Boston Calling
The Killers. Paramore. Eminem. This year Boston Calling welcomed some of its biggest names to date. It also finally settled into its new digs at the Harvard Athletic Complex after a few growing pains in 2017. The sprawling grounds gave the fest the chance to add a third venue for even more concerts as well as ample open space for seriously upgraded food options, from the Smoke Shop’s barbecue-brisket sammies to Area Four’s garlic knots. And for those in need of a break from rocking out in the sun? An indoor comedy venue offering a rotating array of top-notch performers and soothing AC. MA bostoncalling.com.
Tasting Counter
In the wrong hands, a ticketed, dinner-as-theater concept could come off as pretentious or, worse, gimmicky. But from his tiny open kitchen in Somerville, Peter Ungár has managed to create one of the most refreshing and immersive dining experiences in the area. Driven by advanced technique and refreshing flavor combinations, the chef's nine-course, beverage-paired tasting menus wow with offerings such as blow-torched Spanish mackerel with house-fermented black beans and yuzu. The counter-style seating, meanwhile, dissolves the barriers between the dining room and kitchen, making it all play out like a food nerd's dream. 14 Tyler St., Somerville, MA 02143, tastingcounter.com.
Land Ho
Want a side of local color with your Devil's Purse pint? Pay a visit to this neighborhood hang, where Cape Cod memorabilia—from family crests to vanity plates—fills every inch of wall and ceiling space. It's not all about the kitsch, though: Bartenders behind the lacquered wooden bar aim to please, and the late-night menu satisfies with grub for both landlubbers (burgers) and seafarers (fish and chips). 38 Main St., Orleans, 508-255-5165; 429 Main St., Harwich Port, 508-430-0404; land-ho.com. 38 Main St., Orleans, MA 2653, land-ho.com.
Comedor
The toasted meringue rests, like a stormy cumulus cloud, atop the thick piece of buttery brioche, daring you to break into it and let the molten chocolate ganache underneath flow freely. This is Comedor's s'mores French toast, and it's brought us back for Sunday brunch again and again. But there's so much more to love at this Chilean-American restaurant in Newton Centre, from the scrambled-egg tacos with cotija to the gut-busting breakfast burger, topped with a fried egg and scallion salsa. For those who still haven't satisfied their sweet tooth, the house-made doughnut, which arrives dripping with dulce de leche and more of that chocolate ganache, should do the trick. 105 Union St., Newton Centre, MA 2459, comedornewton.com.
Forty Winks
Yes, lingerie is sexy. But it can also be cool. And thanks to Forty Winks, there's no need to eschew your fashion-forward sensibilities, or comfort, for the typical underwire and lace. In an elegant boutique with plush armchairs and chandeliers, owners Rachel Wentworth and Meredith Donaldson have assembled a collection of intimate apparel that fits a variety of body types and styles, from Marlies Dekkers's trendy line of bras to Eberjey's delicate chemises and Stella McCartney's designer body suits. In other words, underthings so beautiful you'll wish you didn't have to wear anything over them. 56 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 02138, shopfortywinks.com.
Brix
Carri Wroblewski and Klaudia Mally founded Brix in 2003 on a radical idea: that inventory should be determined not by household-name popularity or distributor pricing windfalls but the owners' discerning tastes. Apparently, believing in every last bottle on your shelves wasn't a bad business model, as evidenced by their expansion to two additional locations, and by the city's patiently groomed taste for high-toned Burgundies, off-the-oaken-path Italians, and deep-track rosթs. Multiple locations. Correction, June 26, 12 p.m.: In the July issue of Boston, Carri's name was misspelled. We regret the error. 1284 Washington St., Boston, MA 02218, brixwineshop.com.
Honeycomb Creamery
Former Union Square Donuts kitchen manager Kristen Rummel and her husband, Rory Hanlon, started churning up batches of ice cream for deliveries and pop-ups in 2015. Now their new Cambridge brick-and-mortar dishes out even more of those sweet, fluffy scoops, made with milk and cream from Mapleline Farm in Hadley. Seasonal flavors like Meyer lemon-ginger and cookie-laden alfajores make it tough to choose just one, which is why we usually opt for Honeycomb's ice cream flight—a four-flavor assortment sprinkled with waffle-cone chips. 1702 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, honeycombcreamery.com.
Saltbox Kitchen
Chef-owner Ben Elliott, whose grandparents started the family farm in the 1940s, grows garden staples and lesser-known heirloom veggies and raises sheep for meat, chickens for eggs, and bees for honey, which translates to the freshest ingredients possible on your wedding plate. His stint as chef de cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park, meanwhile, translates to creative, beautifully plated dishes—from wild striped bass with tomato agrodolce in the summer to handmade tagliatelle with white-wine-braised rabbit and charred baby onions in the fall. 84 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA saltboxkitchen.com.
