A Whispering Angel Culinary Garden, and More To Explore This Summer

With summer in full swing, Boston is booming with new restaurants, wine experiences, rocking stays and more.
Shop art, fashion, beauty and more with delectable bites in hand at the Seaport Summer Market.

SHOP Come summer, Bostonians can’t get enough of the outdoors. Thanks to Seaport Summer Market (seaportsummermarket.com) by Boston Seaport by WS Development and The Makers Show, locals can now shop in the warm, open air. For the weekends of July 8 to 10 and Aug. 5 to 7, head down to 85 Northern Ave., where over 60 vendors will take over the whole block. Shop local art from J.S. Dykes, engraved home decor from GAF Home and hand-block-printed linens from Amisha Designs. Plus, attendees can enjoy pierogies, waffles, gelato and libations from Tuscan Kitchen, The Fat Cactus and more—who can pass up a shopping spree with a side of vitamin D?

Golden Cod’s fish necklace makes a splash to any jewelry box.

WEAR Wear a little piece of the Northeast wherever you go with The Golden Cod’s (shopthegoldencod.com) new summer releases. A celebration of New England and its heritage, the brand’s array of products are exclusively made by local artists, like wood carver Derek Abbott or jewelry designer Jessica Ricci. Treat yourself to delicate staples, like the Golden Cod gold pendant necklace—an artisanal piece designed with 14K gold vermeil and a gold-filled chain.

While sipping fine wines, guests can enjoy local cheeses, snacks and accompaniments.

POUR Wine connoisseurs, this one’s for you. All summer long, Harvard Square’s Bonde Fine Wine Shop (bondewines.com) is hosting sommelierled wine tastings, where guests can sip a flight of three handcrafted wines encompassing a different theme every week. “I must admit that all topics and themed events will be extraordinary, fun and special,” says Bonde Fine Wine Shop sommelier Bertil Jean-Chronberg. “Each event focuses on interesting things within the world of wine that patrons can discover and understand.” Jump into July with the Rosé All Day event on July 3 and 10 before learning more about West Coast bottles, all-natural practices and female winemakers.

Skip the travel hassle with a quick flight from Boston to Nantucket—you’ll be sunning on the beach in the blink of an eye.

FLY From hours in traffic to rocky ferry rides, going to Nantucket is everything but a breeze. However, Tradewind Aviation’s (flytradewind.com) new partnership with Fisher Real Estate (fishernantucket.com) is here to kill your travel woes. For the 2022 season, homeowners, renters and long-term clients of Fisher Real Estate can take advantage of the Jet-to-Nantucket partnership, which offers 5% off flights or as much as 10% off a package of flights from the top-rated airline. “Arriving in style by jet ensures that our hard-earned time off is spent doing the things that make Nantucket so special,” says Lara Hanson, Fisher Real Estate broker. Take off from Bedford’s Laurence G. Hanscom Field or Boston’s Logan International Airport to start your Nantucket weekend in 30 to 40 minutes—four-hour travel days are a distant memory.

Backstage guests get access to The Verb Hotel’s amenities like a year-round, heated outdoor pool, extensive record collection and on-site Japanese restaurant Hojoko.

STAY Enjoy an all-access pass experience at Fenway’s newest addition, Backstage at The Verb Hotel (theverbhotel.com), opening late this summer. This rock ’n’ roll Fenway stay packed with priceless memorabilia has always been a hot spot for the top musicians like Blue Oyster Cult and Slipknot, and now, guests can really live like rock stars. Tucked behind the hotel, in the shadow of Fenway Park sits 10 custom, retro trailers, decked out with their own theme and luxurious amenities: Think king beds, step-in rainfall showers, Nespresso machines, Victrola record players and an outdoor space for listening to concerts next door. “Each of the trailers were to have roamed different regions of the country, seeking music venues and more,” says owner Steve Samuels. “Ultimately, these vehicles have been called to rest backstage at The Verb Hotel, bringing their regional histories along with them.”

Harvey Traveler founder Dave Everett saw Erica Hagler’s bright, abstract work in a spin studio and knew she’d be a great fit for the project.

AID Since February, over 12 million Ukrainians have been displaced by the Russian invasion. While some people fled with their pets and livestock, thousands of animals have been left behind. And now, one Boston-based travel accessories brand is here to help. Enter Harvey Traveler (harveytraveler.com), whose limited-edition HT for UA tote bag is raising money for animals in Ukraine. Recently launched, 100% of the bag’s profits will go to the Humane Society International in its efforts with UAnimals. The tote features a meaningful graphic from local artist Erica Hagler of Blind Fox Art. “The image created shows a cat and a dog, incomplete in form, in the colors of the Ukraine [flag],” says Hagler. “Dave [Everett, the founder] wanted a simple and meaningful image that could convey the gravity of the situation and the fragility of animals in times of trauma.”

Open through October, the Culinary Garden is a must-visit for Whispering Angel lovers

POP Rosé all day is a way of life, especially at the Inn at Hastings Park’s (innathastingspark.com) Culinary Garden. Featuring a selection of Château d’Esclans’ rosés, Whispering Angel will be flowing all summer for the exclusive dining experience at this luxurious Lexington inn. While chef Alissa Tsukakoshi cooks up lunch and dinner bites like nectarine panzanella salad with tomato, goat cheese and basil, up to 24 guests can sip in the ethereal garden. Rustic wood farm tables, blush accents, overhanging trees and garden boxes housing the herbs used in Tsukakoshi’s dishes set the scene for a seasonal affair like no other.

Rally for Tennis founders Alek Karagozyan and Tait and Cole Oberg.

PLAY Support local disadvantaged youth on and off the court this Aug. 14 at Rally for Tennis’ (RFT, rallyfortennis.com) annual philanthropic event that benefits Advantage Kids. Last summer, junior tennis players Alek Karagozyan and Tait and Cole Oberg kicked off the inaugural RFT, raising over $12,000 for the nonprofit organization that supports at-risk youth tennis players’ aspirations. “Having lost the ability to play during the pandemic, we recognized the impact tennis has on our lives and how fortunate we are to have access to the sport,” says Tait. Held at the Longfellow New Hampshire Tennis & Swim Club in Nashua, this year’s event is sure to be a rousing success with an afternoon of games, raffles, a free tennis clinic and more.

With over 300 bottles, Krasi has the longest Greek wine list in the country, making it the ideal tasting spot

SIP This Aug. 17, allow Krasi (krasiboston.com) sommelier and wine director Evan Turner to transport you to one of the premier wineries of Greece, the Alpha Estate, which has been crafting bottles for over 20 years. Turner, who lived in Greece during his youth, will be pouring the finest wines from their collection while sharing fascinating details about the region and its specialty winemaking styles. As part of Wine Symposium Wednesdays, the event welcomes oenophiles to experience the most delectable wines Greece has to offer while learning about their origins.

Tony Award nominated actor Will Swenson is starring in The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise.

WATCH Beginning with a poor, Jewish boy from Brooklyn, Grammy Award-winning artist Neil Diamond’s heartfelt story to stardom is not to be missed as it takes the Emerson Colonial Theatre (emersoncolonialtheatre.com) stage. Through July 31, the pre- Broadway world premiere of The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise, starring Tony Award-nominated Will Swenson, is sure to bring the audience to their feet with hits like “America,” “Cracklin’ Rosie” and Boston’s own favorite, “Sweet Caroline.” Although not a New Englander, Diamond’s connection to Boston began early in his career when he played his first Revere show in 1967. Since then, he has rocked the area’s top venues almost 40 times, visiting the city in each decade of his over 50 years of performing.