Matt Murphy's Pub
For a city with an Irish bar on every block, Boston is decidedly short on palatable Irish fare. The exception is this enclave of green cuisine in Brookline Village, which serves up traditional Gaelic dishes with a modern twist. Rabbit pie comes tender in a soda bread crust; fish and chips are wrapped in newspaper to seal in the steam. Meals go down even easier with the help of a hefty board of farmers' cheeses and some chunky, well-spiced homemade ketchup (not to mention the obligatory pints of Guinness). Service and consistency here have fallen off of late, but Murphy's is still a shillelagh above the competition. 14 Harvard St., Brookline, MA mattmurphyspub.com.
Silvertone Bar & Grill
There are perhaps no greater late-night food cravings than for French fries or macaroni and cheese. Fortunately for Boston barhoppers, Silvertone serves mean versions of both in its soothingly dark subterranean bar and lounge. Slip down the stairs and settle into a booth to order from a menu filled with a mix of comfort food and gourmet dishes, served quickly and efficiently by the casual, friendly staff. The full bar means that those who still have the aptitude for one last tipple can wash down their BLTs with an ice-cold draft. What's more, the location (smack-dab in the middle of the newly trendy Ladder District) makes Silvertone an easy addiction to indulge. 69 Bromfield St., Boston, MA silvertonedowntown.com.
Aujourd'Hui
Boston chef Ed Gannon maintains Aujourd'Hui's reputation as one of the finest hotel dining rooms in the city. No, we're not swayed by the view. Okay, maybe a little. The unpretentious menu is flawlessly presented and prepared, and despite the formal china it succeeds in bridging the gap between over-the-top fine dining and the kind of food that people prefer to eat these days. Chef Gannon's creatively presented dishes are simultaneously hearty and light and they reach the table in a timely fashion. The chef gets extra credit for his friendly way of coming around to the tables, and for so willingly sharing his kitchen with visiting chefs for themed dinners. Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Michael Moore
"Bloodless surgery" isn't a phrase typically associated with spa treatments. Then again, there's nothing typical about the way that Quincy native Moore—who coined the term to describe his massages—operates. His Stuart Street office is just that: an office, with no cucumber water or silk robes in sight. In place of such frippery, you get what is simply the best deep-tissue, Swedish, and therapeutic massages in Boston, for half the price of most rubdowns elsewhere. This year Moore's list of clients (which includes several local politicians, athletes, and news anchors) grew so lengthy that he opened a second location in Brookline. 441 Stuart St; 1678 Beacon St., Boston, Brookline, MA 02116, 02446, .
Santarpio's
For a pizza joint, this Eastie institution has more than its fair share of character—thick Boston accents, a Sinatra-loaded jukebox, and rough (yet deep down, totally lovable) servers. And then there's the pizza itself: a crunchy, cornmeal-dusted affair slathered with gooey, sweet-sauced cheese and topped with delicacies like house-made sausage, all of it positively begging for a Bud Light or cheap wine chaser. And if you're too impatient to wait for a sit-down meal, the anything-but-ordinary cheese pie is pretty fantastic straight out of the to-go box. 111 Chelsea St., East Boston, MA 2128, santarpiospizza.com.
Square Café
Suburban restaurants often thrive precisely because they're away from the city: A captive audience takes what it can get. Square Café by contrast, could compete fiercely in any Boston neighborhood. This New American eatery radiates a laid-back confidence born of a masterful affinity for different cuisines. Another compliment, and one that may come out wrong: Menu descriptions that sound like overwrought disasters ('stuffed pork chop with spinach, prosciutto, cheddar and cornbread stuffing, sweet potato-vidalia gratin, and golden raisin demiglace') turn out to be carefully calibrated balancing acts of texture and flavor. 150 North St., Hingham, MA 2043, .
Skipjack's
For the healthy: blackened tuna sashimi. For the daring: wasabi-crusted salmon. And for the hungry: a lobster roll that's meaty, chunky, and sweet. No matter what your palate craves from the sea, Skipjack's probably serves it, and serves it well. This year, the Newton and Natick branches of the three-restaurant chain even began to feature sushi, from hearty lobster maki rolls to thin-sliced tuna sashimi. Or bypass the raw and head straight for the cooked—everything is flapping-fresh and runs from the creative (mahi-mahi grilled to perfection, then smothered in a peach pepper salsa) to the traditional. (The Boston clam chowder is a rich meal unto itself.) 55 Needham St., Newton, MA skipjacks.com.
Brookline Booksmith
The Boston literary culture may actually exist on the opposite side of the Charles, but that hasn't kept the folks in Coolidge Corner from thinking big. Writers like Dave Barry, Isabelle Allende, Frank McCourt, and Barbara Kingsolver have been featured in the "Writers and Readers Series" since it was founded six years ago. The readings, which take place either in the store or across the street at the larger Coolidge Corner Theatre, are frequent and usually free, and feature up-and-coming local scribes. Plus, the Booksmith is an independent, dog-friendly store with a smart and helpful staff. 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA brooklinebooksmith.com.
Avalon
This mammoth Fenway space is more than just a place for catching concerts. Come midnight most nights of the week, the venue transforms into the dance club of choice for Boston collegians and techno lovers alike. With an outstanding lineup of big-name DJs from Junior Vasquez to Sasha, John Digweed, and Grandmaster Flash, an impressive sound system, and a newly redesigned VIP lounge called the Nu Room, the line behind Avalon's velvet rope is consistently one of the longest in town. Not to worry: The high-energy, anything-goes atmosphere attracts a hip but diverse crowd, making the people-watching alone well worth the wait. 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA .
Avalon
A little over a year ago, Avalon, the once white-hot star of the Lyons' Group club holdings, had dimmed to white-dwarf status. Except for Sundays, its perpetually successful gay night, the cavernous club was lame. And pretty empty. Enter promoter Steve Adelman, the man behind New York City's Tunnel and, before that, Limelight. Within weeks, Adelman was booking the biggest names in dance music at Avaland, the club's Friday night reincarnation. Superstar DJs like Frankie Knuckles, Little Louie Vega, and Junior Vasquez have all taken turns behind the decks, bringing Avalon to a boil and putting Boston on the dance-club map. 15 Landsdowne St., Boston, MA .
Huntington Theatre Company
Boston theater is humming on high thanks to its two biggest companies, both of which send shows to Broadway and garner Tony nominations and awards. But while the American Repertory Theater had another star-studded year of notable spectacles, we preferred the Huntington’s eclectic drama. With Chekhov’s The Seagull, a sex romp, comedies and romances, and even its own extravaganza in The Jungle Book, the Huntington had everything for everyone this year. Even better, we love seeing its dedication to fostering playwriting stars, such as recent fellow Lydia Diamond, whose work has been produced on Broadway by Alicia Keys and who world-premiered Smart People here this season. 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2115, huntingtontheatre.org.
Exhale Battery Wharf
The downside of an hour of someone expertly kneading every ounce of stress and tension out of your body? Knowing that as soon as it’s over, you’ll have to check your Zenlike state at the door, only to hop on the T (or, worse, contend with Boston drivers). But here, after one of nearly a dozen massage options (for straight-up relaxation, we like the signature "Flow" style), you can stave off the inevitable in the complimentary Turkish bath, stacked with sleek surfaces, cool washcloths, and mood lighting to keep the post-treatment buzz going. 2 Battery Wharf, Boston, MA 2109, boston.exhalespa.com.
Pescatore
For a town that prides itself on being a seafood lover's Valhalla, Boston has surprisingly few exemplary restaurants in the category. And after subtracting the ones that'll set you back more than a few clams (B&G, Oceanaire, even Legal), the outlook is bleak indeed. A lovely exception is Pescatore, serving up Italian-style seafood entres that never venture past the mid-teens. Highlights include generous pasta specials like the fusilli Amalfi: Tossed with sweet lobster claw meat, scallops, and shrimp in a garlic-wine sauce, it makes for an unbelievable bargain. 158 Boston Ave., Somerville, MA 2144, pescatoreseafood.com.
Royal Jewelers
This is where to go after you've checked that shiny new Rolex (which Royal doesn't carry) off your wish list and are ready to start building a collection around more-exotic lines. Since 1948, the family-run business has catered to aficionados with hundreds of models from top brands like Ulysse Nardin and Vacheron Constantin—both exclusive to Royal in the Boston area—and an in-house repair service. Plus, the excellent salespeople don't work on commission, so feel free to take your sweet time. 58 Main St., Andover, MA 1810, royaljewelers.com.
Diptyque
Normally, we don't pay much attention to celebrity endorsements, but this time we'll take Madonna, J.Lo, and Donatella Versace's word for it. They, like all self-respecting fragrance freaks, adore Diptyque's intensely scented candles (rarefied variations like black currant and Bulgarian rose, quince, saffron, and leather), room sprays, and perfumes (wisteria and narcissus). But forget the celebrities: This year, Boston became the first and only American city to boast a freestanding boutique from the Parisian parfumerie, which means that even the unfamous among us can now wax poetic. 123 Newbury St., Boston, MA diptyqueparis.com.