Market
Provincetown is awash in style-savvy men. We're guessing that best dressed of them frequent Market, a small but flashy clothing destination on Commercial Street. Pick up a new pair of swim shorts by a notably chic designer such as D&G, Hugo Boss, Jean-Paul Gaultier, or DSquared2. What's even better? Market has two sister stores in Boston, so you can still shop till you drop when you get home. 173 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA .
Tosca
Rustic charm meets sophistication in Hingham's happening flagship restaurant—from the funky décor and hip, laid-back crowd to the nouveau Italian menu. Chef Kevin Long, following in the accomplished foosteps of predecessors including Ken Oringer and Joe Simone, takes good advantage of the neighboring sea. Gems like whole shrimp with beefsteak tomatoes and Cerignola olives are best followed by the fantastic thin-crusted, wood-fired porcini mushroom and asparagus pizza or a plate of pan-roasted hake served over fresh pea anolini. 14 North St., Hingham, MA toscahingham.com.
Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
With an unadulterated sound and a timeless, gamine look, Aly Spaltro, a.k.a. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, upstages every testosterone-fueled act in Boston. Her voice is light yet certain, as are her banjo and guitar stylings, which will sound even better when properly recorded (until now, her bedroom has served as her studio). Next to Spaltro's spare verses and trancelike repetition, everything else sounds like a whole lotta noise. ladylambthebeekeeper.com.
Christina's Homemade Ice Cream
You know the contenders as well as we do, and the good-natured competition they generate is making area ice cream better by the minute. Case in point: Christina's, which is holding its own against such long-loved local big boys as Herrell's and Toscanini's with flavors including carrot cake, avocado, and khulfi (cardamom and pistachio). But originality alone doesn't cut it: The textures here are addictive, and the toppings are fresh. Go ahead, make a meal out of it—you might be able to cover all the food groups. 1255 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA christinasicecream.com.
Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland
Your quest for the Holy Grail of chocolate can end right here. Topnotch and velvety white, dark, and milk chocolates are flown in from Switzerland every week to literally and happily melt in your mouth. The shop's crème de la crème? White chocolate-covered apricot and orange slices, cocoa-filled truffles, and the signature champagne truffles (at a hefty $27 for a box of 16). Admittedly, the staff can be icy, but, then, so can Switzerland. No matter. The exemplary chocolate stash will leave you without a hint of bitterness. 230 Newbury St., Boston, MA teuscher.com.
Sayle's Seafood
If it's true that everything good is better fried, you plain can't lose at Sayle's. Diners choose from tasty fresh quahogs, steamers, and lobsters, and even tastier fried clams, scallops, shrimp, calamari, and (for the odd landlubber) chicken. The venerable shack also offers a $35-a-head clambake with corn, potatoes, a half pound each of steamers and mussels, a whole lobster, and a bucket of chowder big enough to float back to Hyannis in. 99 Washington St., Nantucket, MA 2554, saylessseafood.com.
Brant Rock Fish Market
Brant Rock Fish Market owner Henry Dunbar is a world traveler. He's been to Tanzania, Madagascar, and Puerto Rico. Before going on his journeys, he posts a poem in his shop window about his latest adventure. But when it comes to fish, Dunbar knows that the best-tasting stuff is found close to home: Some of the fresh cod, haddock, and flounder he sells are caught right in Duxbury Bay. 267 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2020, .
Steven Valenti Clothing for Men
So many men's stores have forsaken good, old-fashioned service for the ubiquitous bottom line. But integrity still means something at this North Street shop, where customers can choose from among Coconut Grove silk sport coats, XMI dress shirts, Barry Bricken cotton trousers, and Cole Haan loafers. And shopping at Steven Valenti ensures a flawless fit: An on-site tailor will adjust your purchases. 157 North St., Pittsfield, MA stevenvalenticlothing.com.
SoundBites
Open 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Now here's a concept: buttery but not greasy breakfast. SoundBites may be a little out of the way for your day's start, but the restaurant gives up as delicious and fresh an omelet as you're likely to find. The mashed home fries, Wonder Waffles, and serve yourself coffee are so good that they take the guilt out of loading all your calories and caffeine into the morning hours. 708 Broadway, Somerville, MA .
Mistral
This beautiful space—with its soaring vaulted ceilings, off-kilter, oversize chandeliers, rattan seats, and sandstone walls—is the place to be seen these days. The big, comfy seating areas in the front are the perfect place to hang out with a few friends while you wait for a table; the bar is wall-to-wall action and buzz; and the dining room is open and spacious without swallowing you whole. 221 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Sharrock's English Bakery
Forget "English muffins" and get a hold of the original article. These crumpets are filling enough for a decent breakfast (and, if you have the power to skip butter, they're fat- and cholesterol-free), yet light enough to leave plenty of room for lunch. Ex-pat Brits swear they're the only "real" crumpets this side of the Atlantic. If mail order's not your bag, the bakers also market their goods under the Trader Joe's label (at all Trader Joe's stores in the area). 1649 Wheeler St., North Dighton, MA .
Mike & Patty's
Tinier than many walk-in closets and closed by 2 p.m. each day, Mike & Patty's isn't your typical café. But it's home to the most satisfying handheld breakfast around—the "fancy" egg sandwich, a pile-up of bacon, cheddar, avocado, house-made mayo, and red onion on crisp multigrain bread. 12 Church St., Boston, MA 2116, mikeandpattys.com.
Simcha
Simcha is the Hebrew word for joy — and what joy we find in chef-owner Avi Shemtov’s Middle Eastern restaurant, ensconced in a tiny shopping plaza in Sharon. Inspired by the home cooking of his grandmother, who left Turkey for Israel in 1949, Shemtov puts his own unique spin on the cuisine of his ancestors: In his hands, couscous becomes arancini drizzled with smoked-egg aioli, and chickpea-flour fried chicken is served over a sweet-potato purée. The superb falafel, however, is a classic that requires no reimagining. 370 S. Main St., Sharon, MA 02067, simcharestaurant.com.
O Ya
How to lure people back downtown? Pristine nigiri — say, wild squid brushed with smoky bonito soy and flecked with salted cherry blossom — certainly seems to do the trick at O Ya, where seats for the omakase, now the sole offering, are booking a solid two months in advance. Fifteen years after opening and $400 (if you opt for wine pairings) later, it’s still the city’s favorite destination for any night you need to turn into a special occasion. 9 E St., Boston, MA 02111, o-ya.restaurant.
Museum of Fine Arts
What keeps the MFA fresh after all these years? Start with the wide-ranging exhibitions, which this year alone highlighted the role of tattooing in 19th-century Japanese prints, showcased quilting as a historical artform, and revived the much-loved Art in Bloom, which pairs works — like the museum’s Kehinde Wiley piece — with floral arrangements from local designers. It’s efforts like these that keep giving us new reasons to go back year after year. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.