SoundBites

A good breakfast joint is the kind of place where you can settle down with your morning paper, sipping from a bottomless cup of self-serve coffee, and order what mom used to cook (or what you wish she had). After seven years in Ball Square, SoundBites is still sans frills; just good home cookin' fresh out of the oven and off the grill. Order French toast or waffles with fruit and you'll get a mound of cool, glistening slices of sunshine atop the warm, light battercakes. The other side of the menu proves there's more than one right way to do eggs, whether they're Moroccan, Benedict, or an omelet. 708 Broadway, Ball Square, Somerville, MA .

If we could dream up a 2020 all-star squad of heroes, champions, and advocates, it would look a lot like this: Community organizer Gladys Vega (1) of the Chelsea Collaborative, who has spent the past two decades fighting for social justice but swiveled her focus to feeding 11,000 residents each week as the coronavirus ravaged her city. Public health advocate and Harvard professor of epidemiology Marc Lipsitch (2) would also make the team, in no small part due to his consistent and clear message, whether speaking to us in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or the Boston Globe: Never underestimate COVID-19. Our best city politician is Julia Mejia (3), the first immigrant and Latina on the Boston City Council, who fought back against racist harassment after taking office in early 2020. She has also worked to improve bilingual communications in Boston and even made a series of TikTok videos with her daughter to liven up the mood at City Hall during the early days of the pandemic. Ibram X. Kendi (4), meanwhile, is the man of the hour and our hope for humanity. A bestselling author, the 2019 Guggenheim Fellow recently became a history professor and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, where he’ll lead many of the country’s brightest minds to solve problems of racial inequity. His books, including How to Be an Antiracist, are already required reading among those in the know around town. As for the best social justice advocate in Boston? That’s Monica Cannon-Grant (5), a Roxbury mother of six adopted children who rallied tens of thousands of residents to Franklin Park to peacefully protest police brutality. She also runs a victim-assistance program and free-meal delivery service through her organizations Violence in Boston and Food for the Soul. And though he’s best known for his moves on the court, Celtics star Jaylen Brown (6) is our clear choice for celebrity ambassador—he’s peacefully protested, regularly speaks about race in America, and was honored at the State House this year for his charity work with children. We’re proud to have him on our home team.

The People Who Gave Us Hope

If we could dream up a 2020 all-star squad of heroes, champions, and advocates, it would look a lot like this: Community organizer Gladys Vega (1) of the Chelsea Collaborative, who has spent the past two decades fighting for social justice but swiveled her focus to feeding 11,000 residents each week as the coronavirus ravaged her city. Public health advocate and Harvard professor of epidemiology Marc Lipsitch (2) would also make the team, in no small part due to his consistent and clear message, whether speaking to us in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, or the Boston Globe: Never underestimate COVID-19. Our best city politician is Julia Mejia (3), the first immigrant and Latina on the Boston City Council, who fought back against racist harassment after taking office in early 2020. She has also worked to improve bilingual communications in Boston and even made a series of TikTok videos with her daughter to liven up the mood at City Hall during the early days of the pandemic. Ibram X. Kendi (4), meanwhile, is the man of the hour and our hope for humanity. A bestselling author, the 2019 Guggenheim Fellow recently became a history professor and the founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, where he’ll lead many of the country’s brightest minds to solve problems of racial inequity. His books, including How to Be an Antiracist, are already required reading among those in the know around town. As for the best social justice advocate in Boston? That’s Monica Cannon-Grant (5), a Roxbury mother of six children who rallied tens of thousands of residents to Franklin Park to peacefully protest police brutality. She also runs a victim-assistance program that supports men, women, and children of color through her organization Violence in Boston. And though he’s best known for his moves on the court, Celtics star Jaylen Brown (6) is our clear choice for celebrity ambassador—he’s peacefully protested, regularly speaks about race in America, and was honored at the State House this year for his charity work with children. We’re proud to have him on our home team.

Lit for Black Kids

Early childhood educator and Roxbury native Brianna Perkins knows representation matters. That’s why she created an Instagram account highlighting children’s books that celebrate the experiences of Black kids — and why, after amassing tens of thousands of followers, she launched her curated online bookstore for anyone looking to share in the sense of joy and belonging. Her soon-to-launch traveling Lit Mobile, meanwhile, promises to bring books, literacy programs, and guaranteed smiles to kids in underserved areas. litforblackkids.com.

