is pouring itself a righteous coffee reputation that gives new meaning to the nickname 'Beantown.' Coffee nerds adore the top-quality espresso drinks pulled at the tiny Taste Coffee House (Newtonville) and the crowded Simon's Coffee Shop (Cambridge); however, only Harvard Square java den Crema has the full-service offerings impressive enough to take this year's title. To wit: stellar brew (they serve French press!), abundant seating inside and out, made-from-scratch food, and an inspiring independent spirit. 27 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 2138, cremacambridge.com.
Mooncusser Fish House
The team behind Concord’s 80 Thoreau has splashed into Boston with dishes that combine gorgeous local catch and seasonal accompaniments in an elegant space. The rotating menu (smoked-scallop terrine, grilled tuna with chestnut spaetzle) hasn’t shown us a dud yet, and perceptive staffers excel at helping select wines from the intriguing list. 304 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116, mooncusserfishhouse.com.
Five Spices House
The kung pao’s decent enough, but you’re here for the incendiary Sichuan—meat, fish, veggies, noodles, and more-adventurous morsels (duck tongue, pig kidney) that get wok-charred, deep-fried, braised, steamed, and/or boiled in cornstarch-"velveted" swaths, then lavished in glistening puddles of neon-orange chili oil. The punishment comes in waves: serious Scoville heat ("la") followed by a lip-numbing sensation ("ma"). Order the mala dry pot and you can choose your own adventure, Fire + Ice–style, from the refrigerated case. Then brace yourself. 58 Beach St., Boston, MA 02111, 5spiceshouseboston.com.
Belle de Jour
The window displays at this Newbury Street boutique are sexy enough to make the most straitlaced Yankee blush. From sheer black chiffon nighties to exquisite embroidered lace-up corsets, the imported European lingerie here is welcome change from the mass-produced unmentionable found elsewhere. The staff is discreet but helpful, offering advice when asked and leaving shoppers to browse in peace when not. So what if the steep price tags can send the heart racing? So does the lingerie, which is why Belle de Jour is just as often filled with men sheepishly selecting lace peignoirs for their sweethearts as it is with women looking for embroidered bra and panty sets for themselves. 164 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
House of Sarah Books
Loaf on the couches, chitchat with owner Jodi Malone, or mosey through the well-stocked stacks. This place feels like home, complete with a cat stunning in the front window. And the prices penciled in the front of the books are tough to beat. It's sweet relief from the sour pretension so often found in used bookshops. 1309 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA .
Choco Choco House
Sweet tooths won't be able to resist the convention-defying ingredients in Aliya Wali's artistic confections, among them goat cheese, edible flowers, plum wine, Hawaiian sea salt, and cardamom. 83 Pembroke St., Boston, MA 2118, .
The Spa at Mansion House
Most vacationers escape to the islands for some serious R&R. If bathing on the beach doesn't do the trick, head to this acclaimed Vineyard Haven spa. The stately sanctuary includes a sauna, swimming pool, gym, and myriad treatment rooms for services including bubbling sea-foam body wraps, illuminating therapy facials, and spa manicures and pedicures. 9 Main St., Vineyard Haven, MA mvmansionhouse.com/marthas-vineyard-spa.
Cape Poge Lighthouse Tour
A narrow beach used to connect Chappa-quiddick to Martha's Vineyard, but the sea breached the divide in 2007, and a 300-yard channel now separates thetwo. Don't let that deter you. Take the ferry from Edgartown and spend a day exploring "Chappy," which boasts 1,000 acres of preservation land. Sign up for the Cape Poge Lighthouse Tour, and a guide will pick you up at the ferry, drive you along the beach, and take you up into the lighthouse for sweeping views of the area. thetrustees.org.
Carberry's Bakery and Coffee House
A good muffin is a delicate thing. All you want is a little sweetness, not too much butter, and lots of fruit. Your delicate morning palate winces at anything so heavy as pound cake, but you want your muffins to have some substance. Carberry's delivers with flavors that range from the exotic (Lime Poppy Seed, Chocolate Orange, Raspberry) to the homey (Blueberry, Banana Nut, Cranberry Nut). 187 Elm St., Somerville, MA .