Elburne
With one location already flourishing on Cape Cod, sisters Lauren and Simone Pereira established their second home-décor shop in Hanover’s new Merchant’s Row shopping plaza late last year. It’s not easy to shut your doors so soon after opening them, but online ordering and Instagram teaser shots of Elburne’s ethically sourced furniture, rugs, and artwork kept shoppers engaged through the shutdown. The doors are open once again, but the siblings are still offering curbside pickup to make scoring the perfect pick-me-up even easier. 2053 Washington St., Hanover, MA 02339, elburne.com.
Tree House Brewing Company
Okay, so it’s not technically a bar, but with tickets required for entry (and sometimes selling out), this brewery’s new Sandwich outpost is certainly the most coveted spot around to sip suds at a picnic table overlooking Cape Cod Bay or inside an airy, whitewashed taproom. That’s thanks to Tree House’s IPAs, imperial stouts and porters, and more, which beer aficionados have traveled from far and wide to sample since the brewery opened its first location in western Massachusetts 11 years ago. We’ll let you in on a little secret: They taste even better on vacation. Sandwich, MA treehousebrew.com/visiting-sandwich.
The Pheasant
Scallops at the Pheasant. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal Does food taste better in an old red barn? If it’s served by husband-and-wife team Adam and Erica Dunn, the answer is a definitive yes. The Cape-sourced, shareable menu here changes with the seasons, but expect artfully plated dishes like scallop ceviche and oysters with lemon-seaweed mignonette served with a side of five-star hospitality at this hidden gem, which reopened in 2018 under new ownership. And don’t forget to check out the “living wine list” — the small wine shop in the dining room — for a bottle of natural vino to enjoy at your table or back at home. 905 Route 6A, Dennis, MA 02638, pheasantcapecod.com.
Chatham Gables Inn
When you’re ready to escape to the Cape sans beach toys and boogie boards, book a stay at this 170-year-old former sea captain’s home. Overflowing with New England charm, the retreat is open only to guests 16 and over, and that’s just the way we like it. Tuck into a gratis breakfast, made fresh every morning with veggies grown right on the property, in the breezy sunroom; savor a meditative moment on the tree swing in the perennial garden; or just snuggle into the crisp Matouk sheets. If the goal is to break away from the daily grind, there’s no place better to do so. 364 Old Harbor Rd., Chatham, MA 02633, chathamgablesinn.com.
The Island Merchant
Two years after Joe and Beverly Dunn left Washington, DC, for the Cape to open the Island Merchant, they've already expanded to accommodate its loyal following. The restaurant's festive island vibe, nightly live music, and Caribbean-American far—corn chowder with coconut milk and ginger, fish tacos with homemade salsa—routinely entice both the family crowd and mojito-loving barflies. Clued-in patrons stick around for the Dunns' famous foil-wrapped burgers and Key lime pie, served only after 10 p.m. 302 Main St., Hyannis, MA 2601, theislandmerchant.com.
Diane White, the<em>Boston Globe</em> and Laura Shapiro, the<em>Real Paper</em>
White and Shapiro are engaging writers with refreshing viewpoints. MA
Paddle Boston
Looking to canoe, kayak, or paddleboard your way through the city? Let these experts hook you up with the gear — and the guidance — you need to get out on the Charles or the harbor. Multiple locations, paddleboston.com.
The Market Restaurant
Photograph by Jessica Scranton Chez Panisse alumni Amelia O'Reilly and Nico Monday (Alice Waters's godson) opened this summer-only gem in a former fish market last year. And boy, are we glad: The service is sophisticated, the wine list is solid, and the elegant dishes, such as house-made ravioli stuffed with ricotta and layered with spring peas and mint—or whatever happens to be on the blackboard menu that day—are simply refreshing. 33 River Rd., Gloucester, MA 1930, themarketrestaurant.com.
Richard Smith
Smith played the White Knight and charged to the rescue of Carter Hawley Hale Stores for the second time in two years, thwarting the Limited's second hostile takeover attempt on the Los Angeles company. All General Cinemas got for its corporate chivalry was a controlling interest in the fastest-growing and most profitable part of Carter Hawley's entire operation: its $1.1 billion-a-year-specialty-store division, which includes Neiman-Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Contempo Casuals. General Cinemas, Chestnut Hill, MA .
Yankee Clipper Inn
There are surprisingly few seaside inns within an hour of Boston. But when you've found this one— and can afford the upper-end price tag— who needs others? Many of the 26 rooms located in four diverse buildings of the inn's compound overlook the ocean. Many have fabulous sun decks or glassed-in porches with a view of waves directly below. Thick lawns and colorful gardens roll down to the water's edge. There's no sandy shore, but there is a pool and a gazebo. Plan ahead: The dining room is strictly BYOB, as Rockport is a dry town. 96 Granite St., Rockport, CT .
Newton Commonwealth Golf Course
Nestled in a picturesque valley between Brighton and Chestnut Hill, Newton Comm. is a well-groomed gem of a course. The front nine presents the topographical challenge of being mostly on a side slope, while the back nine meanders around water hazards and finishes up with a truly breathtaking hole—a swooping downhill to a wide green surrounded by water and a wall of pines. The staff is almost overly friendly, and the rates are reasonable ($20 for Newton residents, $25 for nonresidents). Best of all, very few of the golfers are Tigers, and most are willing to forgive newbie hacks with 37 handicaps. 212 Kenrock St., Newton, MA sterlinggolf.com/newton.
Boston Harbor Hotel
You can't get much closer to the water than at the Boston Harbor Hotel, where many rooms offer breathtaking harbor vistas. And even if you're not staying over, you can still enjoy the Summer in the City entertainment series on the hotel's floating barge stage. 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110, bostonharborhotel.com.
Chatham Bars Inn
Chatham Bars Inn Even if you don’t take advantage of the $50,000 (yes, you read that right) “Best-Ever Cape Escape” travel package offered at this iconic seaside resort, you’ll still feel like a million bucks when you book a stay here. Why? Well, let us count the ways. First, there’s the gorgeous private beach with cabanas. Then there’s the luxe accommodations, which range from ocean-view rooms in the historical Main Inn to shingle-style cottages, and the foodie-friendly dining experiences. Cap it all off with a sea-salt scrub at the sumptuous on-site spa, which comes with its own Zen-like pool area, and you’ll be counting the days until you can visit again. 297 Shore Rd., Chatham, MA 02633, chathambarsinn.com.
Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
The kind of place that sooner or later will be gentrified into eggs Benedict cum ferns. Until it is, . . . 429 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .