Jewett Farms + Co.
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, why not have it seamlessly fit your personal style and needs down to every last detail? That’s the ethos of design firm Jewett Farms, whose team has been dreaming up striking kitchens for a quarter century. Though consistently sleek and modern, there’s always something special about a Jewett Farms space that uniquely suits its owners — whether it’s a playful accent wall of lemon-yellow cabinetsor a five-seat island perfect for entertaining. Nothing, it seems, is off-limits. One Design Center Pl., Boston, MA 02210, jewettfarms.com.
Gus & Ruby
Why flip through book upon book of invitations when you can have something that’s completely, uniquely you? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you commission Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffield, of Gus & Ruby, to create custom paper goods for your party. The New Hampshire&ndashbased duo, who launched a long-awaited brick-and-mortar on Beacon Hill last October, demonstrate a particular flair for the unexpected. Exhibit A: their recent Bridgerton-inspired invitation suite, which paired Victorian silhouettes with modern script and gold foil. 99 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, gusandruby.com.
The Whitney Hotel
From the outside, it’s a classic 1909-built brick Beacon Hill building. From the inside, it’s an ultra-chic, modern oasis with every comfort of home and then some. Enjoy plush amenities such as Frette robes and complimentary bikes for cruising around the Hill like you live there — and when hunger strikes, you won’t have to go far for top-notch fare: Peregrine, the lauded on-site restaurant from Joshua Lewin and Katrina Jazayeri, can bring an antipasto platter for two right to your room. 170 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, whitneyhotelboston.com.
Sekali
Whenever Sekali announces preorders on Instagram, the food sells out faster than plane tickets for post-vaccine vacations. Why? Because Borneo-born chef Derrick Teh’s transportive, modern Malaysian-inspired recipes are world-class — from the jars of sweet and creamy coconut-milk jam he home-delivered during the pandemic to the plates of richly spiced short-rib rendang available for pickup during his restaurant pop-ups. He doesn’t have his own brick-and-mortar (yet!), but with talent like this, he’ll go far no matter what the future holds. instagram.com/sekaliboston.
José Mateo Ballet Theatre
Going to the ballet is usually either a grand night out or an intimate black-box affair, but with this Cambridge-based company, it can be both. Presented in the cozy Sanctuary Theatre, which is itself within the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, each performance feels like it’s been prepared just for you. And in some ways, it has: Often featuring original choreography, the beautiful works are usually staged exclusively here, and set to an eclectic musical repertoire that ranges from the comforting tones of Bach and Schubert to the bracing modernism of Olivier Messiaen and Philip Glass. 400 Harvard St., Cambridge, MA 02138, ballettheatre.org.
Tim Maslow, Strip-T's, Ribelle
When Tim Maslow arrived in Boston from New York a few years ago to overhaul his father’s Watertown café, he made waves with his brash flavors and witty presentations—so much so that local food fiends fretted that his success might take him back to the Big Apple. Then came the August 2013 debut of the modern-Italian Ribelle, with its dry-aged meats, hand-rolled pastas, and clever panelle sliders. In short? It seems Maslow is in it for the long haul—and our dining scene is all the better for it. Strip-T's, 93 School St., Watertown; Ribelle, 1665 Beacon St., Brookline, stripts.com.
Uniform
Saturday afternoon. T minus two hours. Sure, there was chemistry in your e-mail exchanges, but now your blind date is about to size you up in person. The team at Uniform, helmed by the highly stylish Gary Ritacco, will help you appear effortlessly with-it. Both rabid and reluctant shoppers will feel in their element, thanks to the store's downtown elan and array of easy-to-wear options, which include knits and jackets by Original Penguin, Ben Sherman, and Modern Amusement, and a denim stash that features True Religion and the tougher-to-find L.A. brand Crate. 511 Tremont St., Boston, MA uniformboston.com.
Machine Age
In the urban tundra between the Seaport District and South Boston sits an inconspicuous-looking 9,000-square-foot warehouse. Within it you'll find a candyland for modern-design addicts, a place where George Nelson, Hans Wegner, and Florence Knoll repose in sculptural armchairs and austere chaises. A favorite stop for interior decorators and movie stylists, Machine Age takes midcentury furnishings from around the world—dining sets, sofas, storage systems, lamps—and restores them to perfection, and also frequently updates pieces with new but always appropriate upholstery. Like so much of what it purveys, this place is a genuinely rare find. 645 Summer St., Boston, MA 2210, machine-age.com.
