Fish Kids
Unless your child has a contract with Kix, you probably don't dress him in expensive outfits destined to wear more cereal than he digests. Miniature linen suits and raw-silk dresses have their place, but shorts that can survive the sandbox and tees that don't need to be dry-cleaned are what most parents are after. The racks at Fish Kids are filled with just that—"better everyday clothing" by European makers such as Catimini, Cakewalk, and Confetti. There are even 125 different styles of shoes from brands including Buckle My Shoe and Aster. Overwhelmed? Owner Donna Fishman knows her stock—and her clientele—and can fill Junior's closet without spending his college savings. 1378A Beacon St., Brookline, MA .
Adelita
Arcade games, sippy cups, and free kids’ meals before 6:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday. No, this isn’t your local Chuck E. Cheese—it’s the latest hot spot from Kristin Canty, the brains behind West Concord favorite Woods Hill Table. At her new, family-friendly-but-still-sophisticated entry to the town’s dining scene, the focus is on Mexican cuisine—and not just any Mexican cuisine. Here, the pasture-raised pork, chicken, and beef stuffed into every tempting taco, burrito, and quesadilla comes straight from Canty’s New Hampshire farm, so you can feel good treating the little ones (and yourself) to dinner here any day of the week. We’ll raise a guava margarita to that. adelitaconcord.com.
The Liberty Hotel
The former site of the Charles Street Jail now has the city’s hotel and nightlife scene on lock. Guests can escape to Alibi, the prison’s old drunk tank, to sip themed cocktails like “Jailbait” and “Doin’ Thyme” among brick cell walls, iron doors, and celebrity mug shots. No drab hotel dining here, either: Superchef Lydia Shire runs the better-than-it-has-to-be house restaurant, Scampo. And freshly revamped guest rooms boast herringbone wall coverings, library-style club chairs, wide-plank hardwood floors, and décor—scales of justice, old-key artwork—that recalls the building’s jailhouse past. Freedom never felt so good. 215 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, libertyhotel.com.
Formaggio Kitchen's Saturday Barbecues
Some less enlightened staffers here at Boston magazine argued against this pick, citing its limited availability (Formaggio fires up its sidewalk grill once a week, and for only half the year) and the unforgivable snobbishness of awarding the title of best street food to a purveyor of $7 hot dogs. But proponents were unmoved, pointing out that said dogs weigh in at a juicy half pound. And that—like the house-made sausages and the pulled pork, chicken, and lamb—forms part of what just might be the Hub's most joyous eating experience. That status is owed largely to Formaggio's new grill-master, Kurt Gurdal, whose infectious enthusiasm will surely stand him in good stead through season's end, in mid-November. 244 Huron Ave., Cambridge, MA formaggiokitchen.com.
Gretta Luxe
According to stereotype, women are supposed to run into the city for a dose of cutting-edge chic. Gretta Luxe has successfully reversed the paradigm: Since it opened four years ago, it's had city fashion aficionados happily schlepping out to Wellesley for designs and investment pieces that are hard to find elsewhere, including Chloé, Barbara Bui, Miu Miu, Habitual, and Strenesse. There are accessories, too, from Marc Jacobs bags to Jimmy Choo shoes. But this is no mere label shrine. The helpful staffers, each blessed with impeccable taste, have well-tuned radar for determining which clothes will flatter a customer (and a merciful flair for avoiding those that don't). If that isn't worth a quick jaunt down Route 9, we don't know what is. 94 Central St., Wellesley, MA grettaluxe.com.
Blu
Finding the right place to discuss a delicate legal matter or negotiate a contract can be a conundrum in this town. Sure, there are plenty of restaurants open for lunch, but by noon most are too packed, and the staff too hurried, for the finesse a business deal needs. With its location just a stone's throw from the Financial District and the State House, the glass-walled dining room at blu offers just the right stage for business deals with an elegant-but not-too-fussy menu and a waitstaff that knows how to keep a meal on a timely track. The sting of dropping stock-option prices can be less sharp, and the guarantee of a confirming handshake firmer, with a lobster, pancetta, and tomato sandwich on the table, or handmade spaghetti alla guitarra with fresh crabmeat and lemon bread crumbs. 4 Avery St., Boston, MA bluerestaurant.com.
