Caffé Paradiso Il
The finest coffee-and-dessert spot in the North End. Great cannoli, too. 255 Hanover St., Boston, MA .
Trattoria Il Panino
Five floors house an Italian bistro, a formal dining room, a glitzy dance club, and prime people watching. 295 Franklin St., Boston, MA .
Bantam Cider Company Tasting Room
Here, genre-bending hard cider is finely crafted in gorgeous steel tanks or a phalanx of barrels. A visit to the tasting room ($6 per pour, or $10 for a flight of five tastes) is the best way to swirl and sip the vast spectrum of Bantam's oeuvre—from a lightly effervescent cider with hibiscus flowers and fresh mint to a sour, funky wild-yeast variety. Snack away on complimentary pretzel rods stylishly splayed in Mason jars, and once you've identified your new favorite cider, take home a bottle, a four-pack, or a growler for the perfect souvenir. 40 Merriam St., Somerville, MA 02143, bantamcider.com.
Parker House's Last Hurrah
The editors have concurred that no sane individual selects a restaurant by the merits of its salad bar. But they're popular nowadays. If you want the best, go to the Parker House's Last Hurrah. But for God's sake, don't be enticed by the salad alone. The restaurant has more to offer.
Parker House's Last Hurrah
Huzzah for the fries at Parker House's Last Hurrah. Hand-cut into big slices and crisp to perfection.
Who Needs the Gym, Anyway?
Who’s keeping Bostonians healthy and fit even as we spend our days baking, watching Netflix, and doing endless craft projects? These four local wellness gurus, that’s who. Pilates instructor Kara Duval was among the first to jump on the Instagram Live bandwagon, and continues to attract more than 200 users to her signature class, the Foundation, every time she logs on. Jessie Burdick, meanwhile, has kept her Zoom (and socially distant outdoor) groups small and her ethos simple: strength training for everyone. Her lighthearted and down-to-earth attitude makes digital classes fun and enjoyable, even as you bust out burpees and what feels like a million straight-leg sit-ups. When finding Zen in a house filled with family members, roommates, or pets is virtually impossible, Billy Gamble’s on-demand yoga classes, offered on his YouTube channel, invite participants to destress with Vinyasa flows and juicy side body bends. And for those a little too self-conscious to try one of Heather White’s heart-pumping dance-cardio classes at TrillFit, the move to Zoom sessions might just be a blessing: Lead instructors keep you moving and shaking every inch of your body until the music stops and you collapse onto your mat.
Who’s keeping Bostonians healthy and fit even as we spend our days baking, watching Netflix, and doing endless craft projects? These four local wellness gurus, that’s who. Pilates instructor Kara Duval was among the first to jump on the Instagram Live bandwagon, and continues to attract more than 200 users to her signature class, the Foundation, every time she logs on. Jessie Burdick, meanwhile, has kept her Zoom (and socially distant outdoor) groups small and her ethos simple: strength training for everyone. Her lighthearted and down-to-earth attitude makes digital classes fun and enjoyable, even as you bust out burpees and what feels like a million straight-leg sit-ups. When finding Zen in a house filled with family members, roommates, or pets is virtually impossible, Billy Gamble’s on-demand yoga classes, offered on his YouTube channel, invite participants to destress with Vinyasa flows and juicy side body bends. And for those a little too self-conscious to try one of Heather White’s heart-pumping dance-cardio classes at TrillFit, the move to Zoom sessions might just be a blessing: Lead instructors keep you moving and shaking every inch of your body until the music stops and you collapse onto your mat.
Crystal Clean
Let's face it: Your baseboards and windowsills haven't seen the swish of a sponge or the feather of a duster in forever. It's high time you called for backup in the form of the friendly, family-owned Crystal Clean. A team of three or more expert cleaners will arrive in a flurry of brooms and mops, leaving nothing behind but a fresh lemon scent and a sparkling home.
The Maids Home Services
The Maids didn't so much clean our apartment as unleash a hellfire of spic-and-span. Wearing vacuums on their backs and armed with motorized bottles (seriously), the housecleaners left no corner, crack, or crevice undusted, unscrubbed, or unwashed. They even tackled that war zone underneath the couch cushions. 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, maids.com.
Sangria at Casa Romero
Bartender Peter Marshall's private recipe makes use of jalapeno pepper juice, grenadine, chili powder and other spices, fruit juices, and, of course, wine. A potent complement to the Mexican food. 30 Gloucester St., Boston, MA .
The Bostonian Hotel's Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beautour
Should cost $4 a glass—but doesn't.
The Maids
When you start naming your dust bunnies, you know it's time to stage an intervention. Let the Maids help by eradicating all that befouls your home. Using environmentally friendly cleaning products, teams of four dirt-purging professionals will degrease your kitchen, disinfect your bathroom, and polish your floors to a glossy shine. Prices range from $140 per hour for a first-time cleaning down to $102 per cleaning for a weekly visit—and the results are worth the price. As for those dust bunnies, let's just say the Maids know a little farm in the country. 73 Lexington St., Newton, MA themaidsma.com.
Area Four
Hand-stretched and fermented for more than 30 hours, Area Four’s crispy, Campania-meets-New Haven crust confidently undergirds a cornucopia of toppings—from handmade mozz to sustainable seafood to house-smoked meats. 500 Technology Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139, areafour.com.
Dependable Cleaners
True to their name, the folks at Dependable will deodorize, de-spot, and de-wrinkle your duds—all within 24 hours (or even the same day if you schlep there by 8 a.m.). In addition to the speedy service, we also like the Sunday hours and night drop-box. And as in any good relationship, it's the details that count. On several occasions we brought in skirts with fallen hems that were returned not only clean and pressed, but hemmed at no extra charge. Ditto for loose buttons. Plus, they've never lost our threads, and the prices are reasonable. We'll go out of our way for a cleaner upon whom we can depend! 110 Newbury Street, Boston, MA dependablecleaners.com.
Tony Coviello
Maybe it's because his "Good morning" is warm as toast on your way into the hotel for a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting. Or maybe it's because he (and the players on his team) will keep your car up front if you tell them you're only going to be an hour. But Tony Coviello has become a beloved Boston institution most likely because he makes every guest who swishes through the portals of the Four Seasons feel that he or she belongs there. Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA .