Lose It!
The crust off your kids’ sandwiches, a handful of chocolate chips after dinner: When you’re trying to reach a healthy weight, it can be hard to keep track of all of the bites that make up a day. That’s why 40 million users have downloaded this Boston-born calorie- and exercise-tracking app since it debuted in 2008. But the service isn’t just about shedding (or maintaining) pounds; with virtual support groups and a focus on nutrition, it’s about lifestyle changes that set the stage for lasting wellness. Count us in. loseit.com.
Perfect 10 Unisex Salon
The name says it all: Catering to all hair types and textures, this small but mighty team of stylists score the highest marks for their gorgeous weaves, silk presses, locs, and braids. And that’s not the only way in which they’re giving Bostonians a boost: The salon was recently the only small business in Massachusetts to be awarded a HartBeat of Main Street grant from Main Street America, thanks in part to owner (and mother of four) Kanessa Alexander’s efforts to give back to the community. Now that’s what we call beautiful. 1896 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132, perfect10hairsalon.com.
Family Dinner
Attention, proud commitment-phobes and control freaks: If you’ve previously held back from buying CSA shares because you didn’t want to get stuck in a fixed subscription term — or with mystery boxes of useless items — know you can skip weekly home deliveries from Family Dinner any time. Or just treat it like a grocery-ordering service, with single, customizable shipments of everything from butter to blueberries to ground bison from small New England farms that share your fiercely independent streak. 155 New Boston St. Ste. F, Woburn, MA 1801, sharefamilydinner.com.
Boston Harbor Distillery
With a vibe that distillery founder Rhonda Kallman calls “refined grittiness,” this 1800s-era Dorchester mill building can be dressed up or down. For one event, that translated to candles and white tablecloths in the tasting room, outfitted with 40-foot Douglas fir post-and-beam ceilings and brick walls. For another, more-casual gathering, it meant comfy couches and whiskey-barrel tables. Then there are the bar offerings to take advantage of: From signature cocktails with BHD’s Putnam whiskey to a full-on tasting table, your guests will have the chance to sample all the goods. 12R Ericsson St., Boston, MA 02122, bostonharbordistillery.com.
The Pheasant
Does food taste better in an old red barn? If it’s served by husband-and-wife team Adam and Erica Dunn, the answer is a definitive yes. The Cape-sourced, shareable menu here changes with the seasons, but expect artfully plated dishes like scallop ceviche and oysters with lemon-seaweed mignonette served with a side of five-star hospitality at this hidden gem, which reopened in 2018 under new ownership. And don’t forget to check out the “living wine list” — the small wine shop in the dining room — for a bottle of natural vino to enjoy at your table or back at home. 905 Route 6A, Dennis, MA 02638, pheasantcapecod.com.
Lone Star Taco Bar
Bacon-wrapped and smothered in refried beans, crema, and chipotle mustard, Lone Star’s over-the-top Sonoran dog tastes best around midnight—wonder why that is? In fact, the Mexican spot’s full menu of satisfying snacks—including house-made chorizo tacos, piquant chili con queso, and crispy tostadas—is available until 1:30 a.m. every night at both the Allston and Cambridge locations. Pair them with a hydrating Topo Chico mineral water, and you’ll thank yourself in the morning. Multiple locations. 479 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 02134, deepellum-allston.com/lonestar.
Erbaluce
Named for a rare Piedmont grape, Charles Draghi’s Erbaluce is the rare 2018 restaurant that manages to do just about everything right without calling too much attention to itself. Maybe it’s the tucked-away Bay Village location, or, more likely, the fact that the veteran chef isn’t on Instagram and hasn’t tweeted in years, but is still in the kitchen night after night, churning out a soulful deep dive into northern Italian cooking, from wild boar meatballs that resemble breakfast sausage in the best way possible to an impeccable duck-egg-yolk carbonara with house-made bucatini. 69 Church St., Boston, MA 02116, erbaluce-boston.com.