Magic Beans
If you didn't even know you needed a baby-care timer, pee-pee teepee, or pacifier pod, make a beeline for local chainlet Magic Beans to get a primer on modern-day parenting supplies before the stork touches down. The married-with-kids owners, Sheri and Eli Gurock, and their gung-ho employees have done all the research for you (exhaustively reported on their blog, at spillingthebeans.net), testing hundreds of products in deciding what to stock. The result: everything your own parents never had when you were little, but wish they did. 200 Linden St., Wellesley, MA 2482, mbeans.com.
Abe & Louie's
It's the oldest story in the book: Man tours steakhouses, steakhouses run gamut, man eliminates fading relics, lesser chains, and 'modern' meateries where the flourishes outshine the beef. And by the final page, Abe & Louie's and Grill 23 once again have emerged as the heroes of our tale. In terms of overall atmosphere, it's a draw (lively merriment versus relaxed elegance), but Abe & Louie's cuts are a touch more flavorful, the wine list a tad kinder to our bottom line, and the non-steak options—like the addictive crab cakes—a little nearer to perfection. After all, in a showdown this sizzling, victory is measured by degrees. 793 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, abeandlouies.com.
Herrell's Renaissance Café
The talented staffers at Herrell's are more than just ice cream scoopers: They're modern-day alchemists. That's because, among local ice cream shops, Herrell's is the benchmark for that wonderfully caloric New England obsession, the frappe. Start by choosing from the dizzying chocolate ice cream menu (rich chocolate pudding, milk chocolate, Mexican chocolate, and French chocolate) either alone or embellished with amaretto, coffee, or hazelnut ice cream. If you're not up to the challenge of finishing a 24-ouncer, start with the 16-ouncer for just over three bucks and work you appetite into shape from there. 155 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA herrells.com.
Carambola
The same team that brought use the Elephant Walk's mix of French-Cambodian fare has been quietly churning out straight, serious, and superlative Cambodian dishes for years in Waltham. Focusing on fish, noodles, rice, and vegetables, the kitchen does wonderse with simple classics like trey dhomrei (sautéed white fish with pineapple, peas, and basil) and curries packed with exotic fresh vegetables. Portions are large, prices are reasonable, and the patient waitstaff will walk neophytes through the finer points of Cambodian cuisine. Between the frescoed, peach-hued walls and geometric, inverted light fixtures, the room hits just the right point between modern and soothing. 663 Main St., Waltham, MA .
Dennis Duffy, Duffy Design Group
An interior designer would call it classic modernism; we call it sleekness without pretense. However you describe Dennis Duffy's characteristic geometric lines and striking color combinations, you'd know them in an instant. Distinctive and original are the two adjectives uttered by nearly every client of Duffy Design Group, which was the team responsible for the livable luxury that is Manny Ramirez's Ritz-Carlton penthouse (but is just as happy to help Jane and Joe Suburb renovate their living space). Duffy has mastered the most delicate balancing act of all: divining clients' needs, yet supplying enough style to fill a house. 1313 Washington St., Suite 505, Boston, MA .
Wellesley
In the past year, Wellesley center has enjoyed a spate of buzzed-about openings, including tapas bar Bocado; eastern Mediterranean spot Juniper (from chef Dave Becker, of Sweet Basil fame); and an outpost of modern barre studio the Bar Method (we have to burn off all those extra calories somewhere). There'll be more to come when the luxury mixed-use condo development the Belclare opens this fall on the former Wellesley Inn lot, bringing even more restaurants and shops, including high-end Nantucket clothier David Chase. MA
Brookline Booksmith
More than just a bookstore, it's a monument to the literary life. The orderly stacks have helpful comment cards from the staff, and they're packed with more than just bestsellers. Get lost in a labyrinthine maze of maps, glasses, cheeky tote bags, even midcentury-modern mugs for the requisite bookish spot of tea. Downstairs, there's a tidy used-book area and gift-wrapping station. Regular author readings, a monthly book club, and a well-stocked kids' section with pint-size chairs are nice community touches at this Coolidge Corner favorite. 279 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 02446, brooklinebooksmith.com.