Cambridge Common
It could be the fried pickles, or the sweet-potato fries, or the massive beer list with regular cask ales on tap, but there's something that keeps us finding safe harbor in this Mass. Ave. mainstay. What to Order: The grilled meatloaf with beer-battered onion rings. 1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA cambridgecommonrestaurant.com.
Dolittle's Pet Grooming
Oftentimes, active dogs (and lazy cats) need a little help in the hygiene department. The animal-loving folks at Dolittle's are trained in the ways of the bath and the blow dry, and manage to lather-rinse-repeat even the most petulant pet. Your furballs might not appreciate it, but they'll come back to you looking good and smelling sweet. 7 Green St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, .
Giuliana Ruotolo, Gina Salon
Giuliana, the daughter of salon owner Gino Ruotolo, is their heir to hair. Growing up in her father's salon, Giuliana absorbed the techniques that maker her balanced and smooth long haircuts. And her sweet demeanor is a refreshing break from the hair artistes. 20 Holyoke St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA .
Bedford Farms Ice Cream
Locals love the smooth, creamy texture of the sweet ice cream at this no-frills spot. Order a cone of ginger, Grape-nut, or mud pie, or opt for soft-serve or frozen yogurt—there are more than 40 flavors in all to choose from. 18 North Rd., Bedford, MA bedfordfarmsicecream.com.
Doyle's
Forget the bland griddle frisbees from IHOP that turned you off pancakes years ago, and get thee to Doyle's. Plumped with luscious strawberries, these pancakes are so moist you can skip syrup entirely. True gluttons, however, will want to drizzle it on and sponge up the whole sweet mess. 3484 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA .
Dancing Deer
The butter yellow painted-brick facade houses marvelous treats—gingerbread in the fall, lemon-blackberry cake in the summer. Our absolute favorite item is available only on Sunday: sweet fruit bread studded with dried sour cherries, cranberries, raisins, and other fruits. Divine. 5197 Washington Street, West Roxbury, MA .
Love Dog Hot Dog Buffet
In the parking lot of a motorcycle dealer in the distant shadow of the Encore casino, a trailer bumping Latin beats serves hard-to-find Brazilian hot dogs deep into the night. The ridiculously delicious sliced dogs, if ordered complete, are as (over)loaded as they would be at a block party in Rio — hot-pressed with sweet corn and peas, seasoned beef sauce, mayo, mashed potato, and more, more, more. You will devour one. You will be called “friend.” You are so coming back. 1865 Revere Beach Pkwy., Everett, MA 02149, facebook.com/vandeju.
Legal Sea Foods
When seafood titan Roger Berkowitz sold the local-born restaurant chain that his father conceived as a single fish market in 1950, we had one important question about the new corporate owners: Would they — heaven forbid! — mess with the family’s famous chowder recipe? Thankfully, the answer is a definitive “hell no.” Nothing changed about those iconic cups of super-creamy chowder studded with sweet clams, though as with every taken-for-granted pleasure, we found we loved it more for the sudden fear of losing it. Multiple locations, legalseafoods.com.
Fishermen’s View
Come for the view, stay for the vibe, order the seafood. That’s all you need to know to enjoy an evening at Fishermen’s View, situated on the canal in Sandwich. Opened in 2016 by brothers and fishermen Bob and Denny Colbert, the menu emphasizes fresh, local catch, most of it unloaded at the docks below the restaurant. An inviting atmosphere awaits on the patio in the warmer months with live music and an outdoor bar, but sunsets over the canal (accompanied by stuffed Cape Cod cherrystones or a lobster "knuckle" sandwich) are sweet any month of the year. 20 Freezer Rd., Sandwich, MA 02563, fishermensview.com.
Celeste
The ceviche is always stellar at this pint-size Peruvian spot, thanks to a vibrant marinade of leche de tigre (“tiger’s milk”) that’s a whole different animal from the limey bell-pepper water everyone else plies. Temper the punishing bursts of ají-chili fire with bites of cold sweet potato and an egg-white-velveted pisco sour before moving on to the kitchen’s creamy shredded-hen stew. “Celeste” means “heavenly,” and after sampling the menu here, we’d hardly disagree. 21 Bow St., Somerville, MA celesteunionsquare.com.
Renae Connolly, Benedetto
Renae Connolly's desserts are such exquisite works of refinement and balance, we've come to think of her as a real-life Sugar Plum Fairy. Whether you indulge in a wedge of classic torta al limon jazzed up with a bright-pink prickly-pear gel stencil on the plate, or a rustic elderflower granita elegantly surrounded by a sugar lace toile, its sweetness cut with tart poached rhubarb and bright basil meringue, the finale to your Italian feast will be on point. One Bennett St., Cambridge, MA 02138, benedettocambridge.com.
Blue Shirt Cafe
You feel healthier just reading the menu at this colorful Davis Square corner spot, which boasts healing elixirs like Cold Fighter and Bee Strong, squeezed-to-order fruit and veggie juices, and sorbet and frozen-yogurt blended treats that are neither ice-clogged nor syrupy-sweet. A frothy "remedy" of wheatgrass, mint, pineapple, and pear leaves a lingering sense of refreshment and revival, while fruitier options such as the Hawaiian Song smoothie can help take the heat out of the sultriest of summer days. 424 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 2144, .
Wheelworks
A beacon for tattooed bicycle messengers and hard-core triathletes, Wheelworks also welcomes weekend pedalers and the merely bike-curious. The knowledgeable folks behind the counter will not only set you up with a sweet ride or fix the one you've got, but also dispense sage advice on cool local places for tooling around, two-wheel style. Or on as many wheels as you want—Wheelworks specializes in custom-built options for those who refuse to buy off the rack. 145 Elm St., Somerville, MA wheelworks.com.
Bump
The clothes found at this Beacon Hill retailer are a neatly balanced mix of sweet (Imps and Elfs overalls and Izod button-ups), cool (Chip and Pepper jeans, distressed Kingsley skeleton sweatshirts, embroidered Da-Nang pants), and innocent (Judith Lacroix dresses, Simple Kids printed tops)—everything today's ultrafashionable kid needs for his or her wardrobe. 45 River St., Boston, MA bumpshoppe.com.
Mistral
Cool, tender, sweetly fresh, sushi-grade tuna. The salty tang of soy laced throughout, cut with the bite of ginger. The crunch of greaseless, light-as-a-feather wontons—perfect for scooping up the addictive fish. Mistral's neatly sculpted mound of tuna tartare is enough to keep us coming back for more long after the dish has worn out its trendy allure at lesser restaurants. 223 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA mistralbistro.com.