Grettaluxe

This petite boutique is on the cutting edge, with designs from Michael Kors and DSquared2 to Miu Miu and Chloé, all lovingly handpicked at the Milan, Paris, and New York showrooms by trendsetting owner Gretchen Monahan. The accessories, those holy grails of fashion, range from Marc Jacobs handbags to shoes by Jimmy Choo and Sigerson Morrison. The scrupulously chosen inventory includes only the most flattering, stylish, and feminine of pieces—meaning shoppers need only put themselves in Monahan's capable hands to look utterly fantastic. 94 Central St., Wellesley, MA .

Abbicci

At first, we were hopelessly distracted by the eye candy, as Abbicci's exotic-looking French and Peruvian servers floated by sensuously to a soft instrumental soundtrack. Once the food arrived, though, our gazes were fully focused on the Mediterranean-inspired plates before us: scallion-and-pistachio-stuffed Peppadews, scotch-glazed squad, and pan-seared pork loin with sweet and sour pepperonata. Owner Marietta Bombardieri fiercely edits her wine list to match her menu. As for other types of matchmaking, you're on your own. 43 Main St. (Rte. 6A), Yarmouth Port, MA abbicci.com.

Market

This easy-to-shop, designer-packed store is proof of how far metrosexuality has taken men's dressing. There are Dolce & Gabbana bathing trunks and jeans, funky DSquared2 tanks, intricate but masculine embroidered shirts by Rare, clean-lined Ferré pants, and Versace accessories. It's all cool enough to tend toward the cutting edge without going over it and perfect for men who simply want to look better—to either sex. 173 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA .

Tie: Brookline Booksmith; New England Mobile Book Fair

Even with so many local book shops sadly fallen victim to the megachains and the Internet, we still are blessed with two independents, very different from each other, that deserve the label "best." Booksmith's great speaker series and quirky newsletter complement its comfortable store, where customers are encouraged to spend quality time with the merchandise. The New England Mobile Book fair is an endless warehouse seemingly full of any book in print, and a knowledgeable staff that can find any title—and has probably read it. Staff recommendations are 20 percent off, and new hardcovers are discounted 10 percent. 279 Harvard Street; 82-84 Needham Square, Brookline; Newton, MA brooklinebooksmith.com/; nebookfair.com.

Diana Rastegayeva, Massachusetts COVID Vaccination Help

Diana Rastegayeva of Massachusetts COVID Vaccination Help took us one step closer to vanquishing COVID by bringing together tech-challenged and underserved residents with volunteers who could help them navigate the formerly complex online vaccine-booking system. By early June, her team of Good Samaritans had booked more than 25,000 shots, making them some of Boston’s best community organizers.

An American Requiem

James Carroll's tragic, moving book about a family torn apart by the Vietnam War, a young man looking for God, a writer finding his voice.

The Boston Public Library System

Look what money can do: all the branches are open again, the librarians don't snap at you anymore, and the books are in their proper places on the shelves.

The Garment District

You might have trouble concentrating on the threads inside this giant Alice-in-Wonderland warehouse. After all, the décor—from a statue of a silver horse in full stampede to a collection of Velvises behind the counter—is as sense-boggling as the merchandise. Direct your eyes to the back room, however, and you'll find racks and racks of corduroy, gabardine, and polyester from every decade and in all the colors of the rainbow. Leather biker jackets fondle Jackie-O dresses, and go-go boots tease leisure suits in this spacious checkerboard-tiled playland. Chances are you'll find your style, whether it's Father Knows Best, The Mod Squad, or The Jimi Hendrix Experience. 200 Broadway St., Cambridge, MA garment-district.com.

The Burgundy Foulard Silk Tie from Brooks Brothers

Store rep Bill Orlandi says it's the only tie you'll ever need. The standard three-and-one-half-inch width will never go out of fashion.

The Publick House

Sometimes a cozy haunt, sometimes a party den, the imported-beer mecca is consistently the square's best bet for elbow bending (and rubbing). 1648 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 2445, .

B-Side Lounge

When you order a bottle of hefeweizen at the B-Side, your tattooed waitress pours it for you at your table—slooowly, to minimize the foam—with the know-how of a tuxedo sommelier. That's the kind of thing that repeat patrons have come to expect from this reclaimed dive bar: almost-basic food (try the macaroni and goat cheese), in an atmosphere made all the more convivial by eclectic tunes coming from the sound system. 92 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA .