Hole in One
Who knew brunch in a takeout box could be so sweet? Before escaping to the National Seashore, pick up some much-needed fuel at this restaurant and bakery with locations in Orleans and Eastham, which offers its beloved stacks of cinna- mon-roll pancakes and scallion-cheddar biscuits smothered in sausage gravy to go. Word to the wise: Whatever you get, don’t forget to add a dozen hand-cut doughnuts (including specials like blueberry crum- ble, s’mores, or Reese’s) to your order. 98 MA-6A, Orleans, MA 02653, theholecapecod.com.
Ocean Terrace
Sip a Cape Codder with Cape Cod Bay as your backdrop at the outdoor bar of the elegant Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club. Facing toward the Brewster Flats, it enjoys a West Coast sunset (sundowner, anyone?), making it the ideal place to toast 18 holes well played or an idyllic day on the beach. Add on any of the menu’s New England classics, including oysters on the half shell and clam chowder, and you’ve got a hole in one. 2907 Main St., Brewster, MA 02631, oceanedge.com/dining/ocean-terrace.
Trattoria Il Panino
Five floors house an Italian bistro, a formal dining room, a glitzy dance club, and prime people watching. 295 Franklin St., Boston, MA .
Ole
The only variety to be found at a lot of Mexican places is in what gets stuffed into the chimichangas and enchiladas. Not so at Ole, where chef Erwin Ramos has expanded his menu to make room for authentic ingredients like ancho chilies and mild cotija cheese, and Oaxacan- and Veracruzan-derived dishes like jicama-blood orange salad and sirloin steeped in poblano chili. As the hordes of happy diners attest, Ole even takes standards like guacamole to a higher level, preparing it tableside in the brightly tiled dining room. 11 Springfield St., Cambridge, MA olegrill.com.
Ole
Don't write off Olé for its unremarkable exterior. Inside you'll find a peppy atmosphere and Boston's most bona fide Mexican fare: In place of sloppy enchiladas, chef Erwin Ramos serves up inventive plates including tacos de cangrejo, crabmeat tacos with crème fraîche and baby spinach, and costillas de puerco, pork ribs cooked in banana leaves with a chili ancho peanut glaze, which go down even better when accompanied by pitchers of the potent house sangria and bowls of fresh guacamole prepared tableside by friendly waiters. 11 Springfield St., Cambridge, MA 2139, olegrill.com.
Ole Mexican Grille
Walking into this colorful Inman Square eatery is like entering the dining room of a spirited Oaxacan family. A five-piece mariachi band plays by the bar, and casually dressed waiters chime in with howls. As for the food, executive chef Erqin Ramos turns out the sweetest tomatillo-spiked salsa verde thsi side of the border, plus other lesser-known delicacies like chayote succotash, a traditional side dish made with an indigenous Mexican starchy vegetables that's a cross between a squash and a pear. 11 Springfield Street, Cambridge, MA olerestaurantgroup.com.
Ole Mexican Grill
In the quest for great Mexican, of which Boston has little (relative to, say, El Paso or San Diego), much recent praise has been heaped on the champions of 'authentic' cuisine, and on pre-Hispanic recipes like cuitlacoche crepes. But you know what? Sometimes we don't want to munch fried grasshoppers. Sometimes we want enchiladas with damn good rice and beans. And so we've rediscovered our love for Olé, where chef Erwin Ramos serves mole and pozole as authentic as any out there, but isn't too proud to serve chiles rellenos and shrimp tacos, too. (By the way: The latter, stuffed with pickled cabbage and gently fried camarones, are worth their weight in Spanish gold.) 11 Springfield St., Cambridge, MA 2139, olegrill.com.
Ole Mexican Grille
Hope at last for those who've tolerated the bland psuedo Tex-Mex prevalent in Boston. A warm yellow-and-orange dining room (in the Inman Square location) with Mexican tiled tales and a tin ceiling takes you away from New England. The tamales are wonderfully tender and steamy in their banana-leaf wrapping and mole sauce, and the Tacos al Carbon are fabulous. 11 Springfield St., Cambridge, MA .
The Squealing Pig
With so many excellent Irish pubs in Boston, it's tough to stand out. The Pig, however, is where to go when you want to feel both at home and 'back home.' Proprietors Sara Cole and Diarmund O'Neal are Irish nationals who honed their barman's craft at local institutions like J. J. Foley's, and after 12 years, their Mission Hill establishment retains a homey charm. Save for the Pig's remarkably good bar food, it's the closest you'll get to a Dublin pub without a plane ticket. 134 Smith St., Boston, MA 2120, .
Waypoint
NINA GALLANT. STYLING BY ELLE SIMONE This seafood restaurant helped hatch the trend of democratizing caviar, once solely served on special occasions. Its caviar pairings—Belgian with Siberian, or Israeli with Royal Osetra—come with doughnut holes, blini pancakes made with white corn and Maine-sourced phytoplankton, or (during late-night service) one-bite “bumps” topped with buttermilk cream. 1030 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA waypointharvard.com.
Stow Acres Country Club
Stow Acres is like the Tiger Woods of municipal courses. Not Tiger in 2004, but Tiger circa 1999, when he brought his A-game to every round. Originally opened in 1921 as a nine-holer, Stow now features two 18-hole courses, both designed by Geoffrey Cornish, including the North Course, acknowledged as one of the most challenging public courses in the nation. Off the greens, the club offers just about every golf option known, from lessons to a pro shop to corporate leagues to a lively 19th hole. 58 Randall Rd., Stow, MA stowacres.com.
Farfar's
Maybe you hate the beach. Maybe beautiful homes and manicured lawns make you sick. If you're an ice cream lover, you still have one great reason to go to Duxbury: Farfar's. It's where the creamiest, smoothest ice cream gets doled out in such pure and intense flavors as peanut butter, banana, and ginger. And the sundaes? They're the object of weekly pilgrimages from all over the state and one of the region's greatest (frozen) assets. 272 St. George St., Duxbury, MA farfarsicecream.com.
Wulf's Fish Market
We like to think of this Brookline mainstay as the ultimate neighborhood monger, one that demonstrates its openness to the community through its displays: Pristine whole black bass, local squid, and carefully portioned fillets of sole and salmon are all laid out on ice for close inspection rather than hidden behind panes of glass. Local chefs have taken notice of Wulf’s wares as well, and the shop is angling for a restaurant distribution license. In the meantime, we suggest throwing one of their signature halibut steaks on the grill for your next seafood feast. 407 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2446, .
Mary Chung
Canny gastronomes make it a habit to trail MIT's international students to the area's top home-style Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American spots. So when we heard that Mary Chung was a hit with the grad students, we immediately set out to investigate. Befitting its Szechwan focus, the menu at this friendly Central Square hole in the wall is heavy on the heat. Start with the zesty Yu Hsiang eggplant and the dan dan noodles with shredded chicken, and finish up with the less-spicy crispy duck, which comes off the bone tender and juicy. 464 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 2139, marychung.com.
Lucia Lighting & Design, Inc.
Photograph by Michael Piazza A gorgeous chandelier in a lighting emporium is one thing; that same chandelier in your home can be quite another. Which is why Lucia's showroom is a superlative place to peruse your options: Task lighting is displayed in kitchen-inspired settings; vintage-looking brass fixtures are shown off in what look like real dens. Suddenly you're seeing things in a whole new light. 311 Western Ave., Lynn, MA 1904, lucialighting.com.