Dragon Pizza
These pies clearly show a passion for the art of pizza-making without being too precious for a Tuesday-night snack. Toppings are top-notch and cover every craving: There’s the ruddy spice of house-made red-wine-and-garlic sausage. The sweet-and-salty dialogue between bacon and drizzles of chili-spiked maple syrup sourced from a sugar shack in the Adirondacks. Even citrus accents to balance the richness in Dragon’s lemon-chicken pizza, a nod to the signature dish at the late, great Hamersley’s Bistro. Read more 233 Elm St., Somerville, MA .
Bliss Gift & Bridal Registry
Rather than furnishing newlyweds' houses from top to bottom, Bliss concentrates on outfitting them with some of the most exquisite and stylish tableware available. Feeling overwhelmed by the shelves of Alessi kettles, graceful Iittala glasses and vases, Bernardaud china, and CJ Vander flatware? Worry not. The staff here not only knows everything about this merchandise but also is well trained in the art of guiding couples through the selection process. Furthermore, the Web site lets guests easily make their purchases from afar, all registry gift wrapping is complementary, and there's a registry completion program that includes 10 percent off anything a couple purchases themselves after the wedding. 2257 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA blisshome.bridgecatalog.com.
Drink
The previous generation (Eastern Standard, the sadly defunct B-Side Lounge) may have planted the seeds for a cocktail revival, but Fort Point newcomer Drink—with its house-made liqueurs and garnishes, mid-bar herb garden, and bespoke ice cubes—presents the modern imbiber's paradise in full flower. The brilliantly designed winding bar hides the bottles and puts the bartenders front and center as they work off of their imagination, rather than preconceived menus. Everything from the custom drinks to the linen-and-mini-water-glass setup at each seat is meant to focus the patron's attention on the matter at hand: the serious art of cocktail making. 348 Congress St., Boston, MA 2210, drinkfortpoint.com.
Oishii
The name means "delicious," and the food delivers on the promise at this new addition to Boston's sushi scene. (Move over, Ginza.) Hidden away off Route 9 in Chestnut Hill, Oishii was opened by brother-in-law chefs Ting San and Kung San, both of whom trained at New York's raw fish temple, Nobu. On offer are generous portions of delectable fresh fish presented with great art and friendly service. Exclusivity is guaranteed: Oishii seats only 12. However, if you're willing to drive to Sudbury, it has already spawned a somewhat bigger branch. 612 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA oishiiboston.com/about-ch.html.
Ilex Designs
There are floral bouquets, and then there is floral art. Ilex is in the latter category, orchestrating fields full of fresh blooms—luminescent calla lilies with orchids and fluffy penoes with full-petaled, butter-hued French tulips. Even the simplest of arrangements are minimalist treasures, such as one with mango-hued garden roses, glossy green anthurium, and pale apricot hypericum berries. The staff, talented as it is, couldn't be more helpful or down to earth. When you're handed your arrangement, you won't know whether to put it on the dining room table or in an exhibit case. 73 Berkeley St., Brookline, MA ilexflowers.com.
Charles Street Flowers
This is the kind of place where Harry might have stopped to buy a bunch for Sally. The look and feel of Charles Street Flowers is old Boston, as is much of the clientele—but the shop serves its share of young lovers too. Strolling by on Charles Street, you'll be lured into this secret garden by its floor-to-ceiling windows, which are filled with hanging ivy and artfully arranged pots of flora. The small interior is packed with everything from daisies and sunflowers to lilies and orchids; it is clean, bright, and a pleasure to navigate. A vase of crisp cut flowers starts at $40 (it's a small financial jump to a $50 arrangement, but worth it). There's also a bookcase filled with glorious pots of hand-arranged dried roses. 115 Charles Street, Boston, MA .
Chester
In a town where buff young men in designer newsboy caps spend the better portions of their sun-filled days debating the question of where to eat dinner, said dinner had better be worth the discussion. At Chester, it is. Even if it didn't boast a cosmopolitan interior of butter-yellow walls and bright art, a handsome, diverse clientele, and attentive service—Chester would be worth it for such culinary lovelies as foie gras with rhubarb confit and just-off-the-boat lobster in rich lobster coral sauce. Cap it off by ordering the orange blossom-honey mousse with caramelized blood oranges. Now the only question left is where to work off the calories. 404 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA chesterrestaurant.com.
Leon & Co.
