Midway Café
"Dyke Night" at the Midway Café in Jamaica Plain is, as the name so subtly suggests, geared toward lesbians. Still, it's a credit to Dyke Night Productions, which puts on this Thursday night party, that you don't have to like girls (in that way) to have a raucous time at this small neighborhood bar. DJs Kevin McCarthy (pop, disco funk) and Mix Mistress (vocal house, pop, hip-hop) rotate weeks at the turntables, and Dyke Night attracts so many attractive women that you may just wish you were a lesbian. 3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA midwaycafe.com.
Sophia's
Let the Lycra-wrapped hordes swarm Lansdowne Street. The real action is around the block at Sophia's, where a beautiful and diverse crowd can be found jumping around on any of the three floors. Not into the bump-and-grind, Miami-style Latin sound on the main floor or in the basement lounge? Then hit the first floor, pick a stranger to share a pitcher of sangria, and your salsa impulses will no doubt kick in with a little help from the live band. Those who prefer a more mellow scene head to the rooftop—the building's courtship nucleus—to let the sweeping view of the city and soft music work their matchmaking magic. 1270 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Slow River
A joint venture with Rykodisc, indie label Slow River was started in 1995 out of head honcho George Howard's Providence apartment. Now headquartered in Salem, Slow River releases some of the most impressive sounds around, from the bluesy growl of Chuck E. Weiss (the album was produced by Weiss' buddy Tom Waits) to the emotional ballads of the Willard Grant Conspiracy, which is popular in Europe. (Really.) Keep your ears open for up-and-comers such as Josh Rouse and Richard Buckner—they're sure to be making the radio rotations soon.
Boston Rock Gym
A huge industrial loft in Woburn, the Boston Rock Gym is carpeted with 20 tons of chopped-up car tires, the walls are studded with tiny gargoyles, dinosaurs, and rocklike footholds, and the place looks like a preppy torture chamber. One of the best-equipped climbing gyms in all of New England, the rock gym has 30 different climbing routes of varying complexity, ranging from beginner to impossible. Check out Hades—a bouldering cave in which climbers hang upside down, suspended by their fingers and toes—as well as the Treadwall (imagine a treadmill that's a vertical wall). Patient instructors keep an eye out for your safety and offer group classes and individual instruction. 78G Olympia Ave., Woburn, MA .
New England Mobile Book Fair
Inside this family-run warehouse are miles of floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with almost any book you desire. Even better, the staff not only finds what you're looking for in a flash, but also will give you a review (and quickly order books that aren't in stock). We could spend all day in the expanded remainders section, or leafing through the great selection of cookbooks. New hardcovers are discounted 20 to 30 percent. It may look like a no-frills kind of place, but the Book Fair will even gift-wrap your purchase. 82-84 Needham St., Newton, MA nebookfair.com.
Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar
You won’t find any, ahem, exotic game on the menu at this Medfield gem—the theme is (perhaps wisely) limited to the décor. What you will find is beautifully crafted bistro fare from Brendan Pelley, an alum of Clio and Tryst who was recently a featured chef at New York’s famed James Beard House. The toque has a knack for coaxing intense flavor out of seemingly simple ingredients (see: the restaurant’s pan-roasted rosemary chicken with shatteringly crisp skin, and the unctuous ramp fried rice with a slow-poached farm egg), some of which come for the kitchen’s own garden. 21 North St., Medfield, MA 2052, zebrasbistro.com.
Polka Dog Bakery
Puffy's not the best shopping companion: drooling on merchandise, constantly demanding attention, invading strangers' personal space. Any place that overlooks —welcomes, even—such unseemly habits scores big with us. This year Polka Dog expanded to accommodate its lines of animal gear with voluminous bins of squeaky cupcakes and rubber telephones, walls of collars, piles of beds, and accessories for literal clothes hounds. As if all that weren't enough, there's the popular buffet of inventive edibles, for when your guests' shoes are no longer an option: liver chips, salmon coins, and catnip "pawbreakers" for delicate breeds; cow thigh bones for those with heartier appetites. 256 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA polkadog.com.
