The Altered Bride
The dress may garner most of the attention, but no vision of white tulle is complete without a few painstakingly chosen accessories. And the more perfect they are, the better the odds they came from the Altered Bride. For more than a decade, Boston brides (and bridesmaids) have made this boutique a crucial stop on their way to the aisle. They come to quiz the knowledgeable and experienced staff and browse the exquisite offerings of jewelry, shoes, and veils, as well as the area's largest collection of handmade tiaras. In her new and expanded Boylston Street space, owner Roseanna Martino acts as a guide, strategizing ensembles that are both simple and extravagant. And when even that is not unique enough, she's happy to provide custom-designed headpieces and veils. 376 Boylston St., 2nd floor, Boston, MA .
Rafanelli Events
If there's a party on earth that Bryan Rafanelli and his staff can't pull off with élan, we've yet to see it. Renowned for creating grand entrances, Rafanelli has arranged everything from a Dixieland band leading an entire wedding party into a reception hall, to a links-loving couple's arrival in a golf cart. With every last detail taken care of (and we mean everything, from personalized save-the-date cards to attendants' gifts and even pantyhose) harried brides can rest easy on their big day, a luxury worth any price. 450 Harrison Ave., Suite 401, Boston, MA rafanellievents.com.
The Maids
We aren't ones to cry over spilt milk, as our floors can attest; our couch has more hair on it than our cat. Without a speck of judgment, the Maids clean up our act month after month, dusting baseboards, degriming showers, and all but eliminating any traces of pet (except for, of course, the pet itself). They're quick, well priced, and unobtrusive: Aside from the preternatural sparkle and neatly triangled toilet paper, you'd never know they'd been there. maids.com.
Belly Wine Bar
This city has no shortage of fab cellars boasting wine menus as thick as a midsize town’s phone book. But lately we’ve been digging vino programs that trade exhaustive depth and range for singular points of view. At Belly Wine Bar, co-owner Liz Vilardi (who also owns the shop Central Bottle) crushes hard on old-world beauties with brash, tart, and downright dirty tendencies: lambruscos, Beaujolais, orange tannin-bombs, funky Savoie whites. All of which just so happen to pair beautifully with the house-cured salumi. Go figure. One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 2139, bellywinebar.com.
Bread & Chocolate
With the steady proliferation of Whole Foods, Bruegger's, and Panera, there's no shortage of places to stock up on baked goods out west. Bread & Chocolate, a three-year-old independent outfit in Newtonville, rises above all that mass-produced stuff on the strength of such house-made offerings as fluffy Irish soda bread, pecan-studded sticky buns, glossy fruit tarts, whoopie pies, and gigantic coconut cupcakes filled with lemon curd. The coffee shop atmosphere here goes a long way, too—and the ultracreamy cappuccinos help wash down every last bit of those oh-so-crumbly raisin scones. 108 Madison Avenue, Newtonville, MA 2460, .
French Memories
The low-key town of Duxbury is better known for bivalves than brioche, but that doesn't keep this café's Paris-born bakers (the same artistes behind Café Vanille in Boston and Chestnut Hill) from turning out the most decadent pastries on the South Shore. Flaky napoleons, rich éclairs, petite financiers, elegant pear tarts, all types of crusty loaves, and other French classics beckon from the shelves, but it's the enormous croissants—especially apricot and chocolate—and the chewy-moist coconut macaroons (a.k.a. congolais) that really convince pastry lovers that the world's their oyster. 459 Washington St., Duxbury, MA 2332, frenchmemories.com.
Diesel Cafe
Diesel is just what a coffee shop should be: a balanced union of hip and cozy. Helping up the cool quotient in Davis Square, Diesel has walls full of original artwork, high ceilings with exposed beams, red-felt pool tables, and comfy couches. Favorites of the house: Vietnamese coffees, aromatic teas, various espresso concoctions. Amenities: a laptop-friendly environment and miniboxes of cereal at breakfast time. Best part of the experience: being able to glance out the window at the green sign of a certain Seattle-based cafe and feel darned good about going indie. 257 Elm St, Somerville, MA diesel-cafe.com.
