French + Italian
Just because your couch is now your office doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style. The well-curated selection of soft, wearable tops at this Beacon Hill boutique includes colorful knit tees from Marni, flowy organic-cotton blouses from Apiece Apart, and collared button-downs from Acne Studios that look just as good on your Monday-morning Slack call as they do on your favorite restaurant patio come the weekend. 119 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, frenchitalian.com.
Guarino's Swimming Pool Service
If you dove headfirst into last year’s pool-installation craze, a professional maintenance team is likely top of mind. Who better to look after your new oasis than a firm that builds some of the finest swimming holes around? Trust the experts at Guarino’s Swimming Pool Service — a subset of acclaimed pool contractor SSG — to open and close your in-ground gem each year, keep the water clean and balanced, and respond swiftly and skillfully to leaks and faulty equipment. ssgpools.com/guarinos-pool-service.
Deep Ellum
At 10 years old, this Allston watering hole still fits the niche Max Toste and Aaron Sanders first set out to fill: a spot to crush mug after mug of sessionable, European-style beers—from dry-hopped farmhouse saisons and low-octane porters to Guineu Riner, a 3 percent Spanish import you don't often see at other beer bars. 477 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 02134, deepellum-boston.com.
Sugar Daddy's Smoke Shop
Mention any substance other than tobacco in this cluttered Kenmore Square hole-in-the-wall and you'll find yourself escorted to the sidewalk. The staff is just that dedicated to staying within the boundaries of the law. However, they're equally dedicated to selling what is inarguably New England's most impressive collection of smoking glassware. Even nonsmokers can appreciate the artistry behind a delicate hand-blown water pipe, intricately swirled with more than 20 hues of blue. It's nothing short of arresting. 472 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA sugardaddys-boston.com.
Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club
After a long drive across the bridge, sometimes all you want is to sit back, relax, and not touch your car keys again for the weekend. That’s possible at Ocean Edge, where guests at the Mansion have access to the private Bay Pines beach and everyone can enjoy pickleball and tennis courts, multiple pools, a spa, and a private 18-hole golf course. Plus, if you do need a change of scenery, the resort is just minutes from Nickerson State Park and the Cape Cod Rail Trail. 2907 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631, oceanedge.com.
New Shanghai Restaurant
Sure, you'll find General Gau's chicken, lo mein, fried rice, and other Chinatown favorites on New Shanghai's endless menu, but it's unexpected details like a decent wine list, polished flatware, and cloth napery that sets this restaurant apart. Not to mention chef C. K. Sau's dexterous and bold food, from spicy noodles laced with shredded pork and pickled cabbage, to strips of eggplant sautéed in garlic sauce. Sau's true talent lies in his seafood preparations, particularly the crispy whole fish in a tangy, spicy sauce, and scallops adorned with a black peppercorn glaze. Feeling bold? Try the braised fish head, a surprisingly subtle and soothing casserole that, despite its name, is delicious—and, once eaten, gives you bragging rights. 21 Hudson St., Boston, MA newshanghairestaurant.com.
Harvard Square Eye Care
Since a world-class education calls for plenty of high-caliber peering and scrutinizing, we weren't surprised to find our winner within a tome's throw of Harvard and MIT. Expanded last year to a second location, the doctor-owned Harvard Square Eye Care has been honing the vision of area academics for more than 40 years. Employees are notably agile when it comes to untangling insurance plans, and a full lab at the Porter Square shop means speedy turnaround on orders. Scouting trips to Europe keep the frame selection ultrafashionable, from the industrial cool of Germany's Axel S. to the French flair of Lafont. Even nonbrainiacs will appreciate the ever-so-smart-looking results. 19 Dunster St., Cambridge, MA 2138, harvardsquareeyecare.com.
