New England Soup Factory
You must take seriously any soup shop that boasts "Triple Strength Chicken Vegetable Available Daily." The Factory means business, with four alternating selections of more than 75 varieties every day. Cool down on a summer evening with a chilled bowl of Blueberry Peach or serve some Gazpacho to guests. When winter rolls around, be ready with Hot Carrot and Ginger, Double Onion with Sherry, or Classic Lentil. The only Soup Nazi-esque thing about this place is the price: a slightly steep $4.25 for a 12 oz. bowl. 2-4 Brookline Place, Brookline, MA .
Green Street
Looking for the city's top bartenders on their night off? They're probably knocking 'em back right here in Central Square, along with anyone else who puts a premium on creative, classically prepared libations. Powerhouse mixologists Misty Kalkofen and Andy McNeese stand ready to pour any of the 100 options on Green Street's drink menu, many being a clever twist on vintage recipes. Try the Cocktail Miranda, a takeoff on the Manhattan, or one of the well-shaken egg (!) cocktails, like Kalkofen's original Fort Washington Flip. If you're looking to play things straight, there's also a smartly curated list of wine and beer. 280 Green St., Cambridge, MA 2139, greenstreetgrill.com.
Caffe Tosca
Why do we bestow this award, year after year, on Tosca? Simple: No other restaurant in the area manages to be so many things to so many diners, and with such class. Want a romantic evening? Reserve a corner table under the restaurant's soaring ceilings. Got a big-deal dinner with friends? The unpretentious but professional service will make sure it goes off hitch-free. Seeking a foodie adventure? The bright, local flavors of chef Kevin Long's menu will wow your palate. All of which is why we can't—and wouldn't want to—stop going back. 14 North St., Hingham, MA 2043, toscahingham.com.
Union Bar and Grille
Not quite a year old, Union has managed to root itself so deeply into South End culture, you'd think it has been around for decades. What's the secret? We suspect it has something to do with co-owner Jeff Gates' genial nature, executive sous chef Josh Steinberg's steady hand with mostly local ingredients, and bartenders who know their way around the many bottles they shake, chill, and pour with such profound dexterity. Or maybe it's simply Union's mix of unpretentiousness and sophistication. Whatever the draw, few who drop into Union can resist coming back—and fewer still believe it isn't here to stay. 1357 Washington St., Boston, MA unionrestaurant.com.
Ed Owens
When Ed's father, Henry, started the business in 1927, his equipment consisted of one horse and one buggy. Today, the list reads: seven vans, four trailer trucks, two pickups, two cranes, and a thirty-thousand-square-foot warehouse. Affiliated with Global Van Lines, Owens Movers (129 Sherman St., Cambridge, 876-8390) will handle everything from moving large companies (Prudential and Gillette have been moving their customers) to moving pianos (a specialty). "Even so," Ed Owens says, "we're a small, union firm, basically a father-and-son operation. We're honest with folks. We have more to lose, and everything to gain." Owens Movers, 129 Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 617-876-8390.
Skipjack's
For the healthy: blackened tuna sashimi. For the daring: wasabi-crusted salmon. And for the hungry: a lobster roll that's meaty, chunky, and sweet. No matter what your palate craves from the sea, Skipjack's probably serves it, and serves it well. This year, the Newton and Natick branches of the three-restaurant chain even began to feature sushi, from hearty lobster maki rolls to thin-sliced tuna sashimi. Or bypass the raw and head straight for the cooked—everything is flapping-fresh and runs from the creative (mahi-mahi grilled to perfection, then smothered in a peach pepper salsa) to the traditional. (The Boston clam chowder is a rich meal unto itself.) 55 Needham St., Newton, MA skipjacks.com.
Revere Beach Reservation
Born from the civic altruism that also created the Emerald Necklace, Revere Beach was the first public beach in America, and thanks to a centennial restoration that began in 1996, it's again one of the best. The bathhouses might still be funky and the surrounding apartment buildings can be eyesores, but the bandstand is spiffed up, and the sand and water are clean, making the nearly three-mile crescent lapped by the Atlantic one of New England's most beautiful beaches. If it were in Rio, there would be a song about it. Where else can you watch 747s set down like giant birds as you do the backstroke, or forgo your summer potboiler to read the tattoos on passerby? If Revere is the people's beach, then power to the people. Revere Beach Boulevard, Revere, MA .
