Uniform
Saturday afternoon. T minus two hours. Sure, there was chemistry in your e-mail exchanges, but now your blind date is about to size you up in person. The team at Uniform, helmed by the highly stylish Gary Ritacco, will help you appear effortlessly with-it. Both rabid and reluctant shoppers will feel in their element, thanks to the store's downtown elan and array of easy-to-wear options, which include knits and jackets by Original Penguin, Ben Sherman, and Modern Amusement, and a denim stash that features True Religion and the tougher-to-find L.A. brand Crate. 511 Tremont St., Boston, MA uniformboston.com.
Vizio Optic
Squint through those frumpy, outdated spectacles of yours and take a good look around this sleek Brookline Village shop. You'll readily appreciate the cache of 1,000 or so designer frames, dotted with cult brands (Kamuro, Kata) and European faves (Face Face, Lafont). You'll admire optometrist-owner Galina Rabkin's staff of brainy-chic glamazons. And you'll absolutely obsess over the one-of-a-kind photo booth providing a 360-degree view of how various pairs of glasses work with your face—something that, while it might seem gimmicky, can save hours of agonizing in hindsight. 11 Harvard St., Brookline, MA 2445, viziooptic.com.
BriteSmile
For Hollywood celebs, bleached teeth are as essential an accessory as an unauthorized sex tape and a kabbalah bracelet. We've got no advice for you on those last two, but we can point you toward BriteSmile for the first. After a quick consultation, spa manager Karina Nolasco settles you into a reclining chair and hands you a pair of earphones so you can watch TV while a licensed dentist preps your teeth for the painless blue light. About an hour and a half later, you'll walk out with movie-star chompers of your own. 75 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, britesmile.com.
Toscanini's
This stuff is outrageously creamy. The consistency is mousse-like without being airy, rich without being heavy. Toscanini's selection of original flavors seems to change hourly (depending on how busy they are) and ranges from the exotic (cardamom) to the stout (Guinness...yes, that Guinness) to your basic chocolate and vanilla. The prices are a bit steep but worth it. 899 Main St., Cambridge, MA .
Sadhana Studios
At Sadhana, the vibe is cool and the yoga is hot—over 95 degrees. Try out a steamy session with co-owner and teacher Glen, and see why he's racked up a cult following. Or quiet your mind in the studio's unique sadhana class, a two-hour session of traditional yoga topped off with formal instruction in meditation. 15 Worcester St., Boston, MA 2118, sadhanastudios.com.
Bella Sante
Massages have a practical application, of course: to offer relief for the aches and pains brought on by too many hours logged at the gym (okay, in a desk chair). But in the short term, all we really want is complete relaxation—and that's exactly what we get at Bella Sante. Our therapist's muscle work soothed our stiff lower back, and after slipping back into a plush robe post-treatment, we floated right out the door, ready to face the world again. 38 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, bellasante.com.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
Even if you don’t spring for the absurdly indulgent six-hour "Boston Breather" package—including a scrub, pedicure, facial, and more—it’s easy to while away the day at this 16,000-square-foot oasis four floors above Boylston Street. Book an aroma stone massage, detox wrap, or just a mani/pedi, and come early to relax in the vitality pool and steam room. Extend the aah with healthy bites at the Spa Café. 776 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2199, mandarinoriental.com/boston/luxury-spa.
Ann Sousa
After hours in the chair and a few hundred bucks, your color had better be perfect. Sadly, that's not always how the story ends. And when a dye goes awry, it feels nothing short of disaster. Sousa will survey the damage and explain her plan of attack, patiently tackle the lengthy resuscitation, and ultimately get you that happy ending. Salon Mario Russo, 9 Newbury St., Boston, MA mariorusso.com.
Larry Fidalgo, Fidalgo Floors
The scene of the crime is that newly purchased, splendid Victorian house whose floors are battered by years of abuse and besmirched with coats of deck paint. Enter Larry Fidalgo and company—and 24 hours later, stunning pine planks gleam from beneath a coat of crystal-clear polyurethane. Not only does Fidalgo refinish soft- and hardwood floors, but he installs them, as well. Among his clients are the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Restoration Society of Charlestown. Which isn't a bad way to finish. Somerville, MA
Marc the Handyman
If you don’t know a wrench from a wire cutter, you’d be wise to keep Marc Hedges in your contacts. No task is too small for this punctual, responsive pro, who will hang your new flat-screen, baby-proof your house, caulk your tub, and just about anything in between while you sit back and watch the items on your to-do list disappear. hedgesmarc.wixsite.com/handyman.
Plaza Bar, Copley Plaza Hotel
Pianist Dave McKenna. And the best free hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour. Boston, MA
Settler's Glass Companies
Face it. When the windshield needs to be replaced, you want it done yesterday. Our staffer received service within three hours.
KingFish Hall
Unless your mother has the culinary savoir-faire of Todd English, you likely did not grow up on "chowdah" that tasted anything like what you'll find at KingFish Hall. Hence, the house's smartly dubbed "Not the Clam Chowder Your Mother Made," a perfect blend of cream, clams, and potatoes, served with homemade oyster crackers. Should you get bored with the original concoction, there's always the lobster and corn chowder, or the mouthwatering gumbo and bisque. 188 South Market Building, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA .
Plaza Bar, Copley Plaza Hotel
Smoked oysters, mussels, pâté, tuna, cheese—all on a cart circulated through the room. Copley Square, Boston, MA .
Allston Car Wash
Heaven knows it's not easy to be a car around here. Six months of winter spent sloshing around in salty slush, on-street parking under sap-oozing trees; scuffs earned on the mean streets around the Big Dig. That's where Allston Car Wash comes in. The tough but friendly employees at this Allston institution know how to transform a down-and-out car into a sparkling, good-as-new machine. In a few hours, they'll buff the exterior to a gleaming new shine and leave the interior cleaner than on the day it rolled out of the factory. A complete detailing costs about $150, but it will protect your car's finish for about half a year. And after all it endures for you, isn't your ride worth it? 434 Cambridge St., Allston, MA allstoncarwash.com.