Robert Sisca, Bistro du Midi
Boston is blessed with a bumper crop of young culinary talent injecting our food scene with energy and enthusiasm. But while many seem to spend as much time on the party circuit as they do in the kitchen, Robert Sisca has retained a singular focus: turning out exacting Provencial fare. The deceptively simple plates he creates at Bistro du Midi—pan-roasted cod with golden raisins and chorizo; grilled Mediterranean sea bass with slow-cooked fennel—employ the meticulous French technique he honed under chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York. 272 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, bistrodumidi.com.
O Ya
We Bostonians didn't need Frank Bruni to tell us that O Ya is extraordinary. But when the New York Times food critic named it the best new U.S. restaurant outside New York City, he shined a klieg light on just how good the place is—and repositioned our fair city as a worthy dining destination in the bargain. Husband-wife team Tim and Nancy Cushman have created a gastronomic jewel box full of dazzling innovations like ivory salmon with red curry and toasted garlic, and foie gras with chocolate-balsamic sauce. And Boston is richer for it. 9 East St., Boston, MA 2111, oyarestaurantboston.com.
Olivia Rose Children's Boutique
Scientists theorize that cute babies have had an evolutional leg up, as our Stone Age ancestors were less likely to abandon them. Modern-day parents are obviously far more civilized—but all the same, one could argue that Olivia Rose owner Gloria Peotrowski does give her tiny customers an edge. Her racks of darling yet functional clothing and accessories—including tees from California brand Le Top, colorful leggings by Mulberribush, and jumpers by Sweet Potatoes (tagged with product names like 'You're My Pumpkin Pie')—make their wearers so adorable, they'll be able to get away with anything. 1945 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2050, oliviarosechildrensboutique.com.
Salon Mario Russo
Even if this nationally lauded salon relied only on the coifing talents of Russo himself, it could top our list. But with the same perfectionist style and daring he brings to a haircut, Russo has assembled a powerhouse of crackerjack stylists. There's master colorist John Brosnan. Experts like Corey Henderson and Michael Casey (who just grabbed a Best of New York for his work as head colorist at Oribe salon) shuttle regularly between Manhattan and Newbury Street. Then there are the smaller (but no less appreciated) perks, like terrific manicures from Maria Rodrigues, and the best head massages known to man. 9 Newbury St., Boston, MA mariorusso.com.
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
Some Sunday mornings require a little time spent catching up with our favorite sister, bloody mary. And the best place to find her in these parts is at the East Coast Grill. The bloody mary bar here goes beyond the traditional to offer tipplers a choice of ingredients—citrus squeezes, herbs, spices, vegetables, and hot sauces—to add to their base of vodka and tomato juice. From there you can get to the next order of business: pulling up to a hearty plate of grilled sausages, tropical fruit pancakes, a fluffy avocado—black bean—salsa omelet, cornbread-crusted French toast, and the Sunday paper. 1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA eastcoastgrill.net.
Stone Hearth Pizza Co.
Of course, the better story would have been some cheese sliceslinging hole in the wall beating out the gourmet spots as our pizza parlor champ. Maybe next year. For now, you can't do better than the thin, chewy-crusted pies at Stone Hearth Pizza. If rarified toppings like arugula, white beans, Yukon gold potatoes, hot Thai peppers, and all-beef, nitrate-free pepperoni sound a smidge pretentious—well, yeah, they are. But they also make a mighty tasty pizza. And with a price tag of about $11 for a whole pie, you can afford to keep it real with a $4 draft. (A $4 artisanal microbrewed draft, but still.) 57 Leonard St., Belmont, MA 2478, stonehearthpizza.com.
Catch
In our fish-fanatic city, it seems unlikely that many diners would chose to trek to a landlocked town for seafood. That a lot of people do make the trip to Winchester says a lot about Catch, where the clean décor is as calming as waves crashing on the beach and wholesome, seasonal ingredients enliven each of chef Chris Parsons's satisfying dishes. Don't miss the summer braised lobster, which arrives atop a crepe stuffed full of fragrant maitake mushrooms, spinach, and mascarpone cheese, or the flaky halibut accompanied by yellow beans, fingerling potatoes, and fragrant green garlic. 34 Church St., Winchester, MA 1890, catchrestaurant.com.
Furniture by Dovetail
In the traditional-furniture smackdown, the allure of an artisan hunched over his work right here in Massachusetts always wins out. So in Dovetail, a 20-year-old family-owned company based in Holden, just 50 miles from Boston, it was clear that we had our champ. Using hand-selected hardwoods, these folks turn out masterfully crafted, individually signed Shaker, Mission, Arts and Crafts, and Prairie furnishings, as well as custom work fit for any Ivy League reading room. Which, since Dovetail counts Harvard, Yale, and Princeton among its customers, only stands to reason. 2284 Washington St., Newton Lower Falls, MA 2462, furniturebydovetail.com.
Sister Ship
We didn’t expect to fall so deeply in love with everything about Sister Ship (who immediately likes the new kid?), the self-described “relaxed cocktail club” inside the new Faraway hotel. And yet everything from the cozy décor — think turn-of-the-century captain’s quarters meets underground speakeasy — to the Mediterranean-style dishes make this our new favorite spot on island. We’d advise you on what to order, but the kitchen continually changes up the menu with inventive specials. However, they swear that the tender rib-eye for two will remain a menu staple — and thank goodness for that. 29 Centre St., Nantucket, MA 02554, farawayhotels.com/restaurant/sistership.
Chez Henri
"French with a Cuban twist" is how chef/owner Paul O'Connell describes his Cambridge eatery. We say twist away, especially if that means more Cuban sandwiches (pork three ways, cornichon cheese and vegetables grilled into a melty, crunchy, stick-to-your-ribs meal), conch fritters, and chorizo sausage with scallion mashed potatoes. Chez Henri's small, narrow bar fills quickly with local neighborhood intelligentsia, who'd rather play a pick-up game of backgammon than watch "Must See TV." On any given night, a regular cast of characters informally gathers to socialize or quietly enjoy a periodista—just one of the notorious Chez Henry speciality drinks. For all the casual camaraderie in the bar, the dining room beckons with floor-to-ceiling windows that remind diners of Paris. It's in here that the menu gets more serious, with thoughtful nods to the French classics ad tasty inventive offerings like duck tamales. Note: You simply can't beat the steak frites anywhere in town. 1 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA chezhenri.com.
Visual Comfort & Co. Systems
If you need to see something to believe it, book a consultation at this showroom in the Boston Design Center to witness the home-technology design company’s futuristic lighting tech firsthand. You’ll see everything from smart-home controls for architectural and decorative lighting fixtures (yes, the Visual Comfort & Co. Systems team can help you select those, too) to state-of-the-art tunable LEDs that emulate natural daylight. In our opinion, the simulated skylights and windows from Lightglass are the perfect antidote for gloomy, gray winter days; see ya later, seasonal blues! 21 Drydock Ave., Boston, MA 02210, visualcomfort.com.
Tasting Counter
Considering how chained we’ve been to Zoom during workdays, a meal kit that includes a “virtual interactive dining experience” has to be really, really good to get us in front of a laptop on weekends. Exhibit A: TC@Home, Saturday-night livestreams that guide us through unboxing everything we need to prepare and artfully plate courses of the same haute cuisine — say, dry-aged duck with fermented autumn olive — served at chef Peter Ungár’s innovative fine-dining restaurant. Our rating? Two thumbs-up emojis. 14 Tyler St., Somerville, MA 02143, tastingcounter.com.
The Parlor Salon and Apothecary
After years spent styling models for fashion weeks in New York, Milan, and Paris, Nikki An-Levi brought her skills to Wellesley Hills, where she now delivers city-chic, face-framing cuts in a fresh, polished space. On a recent visit, An-Levi transformed our dried-out curls into a high-volume, shoulder-length 'do with beachy waves, walking us through every snip of the scissors and flip of the hairbrush. That attention to detail—not to mention the weekly training sessions she holds for staff—makes even more sense when you consider her background as lead educator at Bumble and Bumble University in New York. 398 Washington St., Wellesley Hills, MA 02481, theparlorsalonandapothecary.com.
By Chloe
Sounds like virtue, tastes like vice: That's the MO of By Chloe, the quick-service vegan empire that's winning hearts, minds, and Instagram feeds with its sinfully sloppy portobello-and-seitan barbecue sandwiches. Don't be fooled by the Roald Dahl-grade whimsy (beet ketchup? kale ice cream?). In both taste and texture, these creations manage to soar over the uncanny valley where so many other faux meats have crashed and burned—our favorite being a smoky shiitake bacon that even shatters the way real bacon does. 107 Seaport Blvd., Boston; 100 Van Ness St., Boston; eatbychloe.com. 107 Seaport Blvd., Boston, MA 02210, eatbychloe.com.
Riccardi
Buying within a clothing genre whose designers seem to delight in tweaking our dysmorphic tendencies has left us feeling broke, fat, and alone on more than one occasion. But at Riccardi, no body is left behind. With original denim-obsessed hipster Riccardo Dallai Sr. at the helm, brands show up here before the kids (not to mention the department stores) even know to lust after them, and the dozen-plus lines in stockcult favorites like Nineteen48, Nudie, Ksubi, and Superfinecater to thin, thick, petite, pear-shaped, stick-straight, and overly self-critical alike. 116 Newbury St, Boston, MA 2116, riccardiboston.com.