White-Water Rafting on the Concord River
If you're looking for white water, who needs Maine? There's Class-4 rapids just 40 miles from Boston, in Lowell on the Concord River, and the Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust has done a remarkable nature-conservancy job. Not exactly expected either, in the heart of deindustrialized mill country. The Lowell white-water course, fed by spring runoff, winds its way through Thoreau's Portage—the stretch of the Concord River that Henry David Thoreau never dared to take—and culminates in the Lower Locks at the Pawtucket Canal. Unfortunately, this year's season has already passed. Lowel Parks & Conservation Trust, Lowell, MA .
David Wax Museum
Have you ever seen someone play a quijada—that is, a donkey jawbone with the rattling teeth still in place? That's the kind of surprise you can expect from the raucously entertaining David Wax Museum, a Boston Music Award-winning band that plays an infectious, knee-slapping blend of Americana, folk, and Mexican son rhythms. The group is poised to hit the bigtime (especially after the release of their superb fourth album, Knock Knock Get Up, last fall), but for now you can still catch them at intimate venues when they roll through New England. Dancing shoes recommended. davidwaxmuseum.com.
November Project
The November Project, a fitness movement born in Boston nearly three years ago, began as a way to embrace the harsh New England winters by starting the day with a heart-pumping workout among friends. Now it’s ballooned to a group of up to 300 people who meet three early mornings a week for workouts that include running the stairs at Harvard Stadium and shoveling out neighbors on Summit Avenue (there are also some sweaty hugs involved). One Runner’s World cover and numerous New Balance commercials later, the always-gratis November Project has 17 " tribes" across the country and in Canada. Want to get involved? #justshowup. november-project.com.
Angela's Café
Ángela Atenco López, the Puebla-born chef who brought the region’s cooking to two East Boston restaurants, passed away in 2020. But her namesake eateries are still doing right by her legacy — most notably with the mole poblano de Angela, which smothers pork or chicken with her signature version of the complex sauce. As for us? Whether for homecooked dinners or served-till-3 breakfasts of crispy chilaquiles, we’re visiting more than ever now, motivated by the bittersweet reminder to love our legends while we can. 131 Lexington St., East Boston, MA 02128, angelascafeboston.com.
Joanne Chang's MasterClass
Ever marveled at the luscious, confectionary perfection that is the Flour sticky bun, and wished you could replicate it? Thanks to a series of online lessons from Boston pastry queen Joanne Chang — who’s currently sharing her James Beard Award-worthy techniques in a 30-day Bake Like a Pro course on MasterClass — now you can at least try. Even if you can’t get it just right, at least you’ll get to hang out virtually with one of this city’s friendliest celebrity chefs, and get your apron dirty in the process. masterclass.com.
Contessa
If you’re addicted to @DeuxMoi star sightings (and who isn’t?), you probably have this celeb fave from Major Food Group (the New York City company behind glittering Carbone, Parm, and Dirty French) on your radar. Walking in feels like you’ve snuck into the best, most maximalist bash in town — and then there’s that Insta-worthy view, perched high atop the Newbury Boston hotel in a glass jewel box. Lest we overlook the talents of celebrity-chef principals Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi, though, it’s the standout northern Italian cuisine — that Florentine steak! — that keeps us buzzing back over again. 3 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, contessatrattoria.com.
Row 34
Now a quartet thanks to the 2023 debut of its Cambridge outpost, Row 34 continues to be a quintessential New England seafood spot, equally adept at dressing down (beers and oysters at the bar) or dressing up (splurge-y seafood towers and lobster rolls). The oysters, in particular, are outstanding — especially the namesake Row 34 variety from the restaurant’s friends at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, which are plump, crisp, and subtly briny. Looking to show an out-of-towner what’s special about Boston seafood? Take them here. Multiple locations, row34.com.
Peak Event Services
Ensuring everything in your event space is in sync with your wedding is a top priority — after all, no couple wants their tent coming down or their tabletops folding up at the wrong time. With Peak Event Services at the helm, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is showing up at the altar. The industry pros offer decades of experience, exceptional service, and a vast, varied inventory of everything from sailcloth tents to delicate china to champagne hedge walls (yes, that’s really a thing). And with six showrooms in New England, including one right in Boston, you won’t have to go far to find the party setup of your dreams. Multiple locations, peakeventservices.com.
Franklin Cafe
This utterly unpretentious, hip South End restaurant is doing its best to change the image of Boston as an early-to-eat town. Though it has only nine tables and a crowded bar, Franklin services perfectly homey, simply executed food that gives late-night dining a good name. Favorites on the New American menu include loin of tuna (a large piece of fish cooked medium-rare and served atop creamy mashed potatoes) and the grilled lahmajune (an Armenian-inspired pizza topped with ground lamb and cilantro). Portions are large, prices are low, and the crowd is cool—a winning combination that keeps hungry night owls happy and fed until 1:30 a.m. every night of the week. 278 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA franklincafe.com.