Aquitaine
There's no shortage of French technique in Boston, but few restaurants can effectively transport you to Paris for the night. Aquitaine, in the lovely old St. Cloud building (master architect Nathaniel J. Bradlee's 1869 homage to the French flat), feels like a real 11th-arrondissement brasserie. Gold-stenciled mirrors, an oversize chalkboard, and voluptuous floral arrangements (courtesy of Spruce) look the part. But it's the buttery, bouquet garni-rich classics—mussels en cassoulette, escargots de Bourgogne—that keep us coming back again and again. 569 Tremont St., Boston, MA aquitaineboston.com.
Linda Reisert, Sort Order
Linda Reisert likes to say she cleans closets for a living—which she does—but that covers only a fraction of her work. In reality, Reisert gets paid to think for her clients, and to know precisely when and where they'll reach for life's necessities. Her roster of VIPs draws heavily upon the city's business elite, people who value her talent for tailoring services: In the case of working moms with a tendency to hoard, Reisert is equal parts therapist and taskmaster; for globe-trotting money managers with multiple offices and homes, she's an invisible ally who streamlines personal calendars and business files. 38 Hancock St., Boston, MA 2114, .
Bella Skin
Likable as Trina Holland and Chani Leighton are, you'd think twice about meeting them in a dark alley. Focused, relentless, whip-quick—the seemingly easygoing owners of Bella Skin harbor serious ninja skills. As it happens, that makes for outstanding hair-removal technique: Armed with hard wax (sticks to hair, not skin) and chitchat, they strip clients smooth in a near-painless flash. While everything from furry brows to fuzzy toes is fair game, first-time bikini and Brazilian waxes are a specialty. Newbies never know what hit 'em. 846 Walnut St., Newton, MA 2459, .
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
Some Sunday mornings require a little time spent catching up with our favorite sister, bloody mary. And the best place to find her in these parts is at the East Coast Grill. The bloody mary bar here goes beyond the traditional to offer tipplers a choice of ingredients—citrus squeezes, herbs, spices, vegetables, and hot sauces—to add to their base of vodka and tomato juice. From there you can get to the next order of business: pulling up to a hearty plate of grilled sausages, tropical fruit pancakes, a fluffy avocado—black bean—salsa omelet, cornbread-crusted French toast, and the Sunday paper. 1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA eastcoastgrill.net.
Blue Ginger
Asian-influences fusion cuisine has made it to the suburbs. This time around, it is being done with intelligence, restraint, and style, in this case by Ming Tsai, a Yale-educated, French-trained Chinese chef who was a pacesetter in San Francisco and Santa Fe before coming East. Star of a 40-part series on the TV Food Network, Tsai mixes Western (mainly French) and Eastern (mostly Chinese, with a little Japanese thrown in). The resulting dishes, like the fabulous Long Island duck breast marinated with achiote pepper, candied ginger, thyme, and garlic, should be enough to get even the most devoted urbanite to venture out to Wellesley. 583 Washington St., Wellesley, MA .
Bia Bistro
That contented sigh that comes with shucking off the 9-to-5 suit in favor of jeans and a tee? It's the same one you might hear any night at this four-year-old bistro, as diners relax into its placid charms. Dusky red walls and buttery candlelight set the scene for chef Brian Houlihan's contemporary versions of European comfort-food classics, like duck confit with poached figs, steak au poivre, and tarte Tatin. Figure in a modest but irreproachable wine list, and a night at Bia goes down easy in every sense. 25 N. Main St., Cohasset Village, MA 2025, biabistro.com.
Provisions
Its name may sound utilitarian, but don't be fooled. This homey café makes the most tempting sandwiches on the island, like the aptly named Turkey Terrific: Thick, home-baked wheat bread topped with smoked turkey, buttery stuffing, cranberry sauce, and just enough mayo creates portable perfection for the beach or taking in the Straight Wharf view. Our only advice: Try not to order it every day; the entire sandwich menu, as well as the homey, baked goods and sweets (lemon squares, cranberry-walnut pound cake), deserves your full attention. 3 Harbor Sq., Nantucket, MA 2554, .
Scullers Jazz Club
So it's in a hotel, so what? Suits and garment bags can be forgotten in this dimly lighted club with its huge windows overlooking the Charles. Scullers consistently provides the city with great jazz—local bands just rising and bigger names in their prime (and post prime). The summer lineup has included Shirley Horn, Stanely Turrentine, and Herbie Mann. Scullers is a true jazz club, however, not because of its acts but because of its clientele. Even on a quiet weeknight, the crowd will clap wildly after a good solo and holler when the drummer starts to kick it. DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, 400 Soldiers Field Rd., Boston, MA .