Hole in One
Who knew brunch in a takeout box could be so sweet? Before escaping to the National Seashore, pick up some much-needed fuel at this restaurant and bakery with locations in Orleans and Eastham, which offers its beloved stacks of cinna- mon-roll pancakes and scallion-cheddar biscuits smothered in sausage gravy to go. Word to the wise: Whatever you get, don’t forget to add a dozen hand-cut doughnuts (including specials like blueberry crum- ble, s’mores, or Reese’s) to your order. 98 MA-6A, Orleans, MA 02653, theholecapecod.com.
Ocean Terrace
Sip a Cape Codder with Cape Cod Bay as your backdrop at the outdoor bar of the elegant Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club. Facing toward the Brewster Flats, it enjoys a West Coast sunset (sundowner, anyone?), making it the ideal place to toast 18 holes well played or an idyllic day on the beach. Add on any of the menu’s New England classics, including oysters on the half shell and clam chowder, and you’ve got a hole in one. 2907 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631, oceanedge.com/dining/ocean-terrace.
Stow Acres Country Club
Stow Acres is like the Tiger Woods of municipal courses. Not Tiger in 2004, but Tiger circa 1999, when he brought his A-game to every round. Originally opened in 1921 as a nine-holer, Stow now features two 18-hole courses, both designed by Geoffrey Cornish, including the North Course, acknowledged as one of the most challenging public courses in the nation. Off the greens, the club offers just about every golf option known, from lessons to a pro shop to corporate leagues to a lively 19th hole. 58 Randall Rd., Stow, MA stowacres.com.
Lanes & Games
Photo by Jesse Burke People outside of New England might not agree, but to be taken seriously around here, alleys have to offer both 10-pin bowling (big ball, finger holes) and candlepin bowling (small ball, no holes). Lanes & Games gets it right by providing a full floor of each, along with a bar that serves cheap eats and beer. No one will blame you for quoting The Big Lebowski at length. 195 Concord Tpke., Cambridge, MA lanesgames.com.
Granite Links Golf Club
A public course with the ambiance of a private one? You'll find it at Granite Links, which boasts hilltop views of the city, three nine-hole courses, and a lighted driving range for those evenings when you just need to whack a bucket of balls after work. Plus, a clubhouse deck and above-par food make the 19th hole as welcoming as the first 18. Correction, June 26, 12 p.m.: In the July issue of Boston, "Golf" was misspelled in the business name. We regret the error. 100 Quarry Hills Dr., Quincy, MA 02169, granitelinksgolfclub.com.
Waypoint
NINA GALLANT. STYLING BY ELLE SIMONE This seafood restaurant helped hatch the trend of democratizing caviar, once solely served on special occasions. Its caviar pairings—Belgian with Siberian, or Israeli with Royal Osetra—come with doughnut holes, blini pancakes made with white corn and Maine-sourced phytoplankton, or (during late-night service) one-bite “bumps” topped with buttermilk cream. 1030 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA waypointharvard.com.
Waverly Oaks Golf Club
Just about every golf course in New England has pristine greens, little white balls, and plaid pants. What sets Waverly Oaks apart is the variety of its 9- and 18- hole courses. There's something for every kind of player here, with short and long holes, uphills and down, and doglegs both left and right. There's also enough room so that no one has to feel crammed—or as if they're on the business end of target practice. 444 Long Pond Rd., Plymouth, MA waverlyoaksgc.com.
Byron Dafoe
He's not the only reason the Bruins have climbed out of their 1997 hole. But he's the biggest one and damn near the goaltender in hockey.
Albert’s
Looking for one-off interlopers from Prairie Artisan Ales or Transmitter Brewing? This East Cambridge shop has it all—with none of the annoying beer-geek brouhaha that saddles the most-tweeted releases. Over the past three years, Fabian Vasquez has transformed his family’s unassuming convenience store into the insider honey hole. 638 Cambridge St., East Cambridge, MA 02141, .
Wally's Café
With a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere, raw jazz, and bartenders who bust ass, Wally's is an institution unto itself. A conglomerate of Berklee students, longtime barflies, and twentysomethings keep the narrow bar crowded, while early birds get a shot at one of eight tables. It's a tight fit, to be sure, but the vibe is lighthearted and appreciative. 425 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 2118, wallyscafe.com.
Once Somerville
It's definitely not a bar, though there's no shortage of beers. And it's not exactly a concert hall, but it knows how to pull in national acts and put on one hell of a show. Welcome to Once Somerville, a 9,000-square-foot venue of shape-shifting entertainment. Whatever happens to be on the calendar—Monday-night tacos, heavy-metal yoga, storytelling performances from the Moth—it's sure to beat the regular routine of draining a few pints at your local watering hole. 156 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143, oncesomerville.com.
Kimberly Mercurio Landscape Architecture
If designing outdoor spaces is both an art and a science, it follows that the portfolio of urban, rural, and coastal projects by Kimberly Mercurio—a trained landscape architect and ecologist—is the one to beat. With practices in Cambridge and Woods Hole, Mercurio counts a spruce-filled Falmouth yard with an infinity-edge pool and stone walls among her successes. 2 Mason St., Cambridge, MA 02138, kimberlymercurio.com.
Le Couturier House of Alterations
Favored by some of the city's most discriminating boutique owners and clotheshorses, Dick Robasson is a stitch wizard straight out of another era. Holed up in his spartan Central Square space, with two sewing machines and a radio humming jazz in the background, the one-time Zegna staffer employs the same concentration when hemming pants as he does when whipping up a suit from scratch. 550 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2116, lecouturierma.com.
Le Couturier House of Alterations
Favored by some of the city's most discriminating boutique owners and clotheshorses, Dick Robasson is a stitch wizard straight out of another era. Holed up in his spartan Central Square space, with two sewing machines and a radio humming jazz in the background, the one-time Zegna staffer employs the same concentration when hemming pants as he does when whipping up a suit from scratch. 550 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 2139, .
Baja Betty's
Pardon the pun, but this was one of the most hotly contested categories this year. Happily for burrito lovers, the city has several delicious options; sadly, only one can become the best. This Brookline newcomer, a spin-off of a cheerful little hole-in-the-wall in New York, specializes in the Tex-Mex variety: rice, beans, pico de gallo, and your choice of fillings, such as carne asada (marinated charbroiled steak), chili colorado (lean pork in a spicy guajillo-chili-pepper suace), or pollo (chicken in a red moule sauce)—all rolled in a fresh-flour tortilla. 3 Harvard Square, Brookline Village, MA .