Joyce Linehan's Living-Room Book Events
Punk-rock promoter turned political power player Joyce Linehan has had some famous houseguests in her day. In the ’90s, Courtney Love crashed at her place; in the late 2010s, Linehan convinced an obscure Harvard Law professor named Elizabeth Warren to run for Senate in her living room. And since 2017, that same enormous Dorchester living room has hosted the city’s coziest and most eclectic literary series. There are only two rules: No true crime, and every guest of honor gets his or her face memorialized on an ink stamp. Yes, Linehan’s tastes still veer rockwise, with visits from rockers-turned-authors Warren Zanes and Bill Janovitz. But she's hosted plenty of policy and politics, too, from Congressman Jamie Raskin and former Labor secretary Robert Reich to New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe. Highlights from the past year include writer and playwright Nick Flynn, The Big Dig podcast host (and fellow Best of Boston winner) Ian Coss, and ex-Gawker labor reporter Hamilton Nolan. Dorchester, MA
Lindsay Griffin
Attention preppy brides, retro brides, downtown brides, and every bride in between: The special-event stylist Lindsay Griffin has the updo for your "I do"s. An alum of North End and Newbury Street salons, Griffin specializes in natural, modern looks that are polished but never fussy. Schedule a trial at the sparkling 800-square-foot space Griffin opened in Somerville's Ball Square earlier this year. 106 Bristol Rd., Somerville, MA lindsaygriffin.com.
Haley House Bakery Café
After closing for a year to retool, this nonprofit bakery and “social enterprise” returns to Nubian Square with new African and Caribbean influences on the menu—try the house-baked chapati flatbread wrapped around Haitian pikliz—and an even stronger equity-minded mission. In addition to providing job opportunities to marginalized community members, the café now employs “open book management,” a format that helps staff learn, stem to stern, how a business really works. 12 Dade St., Roxbury, MA 02119, haleyhouse.org/hhbc.
The Boston Shaker
This Davis Square establishment holds all the accoutrements you need to make one killer cocktail (or six). Swizzle sticks? More than you could swizzle in a lifetime. Recipe books? Your options rival Barnes & Noble. Shark-shaped tiki mugs? Also available in whale variety. And don’t forget about the lauded bitters tasting bar, from which staffers are more than happy to provide samples. Happy drinking, indeed. 69 Holland St., Somerville, MA thebostonshaker.com.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
Even if you don’t spring for the absurdly indulgent six-hour "Boston Breather" package—including a scrub, pedicure, facial, and more—it’s easy to while away the day at this 16,000-square-foot oasis four floors above Boylston Street. Book an aroma stone massage, detox wrap, or just a mani/pedi, and come early to relax in the vitality pool and steam room. Extend the aah with healthy bites at the Spa Café. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2199, mandarinoriental.com/boston/luxury-spa.
Curious Georgge Goes to Wordsworth
Roughly translated, that means, All kids go to heaven. With its bright red-and-yellow storefront, this kiddie version of Wordsworth marks the central corner of Harvard Square as well as the center of the children's book world. Walk into this fun library, which is filled with games and toys, and you'll be lost in circuses, jungles, an hot-air balloons. Curious George Goes to Wordsworth—the answer to rainy summer Sundays. 1 JFK St., Cambridge, MA .
North Shore Dog
Parting with a furry friend pre-vacation is such sweet sorrow. But book your pup a stay at this 7,000-plus-square-foot boarding-and-daycare facility, and you can rest assured that he’ll sleep tight after romping for hours in one of four supervised, climate-controlled rooms where dogs, from teacup Chihuahuas to mastiffs, are grouped by play style and size. Walks and Blue Buffalo food are available at no extra charge, and Web cams allow globe-trotting owners to keep tabs on their pets throughout the day. 139 Endicott St., Danvers, MA 1923, nsdog.com.
Rebekah Brooks
“Jewelry is the oldest currency we have.” So says bling maker Rebekah Brooks, who combines classic grandeur with ethereal whimsy for both engagement and wedding rings. Her stunning sparklers run the gamut from vermeil bands inlaid with purple-magenta sapphires to yellow-gold scroll rings that look like waves on the sea—all totally on-point for an indie jeweler who crafts her pieces in artsy Northampton. 96 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, rebekahbrooks.com.
Out of Town News
What separates the men from the boys when it comes to newsstands? Easy: the selection of newspapers. Store shelves and kiosks with broad selections of glossy magazines are everywhere these days. But Out of Town News in Harvard Square still stands out thanks to its variety of newspapers, foreign and domestic. Want GQ, Gourmet, or the New Yorker? Look anywhere. But Al-Ahram, the top newspaper in Egypt? Head for Harvard Square. Zero Harvard Sq., Cambridge, MA .
Prima
Fresh breads and cheeses, jumbo steaks, and big-as-your-face chicken Parm have helped this City Square newcomer carve its own niche among the city’s abundant Italian steakhouses. The elegant design doesn’t hurt, especially the pink-and-red “Rose Room” in the back — book that Valentine’s Day reservation ASAP. 10 City Sq., Boston, MA 02129, primaboston.com.
Hook + Line
This new arrival from restaurateur Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli is a sprawling temple to New England seafood (with an adjacent market) that buoys our hopes for a Seaport that’s more Boston than not. Wood-grilled fish dishes are the star of the show here, but don’t miss local classics like lobster rolls and fried Ipswich clams. 10 Fan Pier, Boston, MA 02210, hookandlinebos.com.
Brooks Brothers
The button-down approach to tardy debtors means polite requests on engraved stationery (personally signed, of course) sent many months after payment is due. If you still refuse to respond, their seconds and yours will arrange a meeting on the Common at dawn. MA
Out of Town News
Big-city newsstands have mostly gone the way of afternoon dailies, but there are a couple of exceptions. Out of Town News gets the nod this year for four reasons. First, it's bigger than fellow standard-setter Copley Square News, and the extra real estate means it offers even more newspapers and magazines from all over the world. Second, it's a national historic landmark, meaning it's in little danger of disappearing. Third, it's right in Harvard Square, where the people-watching is first rate. And last, because Nini's Corner, directly across Massachusetts Avenue, is a pretty good newsstand itself—a boon to anyone too lazy to cross the street to find a magazine. Zero Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA .
Yankee Trader Seafoods
The aquatic critters sold here are fresh enough to bite back. Also highly recommended: The Davis Square Fish Market & Sea Grill at 27 Holland St. in Sommerville, more a lunch counter than a real market, serves a big variety of seafood (spawn and cusk are on the menu in season) prepared any way you request it. A tomato or grapefruit juice cocktail, a mixed salad cut up to order, vegetables, and potatoes come on dinners. Freddie the Fish, a combination fish market and restaurant in Day Square, East Boston, also cooks up plentiful portions of surf food at low prices and boasts a small selection of good wine and beer as well. 100 Front St., Scituate Harbor, MA .
Disc Diggers
When you're looking for used vinyl, hit Looney Tunes in Cambridge. Want psychedelic CDs? Try Twisted Village in Harvard Square. But for an all-around selection of great used stuff, Disc Diggers out in Somerville gets the nod. The racks inside this Davis Square store overflow with all the usual suspects, plus esoteric items in every genre—rock, punk, funk, reggae, bluegrass, country, soul, and R&B. Everything is dirt-cheap, too, and there are collectibles like old press kits from and photos of defunct bands, as well as singles and cassettes. 401 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA .