Back Bay Laundry Emporium
The heel of your shoe is falling off. There's marinara sauce on your tie. Your rug smells like Chinese takeout. You've been going to CVS in the morning—to buy socks. Enough. It's time to clean up your life, but the problem with your life is that you have no time to clean up. Luckily there's the Emporium, the only place where you can pick up your dry cleaning, drop off your laundry, have your shoes repaired, store your winter coats, and get your rug cleaned at 10:45 on a weeknight. If your shirts have ever been trapped for a month at a laundry that closes before you get out of work, this is the place for you. 409-A Marlborough Street, Boston, MA .
Bloom Couture Floral Studio
Flowers, at their essence, are really just plain fun. And no one has more fun with flowers than Suphoj Chancheaw, who infuses each of his arrangements with a sense of effervescence and a clear appreciation for sculpture. Whether you opt for next-day delivery on a custom or pre-designed arrangement or join a floral workshop led by the master himself, you’ll find it’s easy to transplant Chancheaw’s passion for blooms into your own life. 769 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118, bloomcouturestudio.com.
Porchfest
West African drummers, punksters, Bollywood funksters, and space rockers, all jamming out on porches, patios, and more across Somerville. This outdoor festival just might be the only time all year that you’re going to be happy to hear your neighbor play the guitar. With copies appearing in Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Arlington, and at the Lawn on D, it’s clear the fun(k) is now infectious. somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest.
Redbones
The years-long influx of challengers has ebbed, the smoke has cleared, and the winner and still champion is...Redbones. This is barbecue the way it's meant to be: noisy, messy, and crowded, with a selection of thick, meaty ribs that reads like a geography lesson—Texas, Memphis, Arkansas, St. Louis. Not in the mood? Try the fried Louisiana catfish or grilled sausage sandwich, or skip straight to the pecan pie. And don't forget to wash it all down with one of the 24 beers on tap. It's enough to make even a southerner all weepy. 55 Chester St., Somerville, MA redbones.com.
Panificio
Warm sun streams into this Charles Street bakery-cum-café's expansive windows, where the clientele kicks back (sometimes for hours) over high-octane lattes, crumbly slices of walnut bread, and the daily papers. And while you can clearly witness the hustle and bustle outside, it fades as you sink deeper into the shop's meditative momentum. 144 Charles St., Boston, MA panificioboston.com.
Parish Cafe
This bistro doesn't dub its sandwich selection "The Great Ones" for nothing. Some of the city's best chefs have contributed recipes for lavishly layered concoctions sure to make your mouth water. Steer clear of the calzone, and instead sink your teeth into the Capital Grille's Smoked Salmon on brioche, the Pudding Portobello with onion marmalade, or Norma's Zuni Roll with cranberry chipotle. The latter ensures you'll never look at a turkey sandwich the same way again. 361 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
International Buddhist Progress Society
You'd never know it from the outside, but the Buddhist Society, between Harvard and Central squares, is an oasis of peace, zen, and—great food! Start of with a little mind-clearing in the meditation room, pick up some literature about spiritual happiness, then settle in the beautiful tea room, sip superb tea ($5 "donation" per pot), and snarf up eye-opening snacks ($3 "donation"). Nine to five will never be the same. 950 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
The Beachcomber
Whoever said you can't please all the people all the time clearly hasn't been to the Beachcomber. Awesome views and beach access? Check. Long list of cocktails and heavy-pouring bartenders? Got 'em. Live music? Yup. As far as we can tell, the only thing missing is a cot in the corner — so we never have to leave. 1120 Cahoon Hollow Rd., Wellfleet, MA 2667, thebeachcomber.com.
Gloucester Street Cigar Company
A clear-cut winner here: The Gloucester Street Cigar Company outshines every other smoke shop in the city for cigars, pipes, and accessories. The cigar selection, especially, is easily the best in town; the help is friendly and knowledgeable; and the markup is kept within reason (unlike at a certain cigar club a little farther up Newbury Street that gulls wannabe aficionados into paying $9.20 apiece for the same Ashton 8-9-8 that goes for $6.60 at Gloucester Street). 34 Gloucester St., Boston, MA .
Great Eastern Trading Co.
Make sure you clear your schedule before stepping inside this time warp of a store, which stocks clothing and accessories dating to the 1920s. You’ll need plenty of time to browse rack after rack of still-good band tees, three-piece crochet sets, ’70s-era palazzo pants, forever-stylish leather jackets, quirky vests, and just about anything else your vintage heart could desire. Multiple locations, greateasternvintage.com.
Jennifer Catrambone, Prettyology
If the best way to judge a good aesthetician is by her skin, Jennifer Catrambone wins this award easily—her face is clear and radiant. Her spa-side manner is equally as inviting: Combining a clinical approach with luxe touches (hot lavender towels, a gentle upper-body massage), Catrambone offers more than 20 treatments, from medical-grade facials to chemical peels and microdermabrasion. 18 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, prettyology.com.
Sabon
In the world of cosmetics—full of synthetic chemicals you can't pronounce and futuristic plastic packaging you can't dispose of with a clear conscience—the soaps, scrubs, and other skin-care products from Sabon are a welcome change. And a fairly appetizing one, at that, since many of the ingredients (brown sugar, honey) are as at home in the pantry as they are atop the vanity. Much of the line comes in recyclable glass jars, and nothing is tested on animals. Human testing, on the other hand, is something else entirely: Customers are encouraged to sample liberally to find their favorites. 129 Newbury St., Boston, MA sabonnyc.com.
Michael Albor, The Loft
When you're clearly a brunette—by coloring, heritage, and attitude—why do so many Boston stylists pressure you to go blond? The one man who gets brown in this town is Michael Albor. Wielding all the luscious shades (burnt umber, auburn, bronze), he creates a vibrant palette without a hint of brass. Unfortunately, the secret is out, so if you're fighting the clock to cover grays, book way (way) in advance. 253 Newbury St., Boston, MA theloftsalonanddayspa.com.
Fitcorp
Let's be clear: Gyms are not health clubs. They are not about watercooler antics and needless amenities; they are about sweating. Period. And with its slew of state-of-the-art equipment (strength-training machines, free weights, treadmills, Stairmasters, bikes, and ellipticals), that's what Fitcorp's Prudential Center flagship is about. There's also a diverse mix of fitness classes and programs, and a full-time fitness training staff. All of that should be motivation enough for anyone. Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., Boston, MA fitcorp.com.
Dominick Mango
Mango's shop, The Image Maker, at 28 Boylston St. in Cambridge, is the favorite of our art director, Sam Savage, who should know about these things. For one thing, Savage says, Mango managed to clear up some pictures he could barely see on the contact sheet. "We give quality prints without killing on the price," Mango says. The Image Maker also has one-day developing service. The Image Maker, 28 Boylston St., Cambridge, MA .