The Paradise Rock Club
Who says rock is dead? With a club like the Paradise offering its stage to the kinds of acts that will never, ever get air time on MTV (and that's a good thing), the genre is thriving. Everything about the Paradise is designed for the audience: the acoustics, the lights, the five bars (the lines are never long for a drink), and the long, rectangular space that lets just about everyone get close to the stage. Which is why acts from the Donnas to Ryan Adams have lined up to play the Paradise this year, the club's 25th in business. With the addition of the adjacent Paradise Lounge, there's now a smaller stage for acoustic shows by local acts, plus a bar menu for between-show snacks. And unlike other Boston clubs, which stage their shows on the early side so they can turn their floors over to dancing by 10, the Paradise rocks all night long. 969 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA thedise.com.
Waterworks
The more private a space is, the more luxury it deserves. Enter Waterworks, a shrine to beautiful bathrooms whose Newbury Street shop and Boston Design Center showroom are filled with tasteful and functional bathtubs, sinks, vanities, storage units, whirlpools for two, old-fashioned footed tubs, and a collection of stylish fixtures crafted out of porcelain, metal, and glass. Soaps, delicately scented with everything from soft florals to clean citruses, are crisply packaged in perfect rows. There are more than a dozen fluffy and absorbent towel patterns to choose from, deliciously thick bathrobes and slippers, and our favorite: a firm terry-cloth—covered headrest for those times when you need to soak for a really, really long time. 103 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits
Editor's Note, June 30, 2 p.m.: After our 2016 Best of Boston issue was published in print and online, No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits shared this week on social media that the restaurant has closed indefinitely. You can read their full note on Facebook.
It’s the sort of joint every neighborhood wants, and Amesbury has it, in a rugged-industrial former mill space along the town’s increasingly busy Main Street. Chef Nicholas Bond’s open kitchen sends out shareable small plates inspired by and sourced from New England: lobster doughnuts, cornbread with pork-belly butter, local cheese and charcuterie. And when the weather warms up, he takes his party under the stars, offering tented dinners at nearby Colby Farm. 37 Main St., Amesbury, MA 01913, no8kitchen.com.
Lunette Optic
There’s nothing worse than having to go to one place for an eye exam and another for a cool pair of frames. That’s why we love Lunette, which offers comprehensive vision evals and an exclusive lineup of high-end glasses and shades all in one place. Not only do owners Ted Mogtader and Michelle Rahimian stock the largest selection of Chanel sunglasses in Boston, but they also carry hard-to-find brands such as Kuboraum — a fave of celebs like Oprah and Lady Gaga — as well as their own Mora collection, produced in Italy and Japan. And with six locations (including two new ones opening this summer in the Mandarin Oriental and Harvard Square), it’s easier than ever to find the perfect pair. Multiple locations, lunetteoptic.com.
Waiting Game, by Terri Lyne Carrington
A world-renowned jazz drummer, Berklee professor, and Grammy-winning bandleader, Medford’s Terri Lyne Carrington (pictured, bottom) excels at anything she touches. Her latest triumph is this two-CD set spanning almost two hours of music. Featuring her band Social Science and aching vocals by singer Debo Ray, the first half is a musical stew of jazz, R & B, hip-hop, and funk, with a poetic rumination on police brutality by Malcolm Jamal-Warner on “Bells (Ring Loudly)” that took on even greater meaning after the killing of George Floyd. The second half, an instrumental jazz suite called “Dreams and Desperate Measures,” is a luminous river of improvised music. Put together, it’s one of the most astonishing albums ever released by a Boston musician. terrilynecarrington.com.
No. 9 Park
Oenophiles searching for a wine list that both delights and challenges need look no further than the fringes of Boston Common. No. 9 Park wine director Cat Silirie has organized a list that's a worldly tour of tried-and-true Chianti, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay, and paired them with such never-before-heard-of vineyards and varietals as Josco Gravner's ribolla gialla from the northeast corner of Italy and No. 9 Park private label refosco, a grape from Trentino, Italy, that's grown and bottled at Santa Barbara, California's Au Bon Climat winery. The result: a list that complements chef Barbara Lynch's sophisticated cuisine and is easily organized by grape and flavor (lighter for aperitif to full-bodied, barrel-fermented big boys). Silirie wants diners to be comfortable with wine, and that's exactly what her stellar palate and fastidious organization achieve. 9 Park St., Boston, MA no9park.com.