Local Root
Photograph by Marian Siljeholm Yes, Local Root sells the requisite Le Creuset Dutch ovens and essential cooking bibles from Bittman and Waters. But you'll also find more-obscure culinary gadgets, from muffin tins that come in "American" sizes, to ice molds that produce spheres worthy of the city's swankiest cocktail lounges, to microplanes in every size imaginable. 221 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, localroot.com.
The Cottages & Lofts at Boat Basin
Nantucket Island Resorts' 24 cottages and five lofts around the island's harbor wharves offer pied-a -terre living with the luxury and convenience of a fully staffed hotel. Private entrances lead to stunning rooms—many with water views—and come with daily housekeeping, free bikes and boards, and access to the concierge and spa at sister property the White Elephant. 24 Old South Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554, thecottagesnantucket.com.
Warren Anatomical Museum
Photograph courtesy of Warren Anatomical Museum There's no question which exhibit reigns supreme here: It's the skull of Phineas Gage, the 19th-century railroad foreman immortalized in the annals of neuroscience. After his frontal lobe was impaled by an iron rod during a fiery 1848 construction snafu, Gage was able to keep walking and talking—but his personality was transformed, effectively ending his career. He later found work as a curiosity at P. T. Barnum's American Museum; here, his legend lives on. 10 Shattuck St., Boston, MA 02115, legacy.countway.harvard.edu/menuNavigation/chom/warren.html.
Fresh
When Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg launched their Boston-based apothecary, they personally wrapped and labeled soaps by hand. More than 20 years later, the Fresh name is synonymous with natural ingredients such as sugar, honey, lotus, and soy (we can’t get enough of the black-tea face masks and hydrating rosewater serums). Amiable staffers spend time with each customer doling out expert product recommendations and samples to treat all manner of epidermal woes, from dry skin to fine lines. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, fresh.com.
Mandarin Oriental
Close your eyes and imagine the sound of a gentle waterfall as you stroll into the Mandarin. A staffer discreetly delivers a hot towel and a cup of tea. The warm vitality pool beckons, as does the quartz-crystal steam room. You sprawl upon a chaise in the relaxation lounge, blanket and strawberry water at the ready. All of this before your hot stone massage commences. Are you relaxed yet? 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199, mandarinoriental.com.
Committee
Photograph by Jared Kuzia Not to diminish the culinary efforts of consulting Greek-cuisine guru Diane Kochilas, but this hot spot is one chic meat market (and we’re not talking about the keftedes). Singles sip cocktails at the three-sided bar that dominates the industrial-inspired dining room. As the hour gets later and the Euro house beats thump harder overhead, sharply dressed twentysomethings are the biggest catch. 50 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 02210, committeeboston.com.
Night Market
Photo by Jared Kuzia First impressions are crucial, whether you’re vetting a Tinder rando or getting serious with a crush. Sexy subterranean newcomer Night Market, then, is an ideal spot for testing the waters. The menu is packed with grazeable small bites, from Sichuan-peppercorn-studded candied nuts to izakaya-style skewers. Find liquid courage with a slushy sake cocktail (or two). 75 Winthrop St., Cambridge, MA 02138, nightmkt.com.
Hojoko
Photograph by Jared Kuzia When the Verb Hotel opened last summer, it was the cherry atop Boylston Street’s transformation from gas-station-pocked urban blight to nightlife destination. Tim and Nancy Cushman’s Japanese izakaya anchored that metamorphosis with their gastronomic Tilt-a-Whirl featuring fluorescent cocktails swilled from plastic guitars. Now postgame watering holes are sprouting up around Fenway like kudzu, but the best fetes still end on the Verb’s lantern-lit ground floor, the sounds of karaoke echoing into the night. 1271 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, hojokoboston.com.
Nikoleta and Vicky Lirantonakis, Best Dressed
Photograph by Julia Hopkins The best innovators make a good idea even better. Take the online dress-rental business. Why, thought the Lirantonakis sisters, couldn't it be translated into a brick-and-mortar sans pesky fit problems? Two boutiques later, it's mission accomplished. 197 Eighth St., Charlestown, 617-337-5853; 489 E. Broadway, South Boston, 617-765-8661; rentbestdressed.com. 197 Eighth St., Charlestown, MA 02129, rentbestdressed.com.
Bar 10
Enough with the stuffy, starched-napkin lounges that have for years dominated hotel cocktail scenes. The Westin Hotel's Bar 10 is dedicated to taking it easy in style. At lunch and after work, a well-heeled crowd sinks back into high-backed leather chairs and sips extra-strength cosmopolitans, picks at the lighter Mediterranean menu, and schmoozes unabashedly. Half hip, half classic, the room and its spot-on service encapsulate what a modern watering hole should be, without missing any of a hotel bar's romance. 10 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA bar10boston.com.
Jake Tedaldi
Making house calls in a black Hummer (license plate: 'ANIMAL') roomy enough to house a small petting zoo, Dr. Tedaldi pulls up to his patients' homes with examining table, medical kit, and biscuit bribes at the ready. Believe us: Never having to haul out the carrier or spike the water with sedatives makes annual checkups and shots almost pleasant. vetcall.com.
Coco Grace
Fashion shoots, celebrity clients such as Julianne Moore and Helena Bonham Carter, and two makeup lines—one for adults, one for tweens—keep Coco Grace trotting the globe. When in town, she gives lessons and consultations at her Brookline studio and the Loft Salon and Day Spa on Newbury Street, where her helpful hints (suck in those cheeks for better blush contour) and best-friend-you-always-wanted demeanor have earned her a devoted following. 98 Addington Rd., Brookline, MA 2445, cocograce.com.
Petal & Leaf
Nothing spruces up a space like fresh flowers. And no florist arranges fresh flowers quite like Jamaica Plain's Petal & Leaf. From spare, arty decorations to lively, full bouquets, owner Cat Thomson's creative floral stylings include short-stemmed pavé groupings of Thai orchids and classic tulips, and pretty pitcher plants with water reeds. 461 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA .
Legal Sea Foods
Surely someplace other than Legal can whip up a great chowder, we thought. And so we set about finding it. Countless gloppy, thin, and off-tasting bowls later, we conceded: The rich seafood base of Legal's well-seasoned recipe is unmatched, and the ideal mixture of plump clams, potatoes, and cream seals its spot at the top. 43 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 2467, legalseafoods.com.
The Barking Crab
Boston's dearth of waterfront watering holes is slowly being remedied by development in South Boston—Sam's at Louis, Whiskey Priest. But a weathered old friend is still the darling in this category. The Barking Crab is a funky, coastal-style clam shack and the perfect place to sip Sam Adams and soak up the sunshine and salt air. Dress in your weekend worst: T-shirt, tattered jeans, flip-flops. The relaxed vibe provides a welcome escape from the rules of the city. 88 Sleeper St., South Boston, MA 2210, barkingcrab.com.