Burma Design Antique Restoration
You finally got up the nerve to invite your boss over for dinner, and while she may be a whizbang at corporate finance, she doesn't seem to know what a cocktail napkin is for. When you discover a large water stain on the cocktail table where her glass rested, you can either demand a raise or call Burma Design. These are the people Skinner turns to when an antique needs a face-lift. The workshop is a wonderland of wounded soldiers from Granny's attic, all awaiting resuscitation. The results are inspiring; if only we could be brought back to our former glory as easily. 285 Washington St., Somerville, MA .
Ritz-Carlton Dining Room
Good-for-you health food at the ritzy old Ritz? It's our guess that as successful babyboomers start to sag, they head back to their root vegetables for rejuvenation. But don't be fooled, the days of bland brown rice and tepid tofu are long gone. Take, for example, a Vegetarian Primavera with Roasted Bell Pepper Coulis or delicious Crab Cakes with Pickled Plum Sauce and Braised Napa Cabbage. After a macrobiotic lunch you'll have the energy (and the slim waist) to shop your way down Newbury Street. The menu changes weekly and it's $29 prix fixe for a three-course lunch or dinner. 15 Arlington Street, Boston, MA .
Busy B Pub
We don't know how they do it ("If we told you, it wouldn't be a secret," the waitress cheerfully told our undercover critic), but this unassuming, family-operated storefront bar sells buffalo, barbecue, honey-hot, and honey-barbecue wings that are the tangiest in town. Sandwiched between a florist and a shoe store, the Busy B has successfully resisted every attempt at decoration, but it's so casual and friendly that the regulars occasionally even brings their kids. What other tavern do you know that serves milk? For adults, there's also a good selection of draft beer to cool your mouth down. 451 Main St., Watertown, MA .
T. T. the Bear's Place
With so many excellent options—Great Scott, the Lizard Lounge, Middlesex—identifying the city's best live-music venue isn't easy. But T. T.'s tops our list thanks to the variety of acts (local pop stars the Pills and farther-reaching talent like Canadian crooner Ron Sexsmith) and the superior amenities (two bars, pool tables, and plenty of room by the stage). Plus, great acoustics mean you can actually hear the music, making it the ideal spot to discover your new favorite band. 10 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA 2139, ttthebears.com.
Bakers' Best
Great service, flavorful food, beautiful presentation—and a willingness to take on any affair, no matter how small or bizarre—set this small company apart from its bigger sisters. From weddings and wakes to corporate conferences and informal dinner parties (sans staff), Bakers' specialties include grilled Norwegian salmon with citrus salsa, rack of lamb with a honey-peppercorn crust, grilled teriyaki chicken, and imaginative hors-d'oeuvres such as artichoke hearts with Parmesan triangles, pan-seared dumplings, grilled lime-marinated scallops, and Tandoori shrimp. Plus an attitude that makes you feel as special as your event. 27 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA .
Jamaica Mi Hungry
Emmanuel Boakye Appiah Set your GPS: Chef Ernie Campbell’s beloved Jamaica Mi Hungry truck (pictured) is now permanently parked at an Allston lot, outside the address where a second restaurant is set to open this fall. (There’s already a brick-and-mortar joint in Jamaica Plain.) Speed by to snag signature, heat-seeking jerk chicken, hearty and comforting goat curry, or stellar sides like sweet plantains from Campbell, whose hardly idle hands are also busy managing kitchen operations for CommonTable, a citywide initiative to feed vulnerable communities during the pandemic. 182 Western Ave., Allston, MA 02134, jamaicamihungry.com.
Leon & Co.
Some women regard the perfect haircut as the answer to every ill. It melts away pounds, increases IQ, and does your taxes. In reality, it does something almost as tough: It makes you—the real you—simply look your absolute best. Enter Leon de Magistris, salon sculptor-cum-scientist, and his team of experts. Their cuts are exercises in beauty and precision, flattering and natural while also classic and modern—and unlike so many Stepford Wives-type styles, carefully varied to flatter the face. 84 Leonard St., Belmont, MA leonandco.com.
Bella Sante
We've tried it at home. We've done the booth. We've stood stark naked before strangers and had every inch of our bodies airbrushed, only to emerge St. Barts brown on one side, Back Bay white on the other. But we never got the elusive all-over glow until we went to Bella Santé, where an almost painfully thorough full-body exfoliation precedes careful application of Phytomer's clear (!) bronzer. It won't streak when you sweat or rub off on your clothes, which means that even after a sticky, slow ride to the beach, we pulled up looking as if we had been there all summer long. 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, bellasante.com.
