Parish Cafe
Truly our town's most creative sandwiches, designed by area chefs. A sampling: the Chan Chan, a flour tortilla wrapped around duck confit and julienned vegetables designed by David Chan of Ginger Bistro; Diane's Steak and Blue, blue-cheese bread topped with grilled tenderloin and Roquefort butter by Diane Unger of Biba; and Sean's Fig and Pig, focaccia filled with pureed fish, ham, and roasted peppers named after its creator, Sean Simmons, owner/chef of the Parish Cafe. 361 Boylston Street, Boston, MA .
The Times Bar and Restaurant
To hell with baked beans. Clam chowder is Boston's crowning food—not potato, not flour, but clam. That's a distinction understood at the Times, an otherwise largely undistinguished beer hall within a stone's kick of the waterfront. Each spoonful of the chowder here is heaped with clams so fresh they carry a signature nip of sand and the odd crunch of shell. It's dense but not gluey, and the flavor is emphatically shellfish. Other chowders boast fancier bisques or gourmet crackers, but this barroom stew wins out on the strength of the defining mollusk. 112 Broad St., Boston, MA timesirishpub.com.
Maris and Ricardo's Tortilla Factory
If you've eaten south of the border, or anywhere near it, chances are your tortilla sights are set a little higher than those Wonder Bread gringo wafers found at most markets. Take corazon! Maria and Ricardo's produces some of the tastiest, and muy autentico tortillas anywhere. Whole wheat, spinach, tomato, chile, and blue corn varieties round out the standard white flour and corn far. We love 'em all. Also available at Bread & Circus, Savenor's, and select Star Market stores. 30 Germania St., Jamaica Plain, MA .
Turner Fisheries Restaurant & Bar
Experimentation may be the spice of fine dining, but chowder demands tradition. To heretics inclined to load their chowder with corn, carrots, or—God forbid—Baileys Irish Cream, we say: Move west. Real Bostonians demand their chowder like Turner's. That is, dense with clams, not flour; well stocked with potatoes; flavored with the merest hint of smoked pork; and awash in aromatic cream. Westin Copley Place Hotel, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA turnersboston.com.
Giulia
This Porter Square gem won us over with its chewy, emmer-flour-based farro casarecce alone, tossed with red-wine-braised duck, sweet cherries, and foie-gras butter on the night we tried it. But in truth, any of chef Michael Pagliarini’s pastas—painstakingly crafted on a reclaimed-white-oak table at the back of the restaurant—are worth the trip. Cap off your pasta odyssey with a creamy scoop of pistachio gelato. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, giuliarestaurant.com.
Sophia's
Let the Lycra-wrapped hordes swarm Lansdowne Street. The real action is around the block at Sophia's, where a beautiful and diverse crowd can be found jumping around on any of the three floors. Not into the bump-and-grind, Miami-style Latin sound on the main floor or in the basement lounge? Then hit the first floor, pick a stranger to share a pitcher of sangria, and your salsa impulses will no doubt kick in with a little help from the live band. Those who prefer a more mellow scene head to the rooftop—the building's courtship nucleus—to let the sweeping view of the city and soft music work their matchmaking magic. 1270 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Harvard Book Store
With two floors filled floor to ceiling with new and used titles, bestsellers, and staff picks, we dare you to leave Harvard Square’s book mecca empty-handed. harvard.com.
Durty Harry's
Sorry to disappoint Clint Eastwood fans, but this much-loved dog spa and shop is named for owner Michelle Fournier's Lab-retriever mix. Pooches are the stars here as groomers lovingly shampoo, trim, and clip. There's even pickup and drop-off service for Charlestown residents so your pup can greet you at the door, clean and styled, when you arrive home from work. Fournier and her team also dole out advice on toys and training, deliver food free of charge, and host gratis Ruff Week parties in Charlestown's Paul Revere Park. 287 Main St., Charlestown, MA durtyharry.com.
sPoochies Spa and Boutique
Loyal sidekicking is hard work. So is giving a cat a bath (something we've learned the hard way). Make life a little easier for both you and your furry, filthy pal with a visit to 'sPoochies, where the gentle techs will get even the most hygiene-averse animal into show-ring shape: clipping nails, cleaning ears, decrusting fur, trimming those unsightly under-chin spots where drool goes to die. A generous selection of sweet-smelling grooming products provides the necessary tools for ambitious owners to try again at home, if they must. 400 Tremont St., Boston, MA .
Mike's Gym II
These days, "gym" is such a bandied-about catchword, people barely know what it means anymore. Well, we do. It means a no-frills establishment where people come to sweat, not be seen in Spandex or loiter over echinacea smoothies. Mike's, a South End staple, takes equipment seriously—in fact, we dare you to name an apparatus they don't have. Who cares about the lack of décor and amenities when there are seven rooms of machines, free weights, and cardio equipment? The clientele's chummy demeanor and the clean locker rooms make you feel right at home. Getting back in the habit? Just look around at the burly shoulders and pumped pecs for inspiration. 560 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA mikesgym.org.
Vidal Sassoon
We all know that Newbury Street excels in the microcosmic world of individual stylists with cult followings and sought-after colorists with organized fan clubs—but that's why this no-nonsense salon wins for overall best. If you're in from out of town and need to clean up your bangs, or you live across the street and just need the perfect blunt cut, Francisco, Jimmy, Robert, and Tennessee—to name only a few—are all equally adept. Sure, people develop personal attachments, but it's reassuring to know that everyone in the shop has been rigorously trained and can take of you with professional skill. 14 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Revere Beach Reservation
Born from the civic altruism that also created the Emerald Necklace, Revere Beach was the first public beach in America, and thanks to a centennial restoration that began in 1996, it's again one of the best. The bathhouses might still be funky and the surrounding apartment buildings can be eyesores, but the bandstand is spiffed up, and the sand and water are clean, making the nearly three-mile crescent lapped by the Atlantic one of New England's most beautiful beaches. If it were in Rio, there would be a song about it. Where else can you watch 747s set down like giant birds as you do the backstroke, or forgo your summer potboiler to read the tattoos on passerby? If Revere is the people's beach, then power to the people. Revere Beach Boulevard, Revere, MA .
MiniLuxe
Getting a weekly manicure is one of life’s little luxuries, and this local chainlet has the process down to a science—literally. The salon’s "Clean Lab" uses hospital-grade sterilization techniques to make sure your polish job doesn’t come with a side of someone else’s germs. Of course, manicures are also an art, and technicians here are experts in shaping, filing, and polishing nails to perfection. And with add-ons like an extended massage and warm-oil and paraffin treatments, your experience can be as luxe—or as simple—as you’d like. 296 Newbury St., Boston; and other locations, miniluxe.com.
Xinh Xinh
This spanking-clean Chinatown eatery makes neophytes feel welcome without sacrificing neighborhood authenticity. Even better, the food leaves us so invigorated that we'd swear it has health-boosting effects—xinh xinh means 'young and beautiful,' after all. Start with the fortifying chicken or beef pho (sure to put a glow in your cheeks), move on to more-substantial dishes like ca kho to (caramelized catfish) and banh mi bo kho (beef stew with crusty rolls), and head home in a perfect harmony of serenity and satiety. 7 Beach St., Boston, MA 2122, .
Linda Reisert, Sort Order
Linda Reisert likes to say she cleans closets for a living—which she does—but that covers only a fraction of her work. In reality, Reisert gets paid to think for her clients, and to know precisely when and where they'll reach for life's necessities. Her roster of VIPs draws heavily upon the city's business elite, people who value her talent for tailoring services: In the case of working moms with a tendency to hoard, Reisert is equal parts therapist and taskmaster; for globe-trotting money managers with multiple offices and homes, she's an invisible ally who streamlines personal calendars and business files. 38 Hancock St., Boston, MA 2114, .