Dal
Put one foot in this tapas bar and (as its name foretells) suddenly you've stepped inside a surrealist painting. The walls bombard the senses, covered as they are with trinkets, tchotchkes, knick-knacks, and accouterments from all over the Iberian peninsula. The food follows suit, starting with the tapas menu, which offers a palette of wildly disparate tastes in a few small bites, from juicy duckling smothered in berry sauce to delicate scallops swimming in saffron cream. But the entrées are the genuine masterpieces—especially the house special, melt-on-your-fork pescado a la sal (striped bass cooked in coarse salt that tenderizes the fish as it's baked). 415 Washington St., Somerville, MA dalirestaurant.com.
Matt Murphys
Aside from a bounty of cheap burgers and greasy fries, this year's tour of pub grub options turned up a surprising lack of substantial (read: tummy-filling) dishes. Except, that is, at Matt Murphy's, where the farmhouse plate's country-style paté is the size of a small brick and the soup arrives in a bowl as big as your head. Besides which, the food is outstanding. Try the tender, relish-slathered lamb sirloin sandwich or the piping-hot, supercrispy fish and chips, wrapped in newspaper—they're more than enough to make you forgive Matt Murphy's for not serving burgers. 14 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, mattmurphyspub.com.
Soma
Thanks to new chef Seth Fernald, who hails from the dearly departed Federalist, it's easy to attain euphoria at Soma. Menu standards like 'Duck, Duck, Goose,' a crisp-skinned duck breast served with foie gras butter and sautéed brussels sprouts, are impeccable. Specials such as gray sole-enveloped honshemeji mushrooms with a ricotta-stuffed squash blossom beguile at first bite ('Like spring on a plate,' one diner mused). If that doesn't leave your head spinning, the house-infused bourbons and raspberry-kumquat martinis certainly will. 256 Cabot St., Beverly, MA 1915, somabeverly.com.
Eastern Standard
Out in public, and especially out at the city's better restaurants, you want as few people as possible to notice when your princeling starts whacking his silverware together or gleefully tossing sugar packets onto the floor. Luckily, the popular Kenmore Square brasserie has a dining room that's plenty large and noisy enough to absorb such commotion. Order the refined mac and cheese and strawberry shortcake for the little one, and treat yourself to mustard-glazed salmon or house-made cavatelli. The absence of dirty looks will make everything more delicious. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
Galley Diner
After enduring Whitey’s old neighborhood badly rendered in countless movies and reality shows over the years, it’s comforting to find a place that is perfectly, authentically, and effortlessly Southie. This describes the Galley Diner, with its 12-stool counter and four tables, to a T. The joint has all the diner classics, of course—the corned-beef hash is even better stuffed inside the "Southie" omelet with cheese—but if anything deserves to be featured in a movie, it’s the handcarved ham, sliced fresh in front of your eyes, heated on the griddle, and smothered in eggs and hash browns. Now that, we’d argue, deserves top billing. 11 P St., South Boston, MA 2127, thegalleydiner.com.
Cha Fahn
If the array of refined Asian-inspired nibbles doesn't clue you in, the owners of this four-year-old restaurant will take pains to make clear that Cha Fahn is about much more than tea. But set aside the premium sake and the inventive entrees, and what's left is simply the best-chosen tea selection in the city, in a perfect setting for enjoying it: a peaceful yet romantically charged room, ideal for lingering over pots of aromatic darjeeling, oolong, assam, lapsang souchong, and so on. It's the kind of spot that feeds the soul. The fact you can also feed your appetite is a lovely bonus. 763 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA chafahn.com.
Bliss Home
We all know the standard china and silver registries backwards and forwards, but at Bliss Home, newlyweds learn to expect the stylishly unexpected. This is where they find not only exquisite Spanish handcrafted rugs and French crystal Champagne glasses, but avant-garde curvilinear bookcases and natural-horn pâté spreaders. Bliss consultants can guide you through the registration process even if you're a flat-, serve-, bar-, dinner-, or stemware novice. And if you think it all looks good here, just wait 'til you see it in your house. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA blisshome.bridgecatalog.com.