Alan Bilzerian
Ready to move beyond the little LVs and Gs? Pay a visit to Alan Bilzerian’s Newbury Street storefront. Together with his daughter Harley, the sophisticated shop owner has curated a collection of handbags and accessories you won’t find anywhere else, whether you’re in the market for a high-end classic (Lanvin ostrich-leather purses), an ultramod design (geometric wallets from esteemed Japanese designer Issey Miyake), or a statement piece (Emmanuelle Khanh’s fish-shaped purses). For something with a local angle, check out the in-house line of crocodile- and python-leather hobo bags and backpacks. 34 Newbury St., Boston, MA alanbilzerian.com.
Akris
This Swiss fashion house does many things well, but it’s the ultra-contemporary everyday women’s wear that really shines, pushing boundaries with funky patterns and unusual details (think brightly colored tulip-field prints and daring clusters of cutouts). The streamlined trench coats, tunics, and tailored pants are the stuff dream closets are made of. Correction, June 28, 2016, 4:30 p.m.: The address for Akris has been updated. It is located at 29 Newbury Street, not 16 Newbury Street. We regret the error. 29 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, akris.ch.
Branch Line
You don’t create the buzziest beer list around with ye olde faithfuls. Staying on top of the freshest stouts and saisons requires the kind of grunt work Magellan Casto puts in at Branch Line, where she racks up frequent flyer miles tracking down next year’s bucket-list brews. Sours from Swedish import Omnipollo, nouveau-Euro styles from New Hampshire’s beloved Schilling Beer Co., full-bodied ales from Finback—the former Bukowski Tavern manager seeks out the most coveted producers and gifts them to the suburbs. 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472, branchlinearsenal.com.
Cha Yen Thai Cookery
With a degree from Johnson & Wales and training under Todd English, Manita Bunnagitkarn could very well have gravitated toward fine dining. Lucky for us, the skilled chef set up shop in a former Watertown wing spot to concentrate on MSG-free, made-to-order Thai food. Start with an order of coconut-marinated satay and tom kha gai, move on to the pleasantly peppery panang duck curry, and leave room for dense house-made ice creams in unique flavors like spicy chocolate and Thai iced tea. 613 Mount Auburn St., Watertown, MA 02472, chayenthaicookery.com.
Tiffani Faison, Tiger Mama and Sweet Cheeks
From left: Karen Akunowicz, Katie Gilarde, Todd Maul, Meghan Thompson, and Tiffani Faison. / Photograph by Jason Grow, styling by Laura Dillon/Team Despite stints under legends Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse and three tours of duty on Top Chef, it feels like Tiffani Faison is just getting started. A culinary chameleon who’s excelled at sushi (O Ya), Italian (Rocca Kitchen & Bar), and even Texas-style barbecue, Faison recently unveiled her most electrifying venture to date: Tiger Mama, a verdant wellspring of Southeast Asian cuisine. And that’s not all for 2016, as come fall, the chef will introduce her latest Fenway project—a luxe cocktail bar modeled after Ernest Hemingway’s old hangout, Minetta Tavern. Sweet Cheeks, 1381 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, sweetcheeksq.com.
Meghan Thompson, Townsman
From left: Karen Akunowicz, Katie Gilarde, Todd Maul, Meghan Thompson, and Tiffani Faison. / Photograph by Jason Grow, styling by Laura Dillon/Team Meghan Thompson’s seasonal desserts aren’t merely a source of Instagram envy—there’s nostalgia and accessibility beneath the aesthetic. Take her frozen yuzu soufflé with poached quince, wild-bay-leaf ice cream, and toasted meringue shards, scattered like a broken robin’s egg. It looks like a late-era Metzinger, but swipe your fork through each element and take a bite. Yep, tastes like lemon meringue pie. This avant-garde ingenuity is everywhere on her menu, from the jerk-spiced bagels at brunch to the complimentary brown bread augmented by Korean doenjang. 120 Kingston St., Boston, MA 02111, townsmanboston.com.
Fuller Craft Museum
Don't let the name fool you: This Brockton institution isn't a musty warehouse of old quilts and wooden shoes. It's instead a showcase for contemporary handmade objets d'art, a place where sublime ceramics made at East Cambridge's Clay Dragon Studios sit beside burnished-aluminum mobiles inspired by the myth of Icarus. Later this year, the museum will unveil an intricate, kaleidoscopic survey of enamel art from the 1920s to the present day, and, most eye-catching of all, artist Stan Munro's massive replicas of such architectural wonders as the Taj Mahal and the White House—rendered entirely in toothpicks. 455 Oak St., Brockton, MA 02301, fullercraft.org.