Something Natural
Gigantic sandwich? Or gigantic cookie? Such are the tough choices at Something Natural, an out-of-the-way eatery with a fiercely loyal following. Meals can be brown-bagged for the beach or enjoyed at one of the picnic tables that dot the lawn, and lunch orders like Sheila's Favorite (mayo, Swiss, carrots, pickles, and tomatoes on home-baked oatmeal bread) and turkey salad with Granny Smith apples and raisins on wheat provide a solid base for what regulars know is a flawless chocolate chip. (Actually, now that we think about it, it's not a tough call after all: Obviously, you get the gigantic sandwich and the gigantic cookie.) 50 Cliff Road, Nantucket, MA 2554, somethingnatural.com.
Arthur & Pat's
Arthur & Pat's, in the words of one sage local, "doesn't cater to the fancy-pants crowd." And indeed, the restaurant's worn exterior, wooden signs, and random rock soundtrack are unabashedly down-home. But if those details create a misperception of slapdash management, it's immediately cleared up by the glorious grub. We're talking fluffy pancakes with piles of berries; eggs Benedict with real crab; crispy, greaseless fried clams; bottomless cups of strong, hot coffee. After your meal, you may feel tempted to undo your belt—and given the easygoing air, it'd almost be acceptable to do so. 239 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2050, .
Tess & Carlos
Tess Enright knows what she likes—and, more to the point, what she does not. The sartorial littérateur has no interest in words like "trendy" or "hip," instead preferring ones like "seasonless," "ageless," and "assured." Her stores are filled with pieces she thinks every woman should own, in understated colors that purposefully override fad: Piazza Sempione cashmere coats, Prada ballet flats, Jil Sander suiting. Three locations include a new Newbury Street outpost, but Tess herself sticks close to Newton, where she's been doling out straightforward advice since 1999. 1241 Centre St., Newton Center, MA 2459, tessandcarlos.com.
Marathon Sports
There's a myth that says running requires nothing more than comfortable sneakers and willpower. Untrue: If you're serious about the sport (or are merely trying to look as if you are), you're also going to need some sweat-wicking shorts and shirts, a cardiac monitor, several pairs of cushy socks, a hat and/or sunglasses, maybe a windbreaker, and, oh yeah, one of those belts that holds little water bottles. Marathon Sports has all the gear you need, and some you probably don't. And its running-obsessed staff is clued in and honest enough to help you sort out which is which. 671 Boylston St., Brookline, MA 2445, marathonsports.com.
Out of Town News
We here at Boston appreciate every newsstand—especially the ones that give our issues prime real estate. But our highest esteem is reserved for the venerable Out of Town News, which makes its home in an old subway kiosk at the sk8er-boi-and-grrrl heart of Harvard Square. The newsstand carries more than 450 titles—spanning Granta to German GQ—plus at least 15 international newspapers. And even though the staff doesn't hustle browsers out, we recommend buying several extra copies of the issue you're reading right now. Go ahead. Do it. The register's right over there. Zero Harvard Sq., Cambridge, MA 2138, .
Duxbury Beach
Seven miles of white sand nudge up against the salt waters of the Atlantic on this, the South Shore's most utopian spot. The chaos (near the restrooms, parking, and refreshment stand) eases out toward Powder Point Bridge, and ends with empty stretches interrupted by only a few unobtrusive patches of locals here to kayak, admire the natural beauty, and walk the clean dunes toward Gurnet Light in neighboring Plymouth. Beyond the quiet beauty of the bridge, sailboats and windsurfers ride the sterling blue bay that separates the beach from town. If you don't have to rush home, stick around for the sunset—one of the area's most magnificent. Canal St., Duxbury, MA .
Blantyre
It's easy to forget, in our world of PDAs and ADD, that drawn-out dining can be a thing of delight. Everything at this hotel restaurant, from its jacket-and-tie requirement and exacting service down to its immaculate china and crystal settings, speaks to a serious attention to detail. The Gallic-inspired menu spotlights delicacies such as Long Island duck breast with melon-basil salad, beef tenderloin with pea purée, and iced Key lime soufflé. And at the end of your leisurely meal, should you find yourself too stuffed to drive home, you can wend your way upstairs for a stay in one of Blantyre's opulent suites. 16 Blantyre Rd., Lenox, MA 1240, .
