Lala Rokh
With Thai food on every corner and henna tattoos sold at the mall, the truly exotic is hard to find anymore. That's why this atmospheric Beacon Hill restaurant is the perfect getaway for you and your paramour. The mood is set immediately with orchid centerpieces, hanging tapestries, and sitar music. But it's the food that is truly transporting. Infused with saffron and pomegranate, the homemade dishes will send your tongue on its own magic carpet ride. And with dinner for two including wine and dessert coming in at under $100, it's the least expensive ticket to the Near East you'll find. 97 Mt. Vernon St., Boston, MA lalarokh.com.
Tremont 647
What better way to spend a morning than in your pajamas sipping coffee with your neighbors? Tremont 647's Saturday and Sunday pajama brunch combines comfort food and a cozy space for the perfect weekend wind-down. Everything on the menu here is worth getting out of bed for. For a late breakfast, try chef Andy Husbands's huevos rancheros over beans and rice, or move on to lunch with a plate of stinky cheeses and a juicy burger. Can't shake the hangover? Go with the cure-all combination: Matty's V8 bloody mary and the skillet-baked eggs and hash. 647 Tremont St., Boston, MA tremont647.com.
Cat Silirie, No. 9 Park
Whatever you do, don't call Cat Silirie a sommelier. That title conjures up a tastevin-toting snob stealing sips of your wine. Silirie is too modest—and tasteful—to affect such hauteur, preferring instead to work behind the scenes, where she has created a service staff of "total sommeliers." Six days a week, Silirie conducts tastings and quizzes for the entire waitstaff—with homework. It may sound intense, but when the coat check attendant asks if you enjoyed your grüner veltliner, you realize Silirie's handiwork instills a passion for wine unparalleled in most other restaurants anywhere. 9 Park St., Boston, MA no9park.com.
Salts
From the second the linen hits your lap to the last spoonful of velvety chocolate dessert soup, Salts is a downright lovely experience. Before that soup, though, comes everything else: the warm, chewy, promptly delivered potato bread, the educated and accommodating staff, the subdued yellow décor, and the daring and well-priced wine list. All of the above are mere groundwork for chef Steve Rosen's bold and delightful savories—the honey-seared salmon with chamomile and preserved lemons, for example. Or his roasted rabbit sausage with artichoke confit and fennel. It's like Mother always said: Eat your lavender-glazed duckling with rhubarb preserves, and then you can have dessert. 798 Main St., Cambridge, MA saltsrestaurant.com.
Grillfish
There are no ocean breezes or views of passing sailboats at Grillfish's location in the Back Bay. But the fried calamari melts in your mouth without leaving a coating of grease on your fingers, the pan-seared scallops are plump with an appealing crisp on the outside that seals in their juicy flavor, and the grilled fish—from trout to mahi-mahi to catfish—is light, flaky, and cooked to perfection. Who cares if the plates don't match, the wine list is written on a chalkboard, and the columns in the dining room are meant to look like the masts of lobster boats? A little kitsch is not such a bad thing when the fresh fish is so good. 162 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Audubon Circle
Yet another example of why bigger isn't always better. Don't get us wrong: This burger is big. But it isn't so monstrous that you have to strategize a way to fit it into your mouth. With Audubon's burger, you get the appropriate ratio of bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or blue), and perfectly cooked meat in every mouthful. That means a bottom bun that's not saturated with grease. It also means you'll be able to eat most of it, along with the accompanying roasted potatoes, without feeling woefully overstuffed. Add pleasant service and a sleek, attractive setting, and Audubon is everything your typical burger joint is not. 838 Beacon St., Boston, MA auduboncircle.us.
Evenfall
Food lovers are advised to use the buddy system at Evenfall: You'll definitely need someone to shore up your self-control in the face of chef Scott Pelletier's seductive creations, which include pan-seared duck breast with lemon pappardelle, fava beans, and wild mushrooms, and orange-infused pound cake with mint macerated strawberries and strawberry sorbet. Besides, you'll want someone to ooh and aah along with you over the artistic presentation of your meal—and possibly drive you home after that last irresistible cocktail from Evenfall's master mixologists. 8 Knipe Road, Haverhill, MA 1835, evenfallrestaurant.com.