Lanoue Fine Art
Local masterpiece-mongers tend to deal in one of two extremes: jejune still-lifes geared to designers who spruce up Back Bay sunrooms, or sprawling esoterica that cause poseurs to start lusting for home-display space. Hewing a noble path between pear paintings and "environments," Lanoue focuses on established artists who tackle traditional genres—portraits, landscapes, even floral studies—with modern flair. Though varied in style, the monthly exhibitions all balance craftsmanship with conceptual edge, requiring neither advanced degree nor audio tour to blow you away. 125 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, lanouefineart.com.
Franklin Park Zoo
Sometimes pushing a stroller through the mall feels like navigating a herd of wildebeest; an afternoon at the playground, like dodging wild chimpanzees. On these days, wise parents escape to more civilized environs—namely, this parklike turn-of-the-century zoo, which offers 72 acres' worth of roaming room. The recently renovated gorilla exhibit and the addition of two magnificent tigers have the zoo looking better than ever. And it has lots of kid-friendly food options and convenient diaper-changing stations to help keep your own little critter happy. 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 2121, zoonewengland.com.
Luke Aaron
Crisp tailoring and dramatic silhouettes are the calling cards of this costume designer turned couturier, who continues to impress us every season with his sophisticated creations. Aaron’s devoted local following frequently stops by his lovely North End showroom seeking everyday separates and made-to-order gowns, but soon, we might have to share him: The rising star presented his spring/summer collection at the Soho House in New York last fall, and showed off his "I Do" designs at a trade show during New York Bridal Fashion Week. 38A Fleet St., Boston, MA 2109, lukeaaronboston.com.
Cakes to Remember
Leave it to the ever-professional Ellen Bartlett to create a confection as sweet—and original—as your wedding. Bartlett knows the pain suffered by so many wedding guests forced to eat flavorless wedding cakes the texture of Styrofoam. Her antidote: fresh, delectable cakes in any shape you can dream up. Maybe it's a Frangelico-soaked hazelnut dacquoise with mocha buttercream—in the shape of a sailboat. Or a deep chocolate framboise with fresh raspberries, festooned with delicate fondant flowers. You want it, odds are she can make it—and make you happy ever after. 248 Cypress St., Brookline, MA cakestoremember.biz.
History
This is vintage for the finicky. No wading through bins, no discarding racks' worth of garments for signs of age or questionable authenticity. Co-owner and former high school history teacher Rachel Hirsch works with suppliers from around the globe, and each piece that she pulls into her immaculate Porter Square shop is carefully inspected and arranged by decade. The finishing touch is a tag describing the occasion for which some stylish woman could have originally donned the garment. Reads the legend for a black velvet babydoll from the '60s: "This might actually be a fun New Year's Eve." Chances are, your night out in any History purchase will be equally memorable. 1693 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA historyboutique.com.
T.T. the Bear's Place
With a capacity of only 270, this Central Square haunt has an oversize personality that defies its small scale (and always sticky floor). The volume's appropriately loud, the drinks (served in plastic cups) are priced low, and the shows are so rollicking, you'll be a T.T.'s devotee from your first visit: Over 100 bands—a sonic cornucopia of well-regarded Hub artists and fledgling acts from across the country—take the scuffed stage each month. If you want to see the next big thing before everyone else does, this is the place. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA ttthebears.com.
Mr. Sid
In the 21st century, Boston's been getting used to the idea of dynasties, what with the Red Sox winning two World Series championships and the Patriots a trio of Super Bowls. Mr. Sid has similarly dominated its field: Since 2000 the family-owned men's clothing mainstay has taken the hardware every year this Best of Boston category has been judged. Add that streak to its continued strong performance in custom fitting (with seven in-house tailors), selection (running from Agave to Zegna), and amenities (free cocktails enjoyed before vast flat-screens), and it's clear why men are still walking out of Mr. Sid looking like winners. 1211 Centre St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, mrsid.com.
Fresh
Going on a fashion bender along Newbury can leave even hard-core shoppers feeling a tad wilted. Good thing Fresh is close at hand: With white-tiled walls and elegant white fixtures, the locally based chain's recently renovated Back Bay outpost soothes like a Victorian powder room, while simultaneously offering pep-promoting potions. Perfumes are touched with intriguing notes like Moroccan basil; skin care is punched up with lemon oil and cucumber extract; and a number of body products (even deodorant) feature real sugar in the mix. Just when you thought you'd lost your will to buy, it's back. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, fresh.com.