Cru
Our favorite time of day to plant ourselves at Cru’s breezy dockside bar is during that sweet spot of around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. After a hot day on the sand, that’s the perfect time to cool off with a Cru-cumber (its famous cucumber martini) and, when hunger strikes — as it always does — the best lobster roll around, served buttery hot or refreshingly cold. One Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554, crunantucket.com.
Wheel Happy
Not to be punny, but we’re wheelie happy this consistently lauded bike shop is there for all of our two-wheeled needs. A full-service retail, rental, and repair operation, it showcases brands like Liv (specifically designed for women) and Brooklyn Bicycle Co. (specifically designed for hipsters), all in tip-top shape. Rentals include a helmet, lock, basket, and map — which comes in handy after the staffers tell you all about their favorite places to bike on the island. 8 S. Water St., Edgartown, MA 02539, wheelhappybicycles.com.
Porchfest Somerville
Photo by Heidi Besen/Alamy Stock Photo There’s no better way to spend a sunny day than weaving back and forth across Highland Avenue and its various side streets, listening to hundreds of very talented Somervillians rocking out on their porches, balconies, and driveways. The city has this tune-filled May fest down to a science, and other communities have taken note — including, for the first time this year, Dorchester, which launched its aptly named Dorchfest in June. Now that’s music to our ears. Multiple Locations, somervilleartscouncil.org.
Mike Felger, <em>Felger & Mazz</em>
Cynical to the core, Mike Felger relishes bashing our hometown teams — and inpure Boston fashion, we love him for it.Since scoring his first ratings victory over legacy sports station WEEI in May 2010, the radio host has dominated the afternoon drive, bringing a generation of local sports fans along for the ride. And the proof is in the pudding: His show on 98.5 the Sports Hub now claims a quarter of the coveted 25-to-54 demo for men. 985thesportshub.com.
Huntington Theatre Company
Live theater came back with a bang this year at the Huntington. Case in point: resident playwright Kirsten Greenidge’s fantastic Our Daughters, Like Pillars was followed by Greenidge and Melia Bensussen’s Common Ground Revisited, a powerful reinterpretation of J. Anthony Lukas’s Pulitzer Prize–winning book about the struggles of three Boston families during the busing crisis of the 1970s. The material may be old, but in the hands of Greenidge and Bensussen, it feels newly relevant. 264 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, huntingtontheatre.org.
Tafari Wraps
Our hair is an important part of who we are. No one understands that better than Tafari founder Imani McFarlane. Celebrating the culture of the African diaspora, her gorgeous silk and Ankara head wraps (to say nothing of the sharp headbands and scrunchies) promise to protect, nourish, and beautify. McFarlane also offers tutorials and personalized consultations, so everyone can learn the art of head-wrapping. tafariwraps.com.
Harvard Book Store
It’s easy to lose track of time among the stacks and carefully arranged displays at this Cambridge classic, where paper- backs and hardcovers covering everything from travel to true crime entice at every turn. And now, thanks to an assist from new part-owner John Henry — who began investing in the shop late last year — the store’s next chapter will include renovations and a website revamp for easier browsing. That’s a win in our book. 1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, harvard.com.
Beacon Hill Instant Shoe Repair
A Ukrainian immigrant who picked up the trade from his father, a cobbler in Odessa, Vadim Kotlyar knows his way around a pair of shoes — as evidenced by the work he did on our favorite pair of boots, brought back to life with a new heel and a lot of love. Bonus points for the lightning-fast turnaround (a few days for most jobs). 126 Bowdoin St., Boston, MA 02108, beaconhillshoerepair.com.
SunBug Solar
You’re in good hands with these solar specialists, widely considered the go-tos by homeowners in the biz. Their estimates and proposals are free; they handle all permitting; and they’re quick, with most installations completed in three months. Of course, their service skills shine, too: When we called for help, they immediately pulled up a radar image of our home and chatted patiently about an unwieldy tree and the pros and cons of a new roof. sunbugsolar.com.
Boston Closet Company
After calling many top closet companies throughout the area without a response, it was a relief to get immediate help from Boston Closet Company, where staffers sympathized with the space issues plaguing our Colonial and set up a design consultation for the next day. Also reassuring: The Somerville firm works with all sorts of rooms — whether they be man caves, laundry nooks, or nurseries — offering custom shelving and storage crafted by a team of carpenters. bostoncloset.com.
Q Restaurant
Photo courtesy of Q Restaurant Chinatown is a cross-roads of cultures, and Q clearly understands the assignment: In one place, it offers people-pleasing Chinese classics like kung pao shrimp and scallops, a great Japanese sushi bar, and Mongolian-style hot-pot cooking. When we’re not around tables bubbling our own veggies, meats, and noodles in the peanut-y Malaysian satay broth, though, you’ll find us grabbing a lychee or ginger “Q-tini” at the bar, the perfect perch for a pre-theater cocktail. 660 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111, thequsa.com.
Oleana
Food styling by Joy Howards, photo by Joe St. Pierre Nobody satisfies our wanderlust quite like Ana Sortun, whose still-vital Cambridge classic spreads itself around the Levant, taking a few key regional flavors with it wherever it goes. Sesame-forward tahini, for instance, is stuffed into Armenian topik, spiced pockets of potato hummus; used to sauce spinach falafel with beet tzatziki; and combined with lemon in a broth for cooking parchment-wrapped halibut. The signature Baked Alaska dessert, meanwhile, always brings us back home. 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 02139, oleanarestaurant.com.
Eventide Fenway
When it comes to New England lobster rolls, there are two major types: “hot and buttered” and “cold and mayo’d.” And then there’s Eventide’s, a third-party candidate featuring fresh lobster meat sweetened with brown butter and salted with chives in a squishy, bao-like roll. Five years after the Portland, Maine– founded restaurant set up in the Fenway, its justifiably famous signature spin has become part of our city’s fabric. 1321 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, eventideoysterco.com.
Melina Cortes-Nmili, Lalla Bee
When it comes to her ultra-chic women’s clothing line, local designer Melina Cortes-Nmili has two inspirations: Carolina Herrera and her grandmother. “Carolina’s dresses never go out of style,” she explains. As for the second influence? “My grandmother was a self-taught seamstress, and she designed and made all of our party dresses.” Continue reading here.
lallabee.com.
Neptune Oyster
Neptune Oyster's lobster roll (the buttered version). / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal Nineteen years in, Neptune still draws lines of eager diners daily, most seeking the lobster roll. It’s no mystery why: The generous portion of meat, served hot with butter (our pick) or cold with mayo, spills over the sides of a toasted brioche roll that’s sturdy enough to contain the meat but mild enough to let the lobster shine. 63 Salem St., North End, MA 02113, neptuneoyster.com.