Boston Park Plaza
A wedding’s not a wedding without a little opulence, and celebrations at the Boston Park Plaza—which wrapped a renovation in 2016—have it in spades. Already a prime destination for guests with its onsite restaurant, top-notch suites, and posh fitness club, the hotel woos couples with its Grand Ballroom—complete with gilded balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and breathtaking Baccarat crystal chandeliers. In addition to its undeniably elegant look, the show-stopping 780-person event space has hosted theater productions, so you can expect top-notch acoustics for your swanky soiree, too. 50 Park Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, bostonparkplaza.com.
Kacie Corbelle, KC Bridal Beauty
Styling upward of 40 brides per season, Kacie Corbelle is one of the most sought-after makeup artists around—and it’s easy to see why. Her bronzer and highlighter make a bride glow, while neutral-colored eye shadow adds a subtly seductive touch. And whether she’s working with Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Bernie Sanders, or you, she comes prepared: Equipped with foundation for all skin tones, long-lasting lipstick, and false eyelashes, the only thing she’ll ever wing is your eyeliner. 450 Harrison Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, kcbridalbeauty.com.
Jarvis Appliance
If options are what you’re after, you’ll certainly find them at Jarvis. Family-owned since its founding in 1957, the Wellesley superstore teems with inventory from big-name brands: sleek gas ranges by Miele and Bosch; heat-sensing wall hoods from Thermador and Viking; and WiFi-connected refrigerators by LG and Monogram. And with a dedicated service team waiting in the wings, you’ll feel good knowing that your new appliances will stay in top form long after you take them home. 958 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA jarvisapplianceinc.com.
Landry & Arcari
Shopping for rugs anywhere other than Landry & Arcari is like installing wall-to-wall carpeting in your bathroom: You just don’t do it. Family-owned since its inception, the well-loved store proffers thousands of handmade treasures in styles ranging from traditional to tribal to contemporary. And service is also second to none: For proof, consider the team’s quick pandemic-induced pivot to offering customers an in-store shopping experience online, including sharing videos of the stacks of rugs available in the showroom and providing virtual consultations with design-savvy staffers. 333 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116, landryandarcari.com.
WERS
We love a tote bag as much as the next person, but after a while, the GBH and New Yorker ones start to pile up. WERS, Emerson College’s radio station, not only plays some of the best eclectic music around town — from singer-songwriters, rock, and R&B to show tunes and a cappella — its live-music swag also beats all. Baseball caps, T-shirts, hoodies, and coffee mugs all blare your allegiance to Boston’s best college radio station and make you look younger and hipper than you actually are. 120 Boylston St., Theater District, MA 02116, wers.org.
Pressed
The menu at Pressed was partially created by acclaimed New York-based chef Joya Carlton, known as a wizard of vegan cuisine. The mostly locally sourced and organic offerings—made entirely in-house—include cold-pressed juices, of course; paletas (gourmet popsicles); sandwiches like the "Smoked ELT" (smoky marinated-eggplant "bacon," tomato, mixed greens, and basil mayo on seven-grain bread); and smoothies (called "superfood shakes"). Try the "Charge," a concoction made with raw cacao, almond butter, cold-brewed coffee, and almond milk. It's so good, we ordered two. 120 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, pressedboston.com.
Saltbox Kitchen
Chef-owner Ben Elliott, whose grandparents started the family farm in the 1940s, grows garden staples and lesser-known heirloom veggies and raises sheep for meat, chickens for eggs, and bees for honey, which translates to the freshest ingredients possible on your wedding plate. His stint as chef de cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park, meanwhile, translates to creative, beautifully plated dishes—from wild striped bass with tomato agrodolce in the summer to handmade tagliatelle with white-wine-braised rabbit and charred baby onions in the fall. 84 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA saltboxkitchen.com.
Fuller Craft Museum
Don't let the name fool you: This Brockton institution isn't a musty warehouse of old quilts and wooden shoes. It's instead a showcase for contemporary handmade objets d'art, a place where sublime ceramics made at East Cambridge's Clay Dragon Studios sit beside burnished-aluminum mobiles inspired by the myth of Icarus. Later this year, the museum will unveil an intricate, kaleidoscopic survey of enamel art from the 1920s to the present day, and, most eye-catching of all, artist Stan Munro's massive replicas of such architectural wonders as the Taj Mahal and the White House—rendered entirely in toothpicks. 455 Oak St., Brockton, MA 02301, fullercraft.org.