Fat Dog Pro Bicycle Shop
A cyclist's dream: a bright, airy space filled with top-of-the-line inventory and staffed by fellow riders who know their bikes from shifters to spokes. Not only do these folks understand what you really want, they often go out of their way to offer cheaper alternatives. And Fat Dog may just offer the deal in the Boston area on road bikes: free service for the lifetime of the bike (one year of free service on MTBs, and you can do a lot to a mountain bike in a year). 940 High St., Westwood, MA .
Barney's New York
Label queens and catwalk droolers are well sated at this mini specialty department store. The store stocks small, cutting-edge designers from France, Italy, London, and New York, as well as major labels like Prada and Dolce & Gabana, and the usual hot tickets like Marc Jacobs and Voyage. The store also carries its own line of clothing. For one-stop shopping, check out the shoes and the recently revamped makeup counter. The Mall at Chesnut Hill, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
Period Furniture Hardware
This family-owned business has been selling period-furniture fixings to Bostonians for more than 75 years. One of the last of its kind, the store is worth visiting just to witness the brilliance of the wall-to-wall brass. But the merchandise doesn't stop at the drawer handles and sink fixtures. The store sells everything from door knockers and gas-style lamps to unusual copper weathervanes and rare nickel andirons. 123 Charles Street, Boston, MA .
Second Time Around
One test of a truly great vintage clothing store is its selection of well-worn Levis. Second Time Around has the city's best collection of gently worn denim, as well as a respectable showing in designer business wear. If you're willing to drop a few dollars in the name of fashion, pick up a casually elegant black leather jacket, worn to perfection. 167 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Towne Stove and Spirits
Photograph by Scott M. Lacey If Towne isn't a pickup bar, then everybody must have something stuck in their teeth. Why else would so many people be looking at so many others? Put simply, for a classy place, there's lots of eye-#*&$ing going on here. And with three bars spread across two levels, there's plenty of possibility. If one room's not working for you, there's always another. And if that doesn't pan out, well, the cocktail list is great, too. 900 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2115, towneboston.com.
Symphony Sushi
This place is constantly mobbed with lively diners—a sure indication of its status as neighborhood staple. With reasonable prices, speedy service, and generous portions, the sushi bar does particularly well with the area's college crowd. After gorging on maki, order one or two of the mochi ice cream patties; the light (and lightly priced) sweets are a fine way to end your meal. 45 Gainsborough St., Boston, MA 2115, symphonysushi.com.
Gaslight
When we're feeling pinched, we direct our dollars to brasseries, where New England frugality meets Gallic joie de boeuf. And voila: a first-rate steak for one-third the price. At Gaslight, the excellent steak frites plate consists of pan-charred Brandt Farms bavette, crispy fries, and a boat of buttery béarnaise, and costs just $19.75. 560 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 2118, gaslight560.com.
Santarpio's Pizza
Make a decision!' the waitress barks as you pause at the door to let an elderly woman exit the restaurant. 'In or out?' she screeches. This is an easy one: in. What to order is not, as you'll be lucky to get a menu at Santarpio's. Go for a basic $9.50 cheese pie or a traditional combo like 'roni and shroom.' Either way, the bubbling masterpiece will banish any cares about pleasantries. 111 Chelsea St., East Boston, MA 2128, .
Grill 23 & Bar
The better story would have been that finally, in this, the year of the cow, one among the city's numerous new upscale meateries had managed to dethrone our 14-time Best of Boston stalwart. Nothing doing. Mooo inherited the Federalist's matchless wine list. KO Prime has the best offal around. But for a prime, dry-aged rib-eye with a power client (downstairs) or a significant other (the more intimate upstairs), Grill 23 still rules the herd. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 2116, grill23.com.
Sfoglia
A low-key ambiance and an ever changing wellspring of impressively fresh Italian-influenced far—house-made gnocchi, chocolate-hazelnut-espresso semifreddo—accented with locally grown produce earn Sfoglia raves as an artful dining destination. It's also a blissfully ringtone-free one: There are no cell phones allowed here, which is just as well, as you might be tempted to call everyone you know to rave about the food, the décor, the wine list. And, oh yeah, your date. 1402 Lexington Ave., Nantucket, MA 2554, .
Sconset Café
Hidden away on the eastern end of the island, the Sconset Café isn't fancy and serves no alcohol (has a BYOB setup), but it's got one of the best little menus around. Entrées change often, and depending on the season might include salmon in saffron-tomato fish broth with ;ciabatta or grilled chicken with garlic and scallion mashed potatoes. If you're fortunate, the knockout lemon tart with homemade lime cream will be available. You'd be wise to order it, even if you think you're stuffed. Post Office Sq., Siasconset, MA 2564, sconsetcafe.com.
Straight Wharf
The Straight Wharf, which celebrates its 30th birthday this summer, made its name with simple New England cuisine. But with Amanda Lydon (UpStairs on the Square) and Gabriel Frasca (Spire) taking over at the helm, it has become one of the island's serious culinary contenders. The harborfront dining room features a new bamboo floor, and the menu's pairing of traditional seafood with new whimsical dishes—like the summer melon gazpacho with a kick of habanero—shows off the duo's innovative style. Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 2554, .
Erik Johnson, L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre
Every sommelier in town will tell you that wine isn't about snobbery, it's about fun. Only Erik Johnson, a self-proclaimed 'cork dork,' makes us believe it. Johnson tastes 1,000 wines each year to build the lists at lavish L'Espalier and its more casual sister Sel de la Terre, and he has a flair for explaining, in decidedly un-dorky language, the virtues of every one of the beloved bottles that makes the cut. 255 State St., Boston, MA 2109, seldelaterre.com; lespalier.com.
Carmen
Okay, so one of Carmen's chefs, Merwin Casey, hails from Ireland. But he cooks Italian better than many of his North End neighbors. Casey tweaks standard dishes just enough to make them exciting again. Witness his porcini-stuffed crespelle topped with a proper Bolognese and the perfect seared halibut splashed with salsa verde. That means delicious green sauce in English—and Irish. 33 North Square, Boston, MA carmenboston.com.
Cambridge, 1
The menu of pizza, salads, and one dessert may sound like no great shakes, but at Cambridge, 1, a devotion to simplicity makes the food soar. Said pizzas are extra-thin-and-crispy ovals topped with flavor-packed ingredients that range from basic tomato and garlic to sliced and truffled mashed potatoes with Fontina and Parmesan, a combination known to make diners close their eyes and savor the moment. 27 Church St., Cambridge, MA cambridge1.us.