Provincetown

two-bedroom Blue Suite: The 2,200-squarefoot space offers a full kitchen, a private hot tub, a fireplace, and your own private entrance to the beach (which you probably won’t leave until the sun rises the next morning). 20 Fordham Way, Newbury. 978-463-6128; blueinn.com

Dining

BAKERY

MAISON VILLATTE

Boris Villatte trained with the legendary Eric Kayser and Alain Ducasse in Paris and plied his trade around the world before moving to Falmouth to open a bakery-patisserie named Maison Villatte. Here, his classical education shines in such treats as pain aux raisins , éclairs, and fruit tarts. Then there are the little meringue kisses, savory croissants, and breads flavored with bacon, cheese, and olives. These treasures are so masterfully made that they retain a moist crumb long after lesser loaves turn stale. There’s no better baguette in New England, and the large, country-style rounds are worth the oftenlong waits during the peak summer season. 267 Main St., Falmouth. 774-255-1855

BAR

THE BALDWIN BAR/BALDWIN & SONS TRADING CO.

Perhaps it’s partly their unexpected setting (the former Baldwin mansion in suburban Woburn) or the fact that they’re connected to their sister restaurant, Sichuan Garden, where dry hot chicken wings stoke a thirst for cocktails by bartender Ran Duan. But even without the element of surprise, these two bars would win awards. Their menus are different—the first-floor Baldwin Bar goes the more tropical/ tiki route, while the second-floor Baldwin & Sons has a vintage vibe—but the attention to detail is the same. Upstairs, the Betty Draper pairs gin and lime with a cloud of coconut air. Downstairs, bitters cozy up to rum and cream sherry in a concoction called Death Proof. Duan is winning national titles on the competitive bartending circuit—come see what all the fuss is about. 2 Alfred St., Woburn. 781-9358488; thebaldwinbar.com

BRUNCH

ARTISTRY ON THE GREEN

This is no massive hotel brunch buffet designed to overstuff and overwhelm. Like the 22-room inn that houses it—a Relais & Châteaux beauty just a stone’s throw from the Lexington Common, where the Revolutionary War began— this is a boutique experience. The well-curated menu features fluffy buttermilk pancakes with orange butter and real maple syrup, eggs Benedict with brown butter hollandaise, and a hanger steak with Anson Mills grits. Just the right number of choices to please everyone. It’s the perfect way to begin a day of trekking through history. 2027 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington. 781-301-6655; innathastingspark.com

Comfort Food Superfine

The Cambridge restaurant scene lost one of its darlings when chef Matthew Gaudet decided to shutter his 3-year-old award-winning restaurant, West Bridge, due in part to high rent. His next move: heading to his wife’s North Shore hometown to open a casual counter-service spot with great salads, pizzas, ribs, and burgers, all with little touches to elevate them. For example, there’s lamb sausage and pepperoncini on one pizza; the kale salad comes with honey, preserved lemon, and chickpeas; ribs arrive glazed with whiskey; and the burger is offered in beef and fish variations. 25 Union St., Manchesterby-the-Sea. 978-526-0964; superfinefood.com

FARM-TO-TABLE DINING

CANTINA 229

The menu may be fully global—from Chinese tea-smoked chicken to richly smoked eggplant with za’atar and labneh to the classic American burger—but the orientation is entirely local. Chef-owner Josh Irwin, who first opened Cantina 229 as a casual Taco Tuesdays supper club with wife Emily Rachel in 2014, can tell you all about the pork and vegetables raised right there on the property, or about the goat cheese from nearby Rawson Brook Farm, or the greens from down the road. Even the building itself, a lovely post-and-beam, was constructed and then renovated using local materials. 229 Hartsville–New Marlborough Road, New Marlborough. 413229-3276; cantina229.com.

General Store Monterey General Store

The general store may be an endangered species, too often shrunk down to a rack of chips, a wood stove, and an aisle of groceries, but the form still thrives in unassuming Monterey, east of Great Barrington. This 1780 emporium sells flaky croissants, local produce and cheeses, pantry staples, and a thoughtful selection of gifts. Owner Scott Cole is a chef by training, which is obvious the minute you tuck into a slice of plum-hazelnut tart or the beef tenderloin sandwich. Come for breakfast, and enjoy fresh scones and a view of the Konkapot River. 448 Main Road, Monterey. 413-528-5900; monterey-general-store.com

Steakhouse The Bancroft

In designing a modern steakhouse for the suburban shopping hub of Burlington, the Webber Restaurant Group and chef Mario Capone seem to have examined every archetypal element of the genre, deconstructed it, and rebuilt it with a twist. So while there are banquettes and plenty of dark wood, the feel is airy and modern. And while still boasting steak tartare, creamed spinach, and plenty of chops, the menu remixes all the standards with unexpected accents (such as violet mustard, made with pressed grapes, in the tartare) and local produce (the Webber Group also owns Gibbet Hill Farm in Groton, which supplies the kitchen). Yet, true to the best steakhouses, the wine list is huge, the service polished, and the kitchen consistent, turning out meat cooked perfectly to temperature and with a mouthwatering crust. 15 Third Ave., Burlington. 781-221-2100; the-bancroft.com

Boston + Cambridge

Attractions

ART MUSEUM

ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM

Few small museums in the world are as admired—or as distinctive—as the Gardner. Its namesake socialite and arts patron lived and entertained in this four-floor Italian palazzo before designating it and all the art within as a museum in her will. Today, with a modern wing newly added, the Gardner houses a simply stunning collection of international paintings and sculpture, with an emphasis on American artists such as John Singer Sargent. 25 Evans Way, Boston. 617566-1401; gardnermuseum.org