Davio's
Park Square, Patriot Place, the Seaport waterfront … wherever you’re looking to talk brass tacks on a deal, there’s a table at Davio’s within handshake’s reach, ready to ply fat-cat appetites with northern Italian–style steaks, seafood, and pasta. Founder and author Steve DiFillippo wrote the book (literally) on Exceeding Expectations in Business and Life, so maybe you’ll soak up the now-multicity restaurateur’s savvy along with the high-noon pours of Davio’s Reserve brand wines. Multiple Locations, davios.com.
Bar Volpe
At the southern Italian follow-up to her acclaimed Fox & the Knife, chef Karen Akunowicz is giving Bostonians exactly what they crave: pasta, pasta, and more pasta, in just about every shape and form. Of particular note is the jet-black casarecce al nero: Topped with lobster, it’s bright, spicy, and destined to be as recognizable as the Top Chef alum with her own pink crown. Akunowicz is also doubling down on fresh pasta and sauces to go, in case you can’t wait until your next reservation to dig in. 170 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127, barvolpe.com.
Joanne Chang's MasterClass
Ever marveled at the luscious, confectionary perfection that is the Flour sticky bun, and wished you could replicate it? Thanks to a series of online lessons from Boston pastry queen Joanne Chang — who’s currently sharing her James Beard Award-worthy techniques in a 30-day Bake Like a Pro course on MasterClass — now you can at least try. Even if you can’t get it just right, at least you’ll get to hang out virtually with one of this city’s friendliest celebrity chefs, and get your apron dirty in the process. masterclass.com.
Shine
Need just the right work-from-home outfit, hostess gift, or last-minute accessory? Glow up with help from Shine, where you’ll find sustainable brands in super-cozy brick surroundings. Browse woven clutches crafted by Balinese artisans from Poppy + Sage and small-batch sundresses from New Hampshire–based Emerson Fry made from low-impact dyes, perfectly paired with sneaks from Cariuma (which plants a tree in the Brazilian rainforest with every sale). Perky owner Erin Postl also stocks candles, perfume oils, and quirky pillows that promise to bring Earth-friendly accents to your home, too. 28 State St., Newburyport, MA 1950, shinenewburyport.com.
Contessa
If you’re addicted to @DeuxMoi star sightings (and who isn’t?), you probably have this celeb fave from Major Food Group (the New York City company behind glittering Carbone, Parm, and Dirty French) on your radar. Walking in feels like you’ve snuck into the best, most maximalist bash in town — and then there’s that Insta-worthy view, perched high atop the Newbury Boston hotel in a glass jewel box. Lest we overlook the talents of celebrity-chef principals Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, though, it’s the standout northern Italian cuisine — that Florentine steak! — that keeps us buzzing back over again. 3 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, contessatrattoria.com.
The Foundry
The city of Cambridge transformed this former factory into a gorgeous, multipurpose creative hive with the explicit goal of offering accessible space to artists and artisans in a city that, more often than not, prices them out. Among the Foundry’s public amenities are reservable conference rooms; four makerspaces offering workshops for fi ber arts, woodwork, and more; a demonstration kitchen; a dance studio; and a 115-seat black-box theater. Not artistically inclined? No problem — you’ll also find Zumba classes, gallery shows, and guitar festivals, all open to the public. 101 Rogers St., Cambridge, MA 02142, cambridgefoundry.org.
Gus & Ruby
Why flip through book upon book of invitations when you can have something that’s completely, uniquely you? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you commission Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffield, of Gus & Ruby, to create custom paper goods for your party. The New Hampshire&ndashbased duo, who launched a long-awaited brick-and-mortar on Beacon Hill last October, demonstrate a particular flair for the unexpected. Exhibit A: their recent Bridgerton-inspired invitation suite, which paired Victorian silhouettes with modern script and gold foil. 99 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, gusandruby.com.
Thom Solo
When would you ever wear a ruched periwinkle thigh-high boot? When would you not, Thom Solo would respond. His Elton John-meets-Michelangelo designs have graced the feet of Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, and Britney Spears, among others, and even got a showcase in the MFA’s “Gender Bending Fashion” exhibit in 2019. This year Solo poured his pandemic-lockdown energy into the Nostalgia collection, an explosively creative line of caged heels, loafer-style Mary Janes, and, yes, ruched thigh-highs. thomsolo.com.