Jumbo Seafood Restaurant
On any given night you'll find some of the city's top chefs here after work with chopsticks waving. The eight water tanks filled with live seafood make fish and shellfish obvious choices. Crispy calamari with jalapeño peppers go down like popcorn. And whole fish in a sweet and spicy sauce may cause you to look left, then right, then lick the plate if no one's looking. They're all stellar examples of fresh and delicious Hong Kong-style cuisine, but the kitchen also soars with pork chops, garlic-laden fresh pea tendrils, and eggplant. Added bonus: Jumbo stays open into the wee hours of the morning. 5 Hudson St., Boston, MA jumboseafoodrestaurant.net.
Grand Opening!
Men, women, novices, and veterans all feel at home in this inconspicuous, tasteful boutique. Small signs tell timid shoppers all the details they want to know (but are too shy to ask) about the excellent selection of books, videos, sex toys, and gifts. of all, the sleaze factor is notably nonexistent at this woman-owned shop. You'll find no shifty salesman asking overly personal questions or pushing questionable products. Feeling studious? Sign up for one of the classes hosted here: The "Spring Training for Guys" course, filled with sex tips for men, should be a civic requirement. For the truly meek at heart, there's—you guessed it—a Web site: www.grandopening.com. 318 Harvard St., Suite 32, Brookline, MA .
Piari Luna
Browsers fast become buyers at this three-year-old décor outpost, which sees its stock of tony/whimsical antiques and home goods turn over so speedily that the idea of a gift registry is moot. One week you'll discover an arresting turn-of-the-century Chinese altar, the next a shipment of traditional picture frames in silver and gold leaf and burnished burlwood. There are a few constants—fine French lotions and soaps, glossy dupioni silk pillows—but the rest depends on owner Laura Rosenberger's tasteful caprices. "If it looks beautiful, feels beautiful, or smells beautiful, I'll buy it," she says. Funny, we know just what she means. 33 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, MA 1945, .
Matt Shearer, WBZ
Photo provided. A video reporter for the radio station WBZ, Shearer has become a social media sensation for his spin on traditional man-on-the-street interviews, a freewheeling format in which he asks Bay State residents probing questions about their home localities. For example: How did Billericans feel when one of three Market Baskets on the same street (Boston Road, naturally) closed? “I actually cried,” a customer named Peggy told him gravely. “I felt like I lost a part of my family.” The accents always fly, but what makes the videos sing are heartfelt, hysterical contributions from subjects like these. twitter.com/MattWBZ.
Café Louis
This pizza is not unlike many of the customers of the female persuasion who dine in the café at Louis Boston itself: high-maintenance, but, frankly, divine. To put a finer point on it, there's only a small handful of predetermined choices, they're expensive, and they don't reheat well. But after one bite of the fresh, free-form pies, you'll understand why we're hooked. The grilled calamari pizza is the standout, with its spicy sauce and tender rings of battered squid. But the arugula pizza, with its rich crust, tangy cheese, and peppery greens, will have you looking at salad in a whole new light. Being high-maintenance has its privileges. What else do you expect from Louis Boston? 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
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 .
Warren Asnes, Peace of Mind
A couple of years ago, Warren Asnes was a bureaucrat in the state's Office of Human Services. But last year, he decided to become a full-time housewatcher—a move inspired by his musing whether he or the other occupant of a two-family home was responsible for filling the house's boiler. Today he'll tend to the care and feeding of your home while you're away by walking your dog, watering your plants, forwarding your mail, even stocking your refrigerator for your return—all for seven bucks a trip. He comes with references, is fully insured, and is not put off by large numbers of pets: he once baby-sat 34 cats. Newton, MA
Grill 23 & Bar
You can gripe until the cows come home about Boston's relative lack of great steakhouses, but until you've bitten into a richly marbled, truly succulent Delmonico at G23, you'll get little sympathy from us. Sure, it boasts all the requisite amenities of its genre—informed and prompt service, an exemplary wine list, sharp-as-a-tack martinis, and the scent of power wafting from table to table. But what elevates Grill 23 is its willingness to move beyond the hackneyed old boys' club formula. (With their overly wrought, stereotypically masculine décor, one has to wonder whether other steakhouses around town aren't compensating for something.) And the menu, while focused on the classics, dares to administer a creative twerk. 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA grill23.com.