You'd expect to find a kindly gardener and art collector holed up in Belmont. But a jet-setting hair- and fashion-industry giant? In Leon de Magistris, they're one and the same. Between chopping models' locks in Italy (where the revered Tocco Magico has named deMagistris its U.S. artistic director) and jaunts to New York to teach other stylists the latest cuts, de Magistris still finds time to keep everyone in his quiet, close-knit suburb trimmed and styled to perfection. 84 Leonard St., Belmont, MA leonandco.com.
West Newton Cinema
There are three key criteria that elevate a cinema to superior status: the caliber of the screenings, the comfort of the seats, and perhaps most importantly, the quality of the concession stand. West Newton Cinema's management mixes art house releases with a few mainstream flicks and serves popcorn that's decidedly above average. And while four of the six auditoriums have been updated with Star Trek-style seating (renovations of the remaining two are under way), the exterior and the foyer still retain their old-fashioned character. With Lumière right across the street, it's a recipe for the perfect date. 1296 Washington St., Newton, MA westnewtoncinema.com.
Ginza Restaurant
Raise your hand if you're tired of the same standard sushi, meal in and meal out: tuna maki, salmon sushi, tuna sushi, salmon maki. We're tired of it, too, which is why we thank our lucky stars for the Chinatown flagship branch of Ginza. This restaurant proves there's life beyond the basics with artful orchestrations such as Boston maki—lobster, salmon, rice, lettuce, and a smattering of salty roe. Lest you assume that creativity eclipses flavor here, it doesn't. Everything from the cooked octopus to the seasonal raw seatrout is sweetly fresh, cut to order, and best washed down with any of the 12 varieties of sake. 16 Hudson St., Boston, MA ginza-boston.com.
Cocoon
This family-run store may seem small, but it's packed with objects to render your home as cozy, chic, and vaguely exotic as its name. There are intricately beaded silk table runners, art deco picture frames, mammoth plants, exquisite scented candles, artsy salt and pepper shakers, gorgeous Asian antiques, and a flat-out stunning selection of French tulips, Chinese bamboo, and other exotic flowers available by the stem or bouquet. Make sure to allow ample browsing time, then circle back again; you're sure to stumble upon another unique piece you missed on the first pass. 170 Tremont St., Boston, MA cocoonhome.com.
Furniture by Dovetail
In the traditional-furniture smackdown, the allure of an artisan hunched over his work right here in Massachusetts always wins out. So in Dovetail, a 20-year-old family-owned company based in Holden, just 50 miles from Boston, it was clear that we had our champ. Using hand-selected hardwoods, these folks turn out masterfully crafted, individually signed Shaker, Mission, Arts and Crafts, and Prairie furnishings, as well as custom work fit for any Ivy League reading room. Which, since Dovetail counts Harvard, Yale, and Princeton among its customers, only stands to reason. 2284 Washington St., Newton Lower Falls, MA 2462, furniturebydovetail.com.
La Royal
The third time is most definitely another charm for husband-and-wife team chef JuanMa Calderón and Maria Rondeau. This year they followed up their nationally acclaimed restaurants Celeste and Esmeralda with La Royal, a Peruvian dinner party—pink neon bathes the back-bar’s Pisco bottles—in Cambridge’s quaint and quiet Huron Village. Between the stemmed glasses overflowing with sweet, citrusy ceviche and the feasts of whole branzino grilled in plantain leaves, it further elevates Calderón’s already artful cooking. Three words: We’re dazzled again. 221 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, laroyalcambridge.com.
Gus & Ruby Letterpress
If you’re going to request the honor of someone’s presence at your wedding, you better make sure the invite is enticing. That’s where Gus & Ruby comes in. Launched 14 years ago by best friends Samantha Finigan and Whitney Swaffield, the Portsmouth, New Hampshire–based stationery business — which now has a brick-and-mortar outpost in Beacon Hill — specializes in creating customized invitations developed with each couple in mind. Experts in letterpress, the duo’s creative designs are true works of art that your guests won’t ever want to toss — right down to the envelope liners, which can include gorgeous illustrations of whatever you fancy. 99 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, gusandruby.com.
The Boston Athenaeum
This venerable institution reopened last November after a thorough $17 million renovation at the hands of Annum Architects’ Ann Beha, with a mission to shed its stuffy reputation as a Brahmin redoubt and to become a resource that’s inclusive and welcoming to all. Now even the hoi polloi can entertain at one of the country’s oldest independent libraries and art museums: The elegant space is available to rent for first-class events like private dinners, weddings, and other celebrations. Everybody’s welcome on the guest list — just don’t bump into that priceless marble bust. 10½ Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108, bostonathenaeum.org.