The Oak Room
Forget what you think you know about steak houses. The Oak Room, this year's dark horse candidate, puts the usual contenders to shame. Vaulted plaster ceilings and meticulously carved oak walls to form a regal setting, the capable waiters assist you with old-school formality but not a touch of stuffiness. The steaks are perfect— well marbled, cooked exactly to order, served with your choice of bearnaise sauce or a red wine glaze. For the less carnivorous, there's always the spectacular lobster bouillabaisse. The wine list is interesting and accessible to spenders big and small. 138 St. James Ave., Boston, MA .
George Wright Golf Club
This Donald Ross-designed course is tucked deep in the heart of Hyde Park. Once you're there, you'll find a challenging Depression-era par-70 layout that calls for patience: The two par fives are reachable in two shots only for the longer hitters, while the par fours vary from the very long (the 450-yard #10) to the very short (the 313-yard #2). Holes 8 through 10 can make or break a good round. Expect a good test of all facets of your game, in addition to some considerable time waiting to tee off. This is city golf, after all. 420 West St., Hyde Park, MA .
Crane Beach
The white sand goes on forever—or at least for four-and-a-half miles. This North Shore strip has the dunes, the best-blended concession stands, the most peaceful ambience—all in a preserved marshland setting that makes the parking fee ($9 to $15—half price after 3 p.m. every day) worth it. Besides, proceeds go to the Trustees of Reservations to protect historic homes in the area. If the greenheads are getting nippy, as they can in August, head uphill and tour the grounds of the historic Crane estate, and make a pit stop for fried clams at Woodman's around the corner. Argilla Rd., Ipswich, MA .
The Sunset Grill & Tap
True medical fact: If you sat down at the bar at Sunset and drank only four ounces of each beer in stock, you'd die a horribly painful death, probably by exploding. But if you're willing to take a more sober excursion through the world of malted, fermented beverages, the Sunset is your place. Silverback Gorilla Black Coffee Ale? Got it. Hacker-Pschorr Dunkel? You bet. All told, the Sunset boasts nearly 600 beers, including 111 on tap and three beer engines for those cask-conditioned ales. 130 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA .
DJ Bruno
Sometimes a little 'YMCA' is all it takes to get the party started. Other times, it's enough to send it packing. With two decades of experience, DJ Bruno knows what to spin when, and where. His far-reaching musical arsenal gets clubbers going nightly—devotees never miss his Sunday R&B-meets-house-meets-soul party at Boston Rocks, or his upbeat hip-hop and reggae beats on Thursdays at Caprice. Request the Village People, if you must; he'll have your hands up in no time. MA djbruno.com.
Avalon
Even after all the new additions to the roster of Lansdowne Street clubs, Avalon remains the life of the dance party. It's consistently packed, spotlights an endless supply of internationally renowned DJs, and pours some of the city's most potent cocktails. Things heat up around midnight when some 2,000 clubgoers, ranging from the techno-hungry to the daytime professional, hit the dance floor. The incomparable sound system and light show will pound your senses, whether you're there for a wildly themed Saturday night, Sunday gay night, or the VIP lounge. 15 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA .
The Biltmore
With its shabby-chic dining room (mismatched old chairs, vintage ephemera), the Biltmore makes weekend mornings feel like brunch at Grandma's. An indulgent grandma, that is. Yours probably didn't serve Cap'n Crunch-coated French toast drizzled with warm vanilla icing, or whole-wheat flatbread topped with fresh mozzarella, local tomatoes, basil, pancetta, and sunny-side-up eggs. The sausage-infused biscuit "fritters" with house-made apple-butter dipping sauce, meanwhile, are hearty enough to inspire a post-meal nap. 1205 Chestnut St., Newton, MA 2464, thebiltmoregrill.com.
Dogspa
Care to try some terrier-misu? Or perhaps the matching pet-owner jewelry is more up your alley. Regardless, the two-legged and four-legged alike are barking up a storm about DogSpa, Beverly's grooming, retail, and nutritional haven. For the languorous pooch, there's an aromatherapeutic quiet room; for the vivacious pup, "Smelly Dog" deodorizations; for all of man's best friends, a chrome state-of-the-art grooming zone with anti-fatigue padded mats, HydroSurge spa baths, and expert stylists. All dogs may go to heaven, but really, what can heaven have on DogSpa? 45 Enon St., Unit 5, Beverly, MA beverlydogspa.com.