Dan Duquette
Mercy, the suit wasn't here 10 minutes and the gonfalon was ours, by God. What are the Sox going to do for front-office help if somebody steals Peter Gammons's Rolodex?
The Tam O'Shanter
In short, it rocks, so it has often earned a Best from us. If the Tam doesn't change its tune, we won't change ours. 1648 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA .
Nickelodeon
Also has the best concession stand. But with its sale to USA Cinema, we've got our fingers crossed about the Nick's future.
Café Luna
Many moons after this café started earning long lines, we still love to start our mornings with hits like double-thick Belgian waffles with berry compote, and wondrous “surf and turf” Benedict with lobster and steak. 612 Main St., Cambridge, MA cafeluna-centralsq.com.
The Abbey
This is the rare spot that we applaud for a static menu, because it’s reassuring to know that we can always get our charred Caesar salad and grilled flatbread pizza. 1657 Beacon St., Washington Square, MA 2445, abbeyrestaurant.com.
Sophia's Grotto
Tucked into a little courtyard behind Rozzie Square, this lovely Italian spot is one of our favorite places to while away a warm evening with a pitcher of sangria. What to Order: The antipasto; spicy mussels. 22 Birch St., Boston, MA sophiasgrotto.com.
Panificadora "La Sisegoza"
There are trays of exotic sweets here, including our favorite, the guayaba empanada—a cream-cheese pastry filled with tangy homemade guava puree. We also like the rice pudding, perfect and creamy, sprinkled with cinnamon. 622 Hyde Park Avenue, Roslindale, MA .
WXKS's Annual Birthday Party
Open bars, hors d'oeuvres, an exclusive guest list, and top national acts. For example, the 1983 list included the Gap Band, Laura Branigan, the Manhattans, the Weathergirls, and (yes) Pia Zadora.
<em>Valparaiso</em> by Don DeLillo, A.R.T.
A surreal study of the spreading mediascape featured the most interviewed man in the world. Novelist DeLilo's second play said something true and haunting about how the national obsession with fame is corroding our souls.
Boston Calling
Get ready for some really cathartic moshing: After two years of heartbreaking cancellations, our marquee music festival recently announced its return for 2022 — and it did so with a bang, bringing back 2020’s promised headliners Foo Fighters and Rage Against the Machine. Allston, MA bostoncalling.com.
Ronan Park
So maybe Fields Corner is named for colonist Zechariah Field and not for its green spaces. Still, we'd like to point out that the neighborhood has some mighty fine fields. Our favorite, Ronan Park, hosts an annual kite festival. Dorchester, MA 02122, boston.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation.
G2O Spa and Salon
Carefully considered questions about pain points and pressure yielded a rigorous 60-minute massage ($125) that turned our computer-worn shoulders and chair-stiffened lower back into Jell-O. An aprՌs-treatment hot-tub soak on the penthouse level, meanwhile, helped bring the brain back into alignment. 278 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, g2ospasalon.com.
Sephora
We have only one rule when shopping at this cavernous cosmetics shop: Bring cash. How else to limit ourselves while stuffing our basket with lotions, powders, polishes, and liners? Oh, and there are the goodies tempting us from the bins near the checkout line... sephora.com.
Lester Harry's
Instead of being bigger versions of Cabbage Patch dolls, kids here are littler versions of our best-dressed selves. That means ruffled frocks by Splendid and Twelfth Street, snappy orange cargos from Jean Bourget, and Eberjey Indian-motif swimwear. (Excuse us, but does this come in a size 32T?) 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA 1945, .
Pamela Santorelli
A store with avant-garde clothing needs a sales assistant who can steer a client through it. Pamela Santorelli of Louis Boston does just that. She's relaxed and refreshing, patient and pressure-free. And she tells us when something looks terrible without hurting our feelings. Louis Boston, 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .