Craigie On Main
Few food-world darlings have gotten more love of late than chef Tony Maws; everyone from Martha Stewart to James Beard has gushed. But for all the highfalutin accolades Maws has received for his inventive dinner menu, we can't help gravitating to Craigie's always-packed bar for his more-casual fare. There you can sup on food that qualifies as both hearty and succulent—and that never fails to satisfy: crispy fried pig tails, roasted bone marrow, and the grass-fed burger that's become as famous as Maws's other, more-studied creations. 853 Main St., Cambridge, MA 2139, craigieonmain.com.
Boston Running Company
When Diddy ran the New York City Marathon as a last-minute, made-for-MTV fundraiser/publicity stunt, he was able to enlist the legendary Alberto Salazar to help him through his crash-course, five-week training regimen. You, obviously, are not Diddy. But you can at least have your stride expertly analyzed by former Olympian Mike Roche, who will film you jogging on his in-store treadmill, study the footage in slow motion, and then put you in the sneakers best suited to the quirks of your stride. Just be sure to give yourself more than five weeks to train for your big race. 121 Charles St., Boston, MA 2114, bostonrunningcompany.com.
Nine Zero
Posh boutique hotels have been sprouting up with Starbucks-like ferocity. But for the ultimate experience in luxury and style, nothing in Boston compares to Nine Zero. Credit the staff's unerring and gracious service, a sleek, funky design, and luxury amenities including Frette linens, custom request minibars, and personal shoppers. From Spire, the stunning second-floor restaurant and bar, to the sleek marbled showers in each room, every inch of this unique locale is designed to relax and entice. A study in soft contemporary living, the accommodations are even reasonably priced; rooms average $239. 90 Tremont St., Boston, MA ninezero.com.
Phil Donahue's Broadcast from Channel 5's Studios in Needham Featuring Male Strippers
Las Vegas and New York outlets refused to air the program. No problem, here, though. As long as there were no lesbian nuns in the audience.
Urban Grape
How does a boutique Boston wine shop become one of America’s most lauded? First, owners TJ and Hadley Douglas introduced the world to their proprietary Progressive Scale, a newbie-friendly system that smartly sorts wines by weight, from light minerality to full-bodied fruitiness. Now they’re working to change the industry by establishing a fully endowed, annual Wine Studies Award, which provides university education and work experience to promising professionals of color, and by curating the country’s coolest collections of wines by female, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+ producers. 303 Columbus Ave., South End, MA 02116, theurbangrape.shop.
Latitu
While studying abroad, Tanya Pham logged a lot of time in airports—enough time to hear plenty of fellow female travelers complain about their bland, bulky luggage. She’s used their feedback to design her Boston-based brand of sleek weekenders, duffels, and backpacks, crafted from Italian leather in Vietnam, where she lived for a year while vetting the production process. Equipped with thoughtful details (hidden compartments, magnetic closures), the bags are made in limited runs from custom materials—so your travel companion will stand out in a sea of scuffed-up carry-ons. MA latitu.com.
Casablanca Restaurant
There's nothing wrong with the dining room at Casablanca, but the bar is where the real action is. From midday to midnight, the barstools are occupied by businesspeople, students, professors, and others who come here not only because the room makes a great study hall, but because chef Ruth-Anne Adams's food is just that good. Adams keeps with the restaurant's whimsical North African theme by featuring such ingredients as Marcona almonds from Spain. Try the meze platter with mouhamara, dolmades, and sumac-dusted carrots. Her food is rock-solid delicious and lends itself well to the let's-get-a-drink-and-share-a-few-appetizers bar scene. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA casablanca-restaurant.com.
Wild Flower Designs
Beautiful arrangements of fresh and dried flowers, plenty of potted plants, and service with a smile. 227 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Ken Oringer, Clio
Of the many honors chef Ken Oringer has won (a James Beard Award among them), this year's nod as one of People magazine's most eligible bachelors was perhaps the most high profile. Of course, the folks at People must know that it's not just his looks that make Oringer such a catch—it's also his talent and creativity as a chef. From foie gras to sashimi, Oringer executes the dishes at the elegant French Back Bay restaurant Clio with such precision, grace, and flavor, you'd think he'd invented the ingredients himself. Whether it's his signature tomato water martini (a refreshing predinner palate cleanser that tastes like summer in a glass), his delicate and beautifully flavored tuna tartare, or the savory roasted suckling pig, Oringer's cooking is, indeed, a study in seduction. Eliot Suite Hotel, 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA cliorestaurant.com.
<em>The Little Shop of Horrors</em>
In a lean year for big-time musicals, it was the only one with man-eating plants and lots of originality.
Photographer Clint Clemens's Christmas benefit for the Home for Little Wanderers at his Newbury Street studio.
Chinatown Main Street Festival
For 16 years, Bostonians have been heralding summer’s arrival by mingling with vendors selling lucky bamboo plants, watching the lion dance, and noshing on curried fish balls. chinatownmainstreet.org.
Teatro
If dining is theater, then Teatro is the consummate Italian drama. Scene One: bold openers like over-the-top fresh antipasti and simple, but intensely flavored, steamed black mussels swimming in a smoky tomato and pesto sauce. Scene Two: The opus continues with such northern Italian minimasterpieces as fig-glazed duck legs atop a luscious mascarpone polenta, and a brightly flavored veal saltimbocca with prosciutto and creamed spinach. Studied performances by a fast and well-trained waitstaff, a superb list of Italian wines, and the fluid direction of Mistral's Jamie Mammano further elevate the staging. Then there's the set: the revamped former Galleria Italiana, electrified with a swanky, modern pale blue ceiling that arches over limestone walls and intricate terrazzo floors. All in all, a five-star production. 177 Tremont St., Boston, MA teatroboston.com.
Wally's Café
Nowhere else in this town are you more apt to find pink Izods and gangsta colors in such proximity. This joint, nestled between the gentrified South End and Roxbury and opened in 1947 by Joseph "Wally" Walcott, is a classic treasure. And nowhere else in New England will you find finer jazz in a venue with more soul. Bands gather in the corner of the bar each night—from national acts to aspiring stars still studying at Berklee. The music is played loud enough that you can hear every seductive note, but not too loud for conversation. Don't like jazz? Check out an Afro-Cuban band. If you don't find yourself tapping your foot, it's time to check your pulse. 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA wallycafe.com.
The Laundry Room
Air-conditioned, with Muzak, plants, carpeting, magazines, color TV, director's chairs, vending machines (edibles and cleaning-supplies), three dozen new machines and a clean-up attendant. Boarders not permitted. West Main St., Hyannis, MA .