Ken Oringer, Clio
Oringer is fast becoming the Tom Hanks of Best of Boston. Oringer has captured the best-chef nod in three of the past four years—and the year he didn't win, his restaurant, Clio, was named the best in town. It's not that he's such an all-around nice guy (which he really is) that makes Oringer the winningest chef in recent memory. It's that he creates such beautiful food, perfectly balanced in flavor, texture, and proportion. Clio's French menu impresses at every turn with its Asian influences and emphasis on fresh ingredients, from the cassoulet of lobster and sea urchin with yuzu and Japanese pepper to the entrée of roasted Muscovy duck with kumquats and black radish confit. Oringer's new pet project, the sashimi bar Uni inside Clio, shows his versatility and talent. And, as anyone who follows awards presentations knows, those qualities separate the winners from the also-rans. The Eliot Hotel, 370 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA cliorestaurant.com.
Whole Foods Market, River Street Location
We thought the "freedom fries" movement was absurd, and we can't imagine a diplomatic conflict grave enough to make us swear off truffles. But somewhere a line must be drawn: In this age of geopolitical anxiety and economic uncertainty, no self-respecting American foodie should drop 10 bucks on a teensy chunk of French goat cheese at the neighborhood fromagerie—not when the exact same item costs less at Whole Foods Market. This outpost of the supermarket juggernaut stocks everything from shredded organic mozzarella to imported moldy raw-milk rounds from Europe displayed in a special climate-controlled case. Like the produce section, the cheese shop highlights the work of local farmers and takes care to remove overripe products. Monthly specials entice aspiring cheese snobs to try new varieties, and pairing a bottle of red with your purchase couldn't be easier: The store's expansive wine section is just across the aisle. 340 River St., Cambridge, MA wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/riverstreet.
Montage
This store's 10,500 square feet of floor space on Arlington Street is brimming with a minimalist but immaculate selection of contemporary pieces from designers such as B&B Italia, Cassina (including designs by Philippe Starck), and Antoine Proulx. Clean lines, solid colors, and 18-foot ceilings accentuate the two-level showroom where co-owners Christopher and Liz Bates are on hand most days to consult. Showcased in roomlike groupings, the pieces here combine to create uncluttered living spaces of sleek, simply lined sofas, multilevel coffee tables, and softly spherical lamps echoing 1950s futurama motifs. Definitely on the pricier side (sectionals can run into five figures), Montage's original selections will nonetheless last well into your home's next retro phase. 75 Arlington St., Boston, MA montageweb.com.
The Baldwin Bar and The Baldwin & Sons Trading Co.
Foams, tinctures, syrups, elixirs: Onetime GQ cover guy Ran Duan is the tiki-driven scientist behind the Baldwin Bar, a tropical island hideaway, and the Baldwin & Sons Trading Co., a speakeasy devoted to experimental drinks. The ornate mansion that houses both concepts was originally transformed by his dad, a former opera singer, into the Sichuan Garden restaurant — and you can still order stellar Sichuan food alongside ethereal cocktails you simply won’t find anywhere else. Ask for the Betty Draper, an icy gin-lime creation crowned with clouds of coconut foam, by name. And if you’re lucky, you might get to test-drive a libation slated for Duan’s upcoming tropical haven Birds of Paradise, opening this summer in Brighton. 2 Alfred St., Woburn, MA 1801, thebaldwinbar.com.
Ryan Wading Pool
The Ryan Wading Pool is our pick for the city’s best spray deck, where kids can clean up and cool off after a hard day’s summer play as they get soaked under the buckets that dump water from overhead. 350 River St., Mattapan, MA 02126, mass.gov/locations/ryan-wading-pool.
North Cambridge Laundromat & Dry Cleaning
Here the owners dispense restaurant recommendations and gossip tidbits along with perfectly pressed suits and blouses at the cheapest prices we've seen. They restored not only a merlot-stained silk top for a mere $3.95, but also our faith in humanity. (Seriously. They're that friendly.) 2410 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2140, .
Didriks
This Cambridge shop has area exclusives on some of the finest dinnerware, flatware, and accessories available. We covet the minimalist stoneware from Heath Ceramics, as well as Match's pewter and porcelain collections. And then there's our most recent discovery: the rich jewel tones of Jars Tourron artisanal pottery, made by hand in southern France. 190 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA didriks.com.
Dutch Flower Garden
Not only did the Dutch Flower Garden have the speediest delivery, but they also used the most varied flowers of all the contenders. Our expert horticultural judges were impressed by the range of flowers, noting that many were common in gardens but rare to see in a florist's arrangement. 164 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Pignoli
Hurray for the late-night spaghetteria, Wednesday through Saturday til 2! Chef Daniele Baliani's Penne with Crispy Eggplant, Roasted Garlic and Tomato Parmagiani and Potato Gnocchi with Wild Mushrooms and Truffled Gorgonozola make us twirl our forks with glee. 79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA .