Bab Al-Yemen
Boston needs more occasion-worthy Middle Eastern restaurants, so the 2022 arrival of this pretty Yemeni spot was especially welcome. Its lower-level dining room evokes the colors of the modern San’a skyline, while the homey yet plush first floor offers both Western seating and traditional Yemeni dining on low tables and floor cushions. It’s a lovely and atmospheric setting for the halal delights of Yemeni cuisine: enormous flatbreads, airy legume spreads, and hearty lamb stews and roasts. 468 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, babalyemenboston.com.
Contessa
Seventeen stories up, diners are wowed by the city skyline all around and the Public Garden and the Common below at this Italian destination crowning the Newbury Boston hotel in the Back Bay, where reservations haven’t gotten any easier to come by since its 2021 debut. Inside is equally breathtaking: Patrons dress to impress — or to pose for the ’gram — amid Contessa’s elegant décor, from colorful tiles to velvety seating. Add a plate of spicy capellini with lobster or a hefty Florentine-style steak for two — magnifico! 3 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, contessaristorante.com.
Neptune Oyster
A true Boston experience for locals and tourists alike? Braving the Neptune Oyster line. In any weather, at any time of day, a queue of seafood lovers continues to snake down Salem Street, waiting to cozy up inside the small, packed restaurant — celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! — for a taste of the acclaimed lobster roll, hot with butter or cold with mayo. Those in the know venture onto other parts of the menu, too, enjoying delicate crudos, raw-bar classics, and caviar- and smoked-bluefish-topped johnnycakes. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA 02113, neptuneoyster.com.
"Cop Slide"
Comedian John Oliver declared this August 2023 viral video “the single best movie of the summer,” and what a groundbreaking work of gonzo filmmaking it was. Seven seconds of an on-duty Boston police officer shooting out of a tube slide like a potato from an exhaust pipe, “Cop Slide” yielded tens of millions of TikTok views, inspired Halloween costumes (and FOIAs), and transformed the City Hall Plaza playground into a tourist attraction. Not your average enforcement beat, but one with way more weeeee!
The Karen Read Case
What is it about the Karen Read trial that’s so universally captivating? Is it the possibility that a tight-knit group of townie officials could’ve staged an elaborate cover-up of Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe’s alleged murder by framing his Lexus-driving girlfriend? Is it the star power of big-shot defense attorney Alan Jackson, the messy relationship drama on full courtroom display, or the defendant’s array of inscrutable facial expressions? Whatever it is, the Netflix series is sure to be a must-watch.
Micro Plant Studio
Invite a little life into your workspace with help from this South Boston shop, which carries and delivers all things leafy and green (bamboo palm, burro’s tail, Venus flytraps), plus fun pots to display them in. Even better: You can brighten two households with Micro’s “buy to give” initiative, which lets you sponsor a succulent to send to a local essential worker. 365 W. Broadway, Boston, MA 02127, microplantstudio.com.
My Big Hair Day
Stylist Sarah Naslund may specialize in updos — headband braids, intricate twists, sleek buns — but you’d be hard-pressed to find a look this Boston-based expert hasn’t mastered. That’s because she carefully evaluates the length, texture, and color of each bride’s locks to help her choose a style that will look flawless in photos — and stay put on the dance floor. 56 Wareham St., Boston, MA 02118, mybighairday.com.
Green Turtle Floating Bed and Breakfast
Want to get away without actually going anywhere? Book a night aboard one of the Green Turtle’s floating guest rooms. Docked in Boston Harbor, the comfortable 45-foot yacht and houseboat lovingly tended to by proprietors Jon Dolence and Karen Maciejewski feel like they’re a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city, even if you can still see the skyline while savoring breakfast and coffee from the dock. One Pier 8 13th St., Charlestown, MA 02129, greenturtlebb.com.
"Letters from an American"
Anxious readers seeking comfort and perspective at a time when both were in short supply found solace in Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter, turning it into an unlikely smash hit. Each morning throughout the COVID crisis, the Boston College professor has penned a crisp summation of the news that is free of panicked hyperbole, heavy on context and warmth, and sprinkled liberally with historical tidbits. It’s no wonder more than 600,000 subscribers still hang on to her every word. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com .
Roche Bobois
With locations in Downtown Crossing and Natick, the vividly colored Roche Bobois showrooms deliver innovative, boundary-pushing pieces (including Jean Paul Gaultier’s playful chariot-inspired "Ben Hur" armchair with wheels) and patterns from designers such as Cécile Maia Pujol and Kenzo Takada without sacrificing comfort.
2 Avery St., Boston 617-742-9611
395 Worcester St., Natick 508-650-5844
roche-bobois.com.
Tatte Bakery & Café
Tatte is on a roll this year (no bun intended). Since 2016, it’s opened three new cafés—with a Seaport outpost on the way—which means there are now even more of those sweet, swirling chocolate roses to go around. A Boston with Tatte in every neighborhood is a future we can get behind, especially if it means stopping in for a croque-madame in the morning and picking up an ultra-flaky almond croissant for the walk home. Multiple locations. 1352 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, tattebakery.com.
Dutch ReBelle
This Haitian-born, Massachusetts-raised performer has been releasing music steadily for years, but you might have caught her most recently tearing it up at one of the Late Nite events at the MFA or braving the frosty temperatures during 2018’s First Night festivities. Named best hip-hop artist at the Boston Music Awards in 2014, she’s accomplished all of this largely outside the music-label system, raising the funds for her newest album on Kickstarter last fall. MA dutchrebelle.com.
Bootleg Special
Let the rest of New England have their boiled lobster, clams, and corn; here in Boston, we’ve become increasingly enamored with the Cajun-style seafood boils favored in the Deep South. Among them, Bootleg Special shines. Here, guests crack apart bowls of spicy crab legs, crawfish, and other crustaceans in fashionably distressed, Bourbon Street–style environs that put appealing polish on this hot-but-messy communal experience. 400 Tremont St., Boston, MA bootlegspecial.com.
The Mapparium
The three-story stained-glass-and-bronze globe depicting the world as it was in 1935 is a quirky introduction to the oft-overlooked history of Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science movement in Boston. Designed to capture the spirit of Eddy’s publishing empire, the globe is a snapshot of a moment, one informed by her goal of building a transparent, positive press in the era of tabloids gone wild—a goal that might feel just as urgent today. 200 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA marybakereddylibrary.org/project/mapparium.
Sue O'Connell, The Take
There are plenty of people who can tell you what’s happening in Boston, but if you want to know what to think about what’s happening, watch O’Connell. With stellar guests, tough but noncombative questions, and a real interest in talking about ideas, the host of NECN’s The Take avoids the pitfalls of partisan talking heads, and always leaves us asking: Why can’t more newscasters be like O’Connell? necn.com.