SRV
COURTESY PHOTO At this South End hot spot inspired by Venetian bacaros, chefs Kevin O’Donnell and Michael Lombardi deliver a singular study in layered flavors and textures: See fried artichoke electrified with tonnato sauce and capers, and the house-made pillows of fontina-stuffed scarpinocc dressed with crunchy almonds. Creative cicchetti shoot in rapid-fire from the kitchen, each dreamier than the last, each designed to pair perfectly with cocktails on the charming patio. 569 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA srvboston.com.
The Bancroft
We’ll take ours with extra onion strings: a leaning tower of burgers from the Bancroft. / Photograph by Jim Brueckner, styling by Monica Mariano/Ennis It’s worth a trip to the ’burbs for chef Mario Capone’s towering lunchtime burger, a study in pure, beefy excess. Made with a high percentage of prime chuck, each juicy 8-ounce patty is sandwiched between a just-squishy-enough brioche bun and complemented by crispy fried onion strings, house-made ketchup, and a mantle of molten Vermont cave-aged cheddar. 15 3rd Ave., Burlington, MA 01803, the-bancroft.com.
Nurturing Spaces
For more than 16 years, Linda Varone has been boosting the chi of Greater Boston's living spaces with her personal blend of eastern feng shui and western architectural psychology. Taking a balanced approach to color, lighting, and organization, she aims to increase the flow of positive energy through homes, making studies more productive, for example, and bedrooms more romantic. PMB 196, 1337 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 2476, .
Mahoney's Garden Centers
Need some inspiration to kickstart that rooftop garden you've always wanted? You'll find it here. Part hardware store, part botanical garden, Mahoney's has countless spades and shears, plus all the soil, fertilizer, and pots you'll ever need. The selection of seeds, hanging plants, flower trays, vegetable plants, herbs, cacti, and even bonsai trees, makes this the most fertile corner of Cambridge. 889 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA mahoneysgarden.com.
Mahoney's Garden Center
Not only does Mahoney's stock every hue of azalea and geranium God ever contemplated and many he didn't, but the selection of hedges, annuals, bedding plants and potted palms is simply the best. Energetic local youngsters supplement the sage advice of the nursery professionals, who give sound tips to those with even the un-greenest thumb. And plants come with up to a 90-day replacement guarantee. 242 Cambridge St., Route 3, Winchester, MA .
The Milky Way
The Milky Way looks the picture of a suburban basement lounge—if only a basement could be this cool. Tucked beneath Bella Luna restaurant in J.P.'s Hyde Square, the space is a study in shabby chic. Mismatched chairs, dim lighting, pool tables, and candlepin bowling set the stage for a young, hipster clientele. The funky locale is intentionally Bohemian, working to evoke the slacker-glam feel of joints on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Don't hold its pretensions against it, though: The Milky Way is a very fun place to hang for an evening. 403-405 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA milkywayjp.com.
Bauer Wine & Spirits
Here in the Hub, oenophiles generally have two types of stores from which to choose. There's the overly curated boutique, where every bottle warrants its own spotlight and price hike. Then there's the warehouse, where half the inventory seems the result of bargain-driven haggling ('We got an extra pallet of this merlot to get rid of!'), not some connoisseur's strategic sipping. Bauer lands right in the middle, with a store full of attractively organized bottles that are fairly priced yet well chosen. Everything in moderation, people—even when it's a gnarly 2003 Chateau du Tertre Margaux (a recent store promotion) that opens up into a berry-enriched study in liquid gossamer. 330 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2115, bauerwines.com.
Lanoue Fine Art
Local masterpiece-mongers tend to deal in one of two extremes: jejune still-lifes geared to designers who spruce up Back Bay sunrooms, or sprawling esoterica that cause poseurs to start lusting for home-display space. Hewing a noble path between pear paintings and "environments," Lanoue focuses on established artists who tackle traditional genres—portraits, landscapes, even floral studies—with modern flair. Though varied in style, the monthly exhibitions all balance craftsmanship with conceptual edge, requiring neither advanced degree nor audio tour to blow you away. 125 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, lanouefineart.com.
Craigie On Main
Few food-world darlings have gotten more love of late than chef Tony Maws; everyone from Martha Stewart to James Beard has gushed. But for all the highfalutin accolades Maws has received for his inventive dinner menu, we can't help gravitating to Craigie's always-packed bar for his more-casual fare. There you can sup on food that qualifies as both hearty and succulent—and that never fails to satisfy: crispy fried pig tails, roasted bone marrow, and the grass-fed burger that's become as famous as Maws's other, more-studied creations. 853 Main St., Cambridge, MA 2139, craigieonmain.com.
Boston Running Company
When Diddy ran the New York City Marathon as a last-minute, made-for-MTV fundraiser/publicity stunt, he was able to enlist the legendary Alberto Salazar to help him through his crash-course, five-week training regimen. You, obviously, are not Diddy. But you can at least have your stride expertly analyzed by former Olympian Mike Roche, who will film you jogging on his in-store treadmill, study the footage in slow motion, and then put you in the sneakers best suited to the quirks of your stride. Just be sure to give yourself more than five weeks to train for your big race. 121 Charles St., Boston, MA 2114, bostonrunningcompany.com.
Nine Zero
Posh boutique hotels have been sprouting up with Starbucks-like ferocity. But for the ultimate experience in luxury and style, nothing in Boston compares to Nine Zero. Credit the staff's unerring and gracious service, a sleek, funky design, and luxury amenities including Frette linens, custom request minibars, and personal shoppers. From Spire, the stunning second-floor restaurant and bar, to the sleek marbled showers in each room, every inch of this unique locale is designed to relax and entice. A study in soft contemporary living, the accommodations are even reasonably priced; rooms average $239. 90 Tremont St., Boston, MA ninezero.com.
Phil Donahue's Broadcast from Channel 5's Studios in Needham Featuring Male Strippers
Las Vegas and New York outlets refused to air the program. No problem, here, though. As long as there were no lesbian nuns in the audience.
Urban Grape
How does a boutique Boston wine shop become one of America’s most lauded? First, owners TJ and Hadley Douglas introduced the world to their proprietary Progressive Scale, a newbie-friendly system that smartly sorts wines by weight, from light minerality to full-bodied fruitiness. Now they’re working to change the industry by establishing a fully endowed, annual Wine Studies Award, which provides university education and work experience to promising professionals of color, and by curating the country’s coolest collections of wines by female, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+ producers. 303 Columbus Ave., South End, MA 02116, theurbangrape.shop.
Latitu
While studying abroad, Tanya Pham logged a lot of time in airports—enough time to hear plenty of fellow female travelers complain about their bland, bulky luggage. She’s used their feedback to design her Boston-based brand of sleek weekenders, duffels, and backpacks, crafted from Italian leather in Vietnam, where she lived for a year while vetting the production process. Equipped with thoughtful details (hidden compartments, magnetic closures), the bags are made in limited runs from custom materials—so your travel companion will stand out in a sea of scuffed-up carry-ons. MA latitu.com.
Casablanca Restaurant
There's nothing wrong with the dining room at Casablanca, but the bar is where the real action is. From midday to midnight, the barstools are occupied by businesspeople, students, professors, and others who come here not only because the room makes a great study hall, but because chef Ruth-Anne Adams's food is just that good. Adams keeps with the restaurant's whimsical North African theme by featuring such ingredients as Marcona almonds from Spain. Try the meze platter with mouhamara, dolmades, and sumac-dusted carrots. Her food is rock-solid delicious and lends itself well to the let's-get-a-drink-and-share-a-few-appetizers bar scene. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA casablanca-restaurant.com.