Arthur & Pat's
Arthur & Pat's, in the words of one sage local, "doesn't cater to the fancy-pants crowd." And indeed, the restaurant's worn exterior, wooden signs, and random rock soundtrack are unabashedly down-home. But if those details create a misperception of slapdash management, it's immediately cleared up by the glorious grub. We're talking fluffy pancakes with piles of berries; eggs Benedict with real crab; crispy, greaseless fried clams; bottomless cups of strong, hot coffee. After your meal, you may feel tempted to undo your belt—and given the easygoing air, it'd almost be acceptable to do so. 239 Ocean St., Marshfield, MA 2050, .
Pearl's
Some might suggest that brunch is a wee bit early for Pearl's molten chocolate cake. Especially when there are equally delectable and (slightly) less gluttonous alternatives, such as mascarpone-stuffed French toast or smoked salmon Benedict. But from your first forkful of the fluffy outer layer and smooth liquid-cocoa center, you'll know you made the right decision. The dessert takes 18 minutes to prepare, so order as soon as you've been seated, then let your anticipation build while people-watching on the new patio. 47 Railroad St., Great Barrington, MA 2130, pearlsrestaurant.com.
Zaftigs
This isn't the place to start a diet, unless you're on a strict regimen of noodle kugel, knishes, and chopped liver. The fresh cheese blintzes and potato pancakes are to die for. And your Jewish mother will kvell over the brisket even if she doesn't take to tray of offerings such as pork sausage and smokehouse ham. Kosher, this is not. In fact, what has made this "new Jewish"-style restaurant one of the eating spots in Brookline are the less traditional offerings, including cheddar-apple omelets and banana French toast. The wild artwork and hip young wait staff seal the deal: This ain't your grandma's deli. 335 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA .
Verrill Farm
Open year round, Verrill's is the kind of farm stand where you can find every single ingredient you'd need for a last-minute gourmet party. Which is why visitors often find themselves elbow to elbow with famous Boston chefs choosing the best of the crop from the rows and rows of crisp, fresh-picked local produce. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the stand also stocks gourmet supplies including imported olive oils, fresh breads, seasonings, and pastas, while the on-site deli offers cheeses, soups, sandwiches, prepared dinners, and freshly baked desserts. The wide and stunning selection of flowers means your table will look as fresh as your meal will taste. 11 Wheeler Rd., Concord, MA verrillfarm.com.
Beehive
It's easy to agree on where to mingle if you and your posse are bent on skimming from the same pool, whether that's just-graduated daddy's girls (Foundation Lounge), martini-swilling cougars (Cuffs), or baseball-capped frat dudes (Clery's). Finding a pheromone-drenched locale that covers a variety of predilections is a much taller order. The South End's Beehive measures up nicely, drawing a clientele as diverse as its all-star team of bartenders and as tasty as the cocktails they stir up. And whether you're seeking a tattooed hairstylist or a sweater set-clad preppette, the uncharacteristically well-lit (for a bar) space means you'll get a clear view of your quarry. 541 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2115, beehiveboston.com.
The Courtside
You do a mean AC/DC, and the world deserves to hear it. Even if you must endure a couple's lovingly howled 'Summer Nights' duet before taking the stage, there's no better platform for your talents than the Courtside: Its expansive karaoke room is populated by a vocal audience Thursday through Saturday, and the refreshments—a large pizza and a pitcher of PBR for $13—are ample incentive for everyone to stick around. If you tend to dampen your pre-performance jitters with too much brewski, rest easy knowing that the teleprompting screens are enormous enough to be read even through beer goggles. 291 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 2141, .
Jamaicaway/Riverway
Whether you're training for the marathon or just trying to raise your heart rate, a jog along the Emerald Necklace is unrivaled. We tried them all—the Charles River Esplanade, the Minuteman Bikeway, the Commonwealth Avenue Mall—and still came away with the same answer as last year: Running through the gardens of the Back Bay Fens, along the Riverway and Jamaicaway, out to Jamaica Pond, and onto the Arnold Arboretum is literally a breath of fresh air. The serenity along the river, the dirt trails just before the pond, the water fountain at the boathouse, the hills and flowers of the arboretum—they combine to make for a perfect jog. Even if 26.2 isn't in your future. MA
Lester Harry's
Admit it: Even the inevitable grass, food, and spit-up stains won't discourage you from dressing your tot to the nines. And who can blame you? A trip to Lester Harry's could persuade every parent that the little pumpkin should be outfitted in the finest of European fashion: Bienvenue sur Terre shirts and tees, Marcel et Leon linen shorts, Lili Gaufrette sundresses. While you're at it, pick up a couple of sets of custom-tailored crib sheets. By the time you leave, you won't know what's cuter: your angel-faced nipper—or the store. 140 Washington St., Marblehead, MA lesterharrys.com.