Twinkle Star
Hey, we have no quibbles with Winnie the Pooh's red belly shirt or Corduroy's hobo-chic overalls. Our storybook buds have long proven they can work the one-piece look. Kids need more head-to-toe options, though. To outfit your own little character, look to Twinkle Star. Recently relocated to Porter Square from Somerville, this boutique covering infants to age seven now features a broader mix of big names (Le Top, Zutano) and love-at-first-sight labels (Beary Basics, Revo Baby) than the hipster-kid boutiques you'll find in the Back Bay. Twinkle Star's prices are friendlier, too. Owners (and parents of three) Kerri and Lucas Friedlaender have an eye for eco-friendly wares, like Kicky Pants' silky bamboo separates, and modern colors. Cambridge, MA 2140,
India Palace
With its great taquerias, Irish pubs, and Korean restaurants, this thriving Somerville neighborhood offers plenty of restaurants to try. Our vote this year goes to India Palace. Sure, the friendly service and simple décor make dining here a pleasant experience, but it's the delicious, inexpensive, and exotic food that brings us back. Tandoori specialties like chicken marinated in spiced yogurt, vegetarian dishes such as chana masala (slow-cooked chickpeas in a rich tomato-based sauce with coriander and sweet onions), and a creamy mix of onions, nuts, and herbs called rogan josh make it hard to decide which dish to try. So go ahead and try them all. The prices are that low, and with plenty of experience from their busy takeaway business, the servers will be more than happy to pack up your leftovers for you. 23 Union Square, Somerville, MA indiapalacesomerville.info.
Jacob Wirth
We get the irony that our favorite neighborhood restaurant in Chinatown is a 135-year-old German beer hall, beloved by generations as a great place for a sudsy tall one and a grilled bratwurst. Now that Jacob Wirth has pulled itself from the brink with a new chef and menu, its halcyon days may still lie ahead. Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz's menu offers traditional sturdy German fare from schnitzel to spaetzle, but also pasta with shellfish, grilled steak tips, and garlicky P.E.I. mussels that ought to come with straws for all that luscious broth. And with wholesome entertainment such as live jazz and Mel Stiller's Friday piano sing-alongs—in which rowdy graduate students, old-timers, and tourists alike join in on classics from the last four decades—the old place is as lively as ever. 31-37 Stuart St., Boston, MA jacobwirth.com.
Crane & Co. Paper Makers
Most people don't give stationery a second thought. Then they get engaged and suddenly need an expert opinion on a forest's worth of papers—invitations, save-the-date cards, programs, thank-you notes. Dalton-based Crane, manufacturer of the most classic and elegant wedding stationery collections on the finest-quality paper, makes sense of it all. For tastes that veer toward the modern, there's a newer line of invites that don't follow the classic models. An experienced staff helps you find exactly the right paper and style to fit your budget, and even occasionally eschews tradition by letting you in on a little secret: You don't need that expensive second envelope nowadays. (Our saleswoman whispered that it was used to keep the invitation clean back when mail was carried on horseback.) Prudential Center, Boston, MA crane.com.
The Minuteman Bikeway
Last year, this award went to the Esplanade. What changed? Our tolerance for bladers. (Will they please stop kicking out so wide?) And while the Minuteman Bikeway is hardly devoid of in-line skaters, at 12 feet wide it can easily handle the traffic. Starting from the Alewife T station in Cambridge, it's a straight shot of paved and shaded paths six miles to Lexington and 11 to Bedford, along roughly the same path Paul Revere followed on his midnight ride. The bonus? At the very end, if you're really feeling ambitious, you can spin off onto some hilly roads and wend your way over to Walden Pond for a dip. It's a ride through history with a refreshing finish—something the Esplanade can't offer. After all, are you really going to jump into the Charles? MA
Merrimack Valley Textile Museum and Museum of Our National Heritage
Two sleepers. 800 Massachusetts Ave., North Andover and 33 Marrett Rd., Lexington, MA .
Curious George
Photo by Jesse Burke Anatomy of a Winner: We all shed tears when our favorite impetuous primate and his long-suffering companion, the man with the yellow hat, lost their Harvard Square home in 2011. Luckily, the world's only Curious George store reopened in the same location last year, with an expanded focus and a brand-new interior. Besides the original books by Margret and H. A. Rey, here are some of the things we love about the shop. 1. Stroller valet means there's nary a carriage in sight and more room for playing and browsing. 2. Small visitors can curl up with a book in the popular reading nook. 3. Stuffed versions of the iconic monkey range from eight to thirty-six inches. 4. Local playthings, like this "Pirates of Boston" puzzle from Marblehead's Mud Puddle Toys, are on offer. 5. Exclusive T-shirts emblazoned with the shop's namesake and friends are designed in-house. 6. Trying out the display toys—like these bright Crocodile Creek balls—is encouraged. One JFK St., Cambridge, MA thecuriousgeorgestore.com.