Harvard Square Eye Care
Since a world-class education calls for plenty of high-caliber peering and scrutinizing, we weren't surprised to find our winner within a tome's throw of Harvard and MIT. Expanded last year to a second location, the doctor-owned Harvard Square Eye Care has been honing the vision of area academics for more than 40 years. Employees are notably agile when it comes to untangling insurance plans, and a full lab at the Porter Square shop means speedy turnaround on orders. Scouting trips to Europe keep the frame selection ultrafashionable, from the industrial cool of Germany's Axel S. to the French flair of Lafont. Even nonbrainiacs will appreciate the ever-so-smart-looking results. 19 Dunster St., Cambridge, MA 2138, harvardsquareeyecare.com.
Wally's Café
This basement hole in the wall has been the cradle of some of Boston’s most killer jam sessions since it opened as New England’s first African-American–owned nightclub in 1947. Walk through its famous red door and you can feel the history: Generations of soon-to-be stars from the New England Conservatory and Berklee (such as a young Esperanza Spalding) have tested their chops before this discerning crowd. You never know who you might see before they become the next big thing. 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA wallysCafe.com.
Hojoko
Photograph by Jared Kuzia When the Verb Hotel opened last summer, it was the cherry atop Boylston Street’s transformation from gas-station-pocked urban blight to nightlife destination. Tim and Nancy Cushman’s Japanese izakaya anchored that metamorphosis with their gastronomic Tilt-a-Whirl featuring fluorescent cocktails swilled from plastic guitars. Now postgame watering holes are sprouting up around Fenway like kudzu, but the best fetes still end on the Verb’s lantern-lit ground floor, the sounds of karaoke echoing into the night. 1271 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, hojokoboston.com.
The Paddle Inn
The team behind Trina's Starlite Lounge injected some much-needed energy into Newburyport with a beach-inspired, rum-fueled hangout that fits the bill from day to late night. Brunch here means strong and spicy bloody marys (with or without bacon), doughnut holes, shakshuka, and an egg sandwich worth traveling for. "Dessert" is the Sandy Point paloma, made with Clown Shoes Clementine Witbier, grapefruit cordial, tequila, and a lime-salt rim. Then you nap. 27 State St., Newburyport, MA 1950, paddleinnsurf.com.
Bar 10
Enough with the stuffy, starched-napkin lounges that have for years dominated hotel cocktail scenes. The Westin Hotel's Bar 10 is dedicated to taking it easy in style. At lunch and after work, a well-heeled crowd sinks back into high-backed leather chairs and sips extra-strength cosmopolitans, picks at the lighter Mediterranean menu, and schmoozes unabashedly. Half hip, half classic, the room and its spot-on service encapsulate what a modern watering hole should be, without missing any of a hotel bar's romance. 10 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA bar10boston.com.
The Barking Crab
Boston's dearth of waterfront watering holes is slowly being remedied by development in South Boston—Sam's at Louis, Whiskey Priest. But a weathered old friend is still the darling in this category. The Barking Crab is a funky, coastal-style clam shack and the perfect place to sip Sam Adams and soak up the sunshine and salt air. Dress in your weekend worst: T-shirt, tattered jeans, flip-flops. The relaxed vibe provides a welcome escape from the rules of the city. 88 Sleeper St., South Boston, MA 2210, barkingcrab.com.
Ares Shoe Repair
Not since Beacon Hill was a colonial settlement has Charles Street produced a shop so obsessed with top-quality workmanship. The scents of oil and leather waft from behind this small counter, overseen by a conscientious, kind, and fast-working staff that can stitch a hole, mend a heel, or reform a toe faster than you can say Paul Revere. 84 Charles St., Boston, MA .
Bond Restaurant & Lounge
Boston is often called the most British of American cities, so it's only natural that it offer plenty of afternoon tea options. Bond's daily Metropolitan Tea takes place under a soaring red ceiling and enormous chandeliers, making it feel like a swanky retreat. But the unusual teas, exquisite sandwiches, homemade scones, and attentive servers are what make this tea service tops. If you linger, you'll see the transformation from posh lounge to upscale watering hole. 250 Franlin St., Boston, MA 2110, bondboston.com.