Eastern Standard
Photo by Alex Lau This Kenmore Square institution made its name catering to a wide range of diners—Sox fans, tourists, restaurant industry types, students, the list goes on—and treating them all as if they were the most important people in the room. How do they do it? By taking notes on every diner who comes through the door. Yes, it’s a bit Big Brother—esque, but this kind of close attention ensures that you enjoy your steak frites and whiskey smashes just as much as you did the last time. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
Angela's Cafe
Owner Angela Atenco Lopez’s rich, complex mole poblano is one of the dishes you must try before you can claim your Boston food-geek merit badge. On second thought, actually, perhaps we meant Lopez’s citrusy, onion-studded guacamole. Or maybe the plate of chilaquiles, with its crisp tortilla chips, fresh tomatillo sauce, and toppings of crema and queso fresco. Erase any doubts by doing what we do: order them all. 131 Lexington St., East Boston, MA 2128, angelascafeboston.com.
Giulia
This Porter Square gem won us over with its chewy, emmer-flour-based farro casarecce alone, tossed with red-wine-braised duck, sweet cherries, and foie-gras butter on the night we tried it. But in truth, any of chef Michael Pagliarini’s pastas—painstakingly crafted on a reclaimed-white-oak table at the back of the restaurant—are worth the trip. Cap off your pasta odyssey with a creamy scoop of pistachio gelato. 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, giuliarestaurant.com.
The Kirkland Tap & Trotter
Photograph by Anthony Tieuli At Craigie on Main, Tony Maws’s cultish burger is available off the menu, in limited quantities only. At Maws’s new gastropub, the Kirkland Tap & Trotter, however, his cheeseburger—a peppery patty topped with kimchi Russian dressing and Emmentaler cheese, on poppy-seed brioche—is very much on the menu, and very much worth ordering. Where other gourmet burgers feel greasy and heavy, this one doesn’t bomb your stomach. All the better, because you might want to have seconds. 425 Washington St., Somerville, MA 2143, kirklandtapandtrotter.com.
Streetcar Wine & Beer
Streetcar might not be the biggest shop in Boston, but that actually works to your advantage: Owner Michael Dupuy selects every bottle from the finest, most conscientious producers, which translates to absolutely zero fluff on the shelves (there simply isn’t room for it). Choose from a diverse range of price points and varietals, most from great local importers like Mise, Oz Wine Company, and Adonna Imports, as well as an unprecedented range of sherries, vermouths, digestifs, and natural wines. 488 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, streetcarwines.com.
Craft Beer Cellar
Much to the delight of local hopheads, this shop—opened in Belmont four years ago by Cambridge Common alums Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker—is now spreading its sudsy gospel to new locations in Newton, Winchester, Braintree, and Westford. In addition to offering tastings and classes, staffers take their inventory of ales and lagers quite seriously, regularly updating the varieties available at each store online (the newly opened Newton Centre outpost alone carries more than 1,000 beers) and cataloging them by brewery, provenance, and style. 51 Leonard St., Belmont; and other locations, craftbeercellar.com.
Izakaya Ittoku
Photograph by Toan Trinh At an authentic Japanese izakaya, the food is meant to serve as a supporting role to the endless flow of sake. But at this Brighton hangout, the infinitely snackable dishes—flame-licked yakitori-style skewered meats, crisp fried oysters, the noodle omelet hybrid known as omusoba—are just as much of a draw. Maximize your experience of the massive menu (and the hefty platters of pan-fried pork and kimchi) by indulging with friends. 1414 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2135, .
Clear Flour Bread
Photograph by Jesse Burke You know you’ve found the perfect croissant when you can hear the flaky pastry layers coming apart as you take your first bite. That certainly describes the buttery, ethereal pastries rolled by hand at this Brookline institution. The classic, chocolate-filled, and Gruyère-stuffed croissants are baked fresh daily (and worth the pilgrimage), but if you want to sample the luscious apricot or raspberry versions, you’ll have to make the trek on Saturday or Sunday, and early: They sell out fast. 178 Thorndike St., Brookline, MA 2446, clearflourbread.com.
Lynwood Café
When it comes to bar pizza on the South Shore, there are important standards to meet. Are the to-go pies placed between two cardboard plates and slid into a brown paper bag? Is the crust hand-pinched in the pan to give it the perfect crunch? Is the joint cash only? And, most important: Do the locals love it? Lynwood checks all the boxes. For bar pizza the way it’s meant to be experienced, commit to the house special, which comes loaded with baked beans (trust us), onions, and salami. 320 Center St., Randolph, MA 2368, lynwoodcafe.com.
Zona
If the soothing Aveda products and complimentary herbal tea aren’t enough to invoke tranquility, the lengthy shampooing and blissful scalp massage certainly will. This South Shore salon has been in the Zona family for generations, so whether you’re looking for a quick trim or a complete hair overhaul, you can rest assured that your locks will be in seasoned hands. 65 South St., Hingham; and other locations, zonaprofessional.com.
5 Corners Kitchen
What do you get when you combine lovingly prepared French cuisine and a distinctly New England sensibility? That would be 5 Corners Kitchen, the stylish bistro named for a certain unwieldy Marblehead intersection. Helmed by chef Barry Edelman, formerly of Aquitaine, the kitchen makes its own, well, everything, which translates to perfectly al dente house-made cavatelli with duck confit, and succulent mussels with basil-aioli-slathered grilled bread. 2 School St., Marblehead, MA 1945, 5cornerskitchen.com.
Farmstead Table
Photograph by Jesse Burke You can practically taste the love in chef Chad Burns’s buttery asparagus-and-goat-cheese quiche, delicate house-made blintzes, and chive soft-scrambled eggs with Grafton cheddar. That it’s all served in a sunny space brimming with homespun accents (rustic wood tables, walls festooned with embroidery hoops) makes the experience all the more charming. Don’t miss the fluffy popovers. 71 Union St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, farmsteadtable.com.
Ceia Kitchen + Bar
Photograph by Michael Piazza Rye crêpes with ricotta, smoked salmon, and fiddleheads. House-made linguiça with eggs. Portuguese sweet-bread French toast with strawberries and streusel. This Newburyport hot spot turns out pumped-up versions of brunch favorites with a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients (which makes sense, considering chef Patrick Soucy is an organic farmer himself). When the weather’s fine, kick back on the patio for prime Sunday-morning people-watching. 38 State St., Newburyport, MA 1950, ceiakitchenbar.com.
Katrina Hess
This makeup pro has been primping brides from the Back Bay to Bermuda for more than 20 years. During a consultation at her lofty Newbury Street studio, Hess will school you in skin maintenance and eyebrow shaping, and on the big day, she’ll travel to your venue to give you an absolutely flawless look. She’ll even stay through the night to make sure it lasts through the happy tears and cake smears. 115 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, katrinahess.com.
Darren Le
If a bad hair day can ruin an ordinary weekday, imagine the havoc a follicular faux pas could wreak on your wedding day. Enter Darren Le. The Mizu stylist, who turns out romantic updos and sleek chignons with aplomb, consults with each bride to make sure her locks are aisle-ready, even if it takes a trial run (or two) to get it just right. darrenle.com.