Galleria Umberto
WHAT’S THE VIBE? A bare-bones old-school haunt, with cafeteria-like seating and lines that form before the pizza sells out — and it always does, within just a few midday hours. TASTING NOTES: Spongy, saucy, cheesy, and fresh-baked every morning, these $2 slices are an exemplar of the form. Ask for an especially toothsome corner piece, if you can. 289 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113, .
Fasika Café
Photo by Brian Samuels Before it was a hub of urban life in Boston, Roxbury was a farming community. Fasika seems to feel that agrarian soil in its bones, seeding it with Ethiopian flavors to create something truly magical. Its bountiful portions of kikk ali-cha, stewed split peas in garlic and turmeric, and spiced red lentil wot (swiped up with spongy injera), have a fresh-tasting satiety that can only come with a deep connection to the land(s). 51 Roxbury St., Boston, MA 02119, fasikarestaurants.com.
Polkadog
Polkadog pet treats. Baked fresh every day at the company’s Boston Fish Pier kitchen, the “Chicken Littles” bones — made with simple ingredients such as poultry, long-grain brown rice, and potato flour — are better quality than anything you’ll find at the grocery store. The brand’s dried cod skins and chickenstrip jerky are also guaranteed to say “top dog.” Multiple locations, polkadog.com.
Magic Beans
Now that a certain big-box retailer has closed its doors (sob!), having a top-notch local option for baby gear is more important than ever. Thankfully, this tot-prep goldmine is still offering essential services such as in-person consultations and a help line staffed with equipment experts who actually answer. The best part? When you’ve finally made your choices, registering for that UppaBaby stroller or leopard-print BabyBjörn carrier can be done with the click of the mouse online. 200 Linden St., Wellesley, MA 02482, mbeans.com.
Lego Discovery Center
The best way to keep the words “I’m bored” at bay on gloomy days? Buying a day pass to Assembly Row’s freshly renovated Lego wonderland. Kids can get moving in the Hero Zone, which features a laser maze and climbing wall; rescue a princess on the Kingdom Quest ride; and build, build, build to their heart’s content — without scattering tiny pieces all over your living room floor. 598 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA 02145, legodiscoverycenter.com/boston.
Crystal Ballroom
Photo by Adam Parshall/Crystal Ballroom To understand the century-old history of this intimate venue, just look up at the twinkling chandeliers that grace the hallowed hall’s ceiling. Once a ballroom overlooking Davis Square, the second-floor space above the Somerville Theatre was recently renovated with new bars and a state-of-the-art sound system and now hosts indie performers, comedians, and dance nights during the week and on weekends. You can even rent the space for receptions, presumably when it’s a nice day for a white wedding. 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA 02144, crystalballroomboston.com.
Caramelo Clothing Company
Know a guy in need of a makeover? Steer him to this fledgling family-run menswear spot, where the eclectic threads have personality, like the flower-printed Original Penguin button-downs; slim-fit Levi’s jeans; and cheeky Spenglish tees (skinny ties, swimsuits, shaving brushes, and fun socks are among the slew of trimmings also on offer). Once outfitted, he’ll want to check out the trunk shows, styling sessions, and other in-store events. 606 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, carameloclothing.com.
Landry & Arcari
Shopping for rugs anywhere other than Landry & Arcari is like installing wall-to-wall carpeting in your bathroom: You just don’t do it. Family-owned since its inception, the well-loved store proffers thousands of handmade treasures in styles ranging from traditional to tribal to contemporary. And service is also second to none: For proof, consider the team’s quick pandemic-induced pivot to offering customers an in-store shopping experience online, including sharing videos of the stacks of rugs available in the showroom and providing virtual consultations with design-savvy staffers. 333 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116, landryandarcari.com.
The Club by George Foreman III
Photograph by Marian Siljeholm George "Monk" Foreman III has done something truly unique in Fort Point: He merged a boxing gym with a luxury fitness studio. While the 15,000-square-foot space offers two boxing rings—his father is two-time heavyweight champion and lean mean grilling machine George Foreman, after all—it also has spa-quality locker rooms with steam, sauna, and showers; an on-site juice bar; classes including yoga, Pilates, and indoor cycling; and plenty of cardio equipment and free weights. 15 Channel Center St., Boston, MA 02210, everybodyfights.com.
Doretta Taverna & Raw Bar
When Doretta popped onto the scene, Michael Schlow fans puzzled over the uncharacteristically conservative menu—especially when compared with the fresh takes offered at nearby Pelekasis, Brendan Pelley's mod-Greek pop-up. So Schlow did what any pro would do: Once Pelley's temporary gig ended, he scooped him up as chef de cuisine. Together, they're a Hellenic dream team, slinging a perfectly calibrated mix of impeccable classics (charry lamb chops) and restless stunners (saganaki fondue with Sichuan peppercorns). 79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116, dorettaboston.com.
Anchovies
This small, friendly, unpretentious South End restaurant and bar is always crowded, whether it's 5 p.m. or 1 a.m. But nobody seems to mind the wait, mostly because Anchovies has a great vibe and good food (especially the pizzas, sandwiches, and mussels in white wine sauce). The service is good, the feeling is cozy, and the crowd is friendly. And were Anchovies open at 4 a.m., we would go there then too. Which reminds us: Don't all show up at once, because we'd like to get a table sometime this decade. 433 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA anchoviesboston.com.
Sports Club/LA
For gym rats who take their sweating seriously, the Sports Club/LA is as type A as its notably toned clientele. Some 114,000 square feet of equipment, including more than 150 cardio machines, means rare is the occasion that you're forced to idle by the water fountain, waiting for Sweaty Guy to max out his half-hour limit; deluxe locker room amenities mean you can look just as good leaving the gym as you did going in. And a schedule of 120-plus classes a week, among them an average of 10 daily yoga sessions at the new MindBody studios, means there's instruction for every fitness (and coordination) level. 4 Avery St., Boston, MA 2111, thesportsclubla.com.
Best Fit
This year, we decided two-time winner Lyudmila Sletkova and her team at Best Fit should be put to the test before capturing the prize once more from the crowded field of tailors in this town. So we challenged her not with the usual trouser hem or waistband nip and tuck, but the transformation of a too-short '60s-era cap-sleeve wedding gown. She turned it into a gorgeous, strapless, lengthened masterpiece. Of course, Sletkova handled the job with aplomb (and at a budget-saving price), proving that her talents run the gamut from placing the perfect hem on a pair of jeans to making 268 Newbury St., Boston, MA bestfitinc.com.
Cutty's
Photograph by Michael Piazza It may be heretical to say this in Brookline, but here goes: Go ye on the Sabbath to Cutty's and get yourself some pork. The Saturday special pork sandwiches, to be specific. Once a week, the slow-roasted pig comes in fresh to this Brookline Village café and is sliced thin for inclusion in such delicacies as the pork-and-pickled-fennel sandwich with roasted garlic on a crusty sesame-seed bun. With apologies to our rabbi, it's a borderline religious experience. Oh, and the rest of Cutty's (more-kosher) sandwiches, which are served all week? They're not so bad either. 284 Washington St., Brookline, MA 2445, cuttysfoods.com.
The Metropolitan Club
Even after a few million years on the fire, steak as a culinary concept is far from done. For proof, look to the Metropolitan Club, where executive chef and former Todd English majordomo Todd Winer not only finds new ways to deploy beef (a 'steak and egg' appetizer using flash-seared Wagyu), but also brings to the table a fascinating variety of cuts and small-farm sourcing (shoulder tender from Idaho, sirloin from Maine). Stone Age types can keep their porterhouse-and-baked-potato lairs—this is a steakhouse for the evolutionary-minded carnivore. 1210 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 2467, metclubandbar.com.