Brian's
Serious chocoholics, take note: one of these confections can make your day. Wonderfully chocolaty, moist and chewy, they're nirvana for brownie lovers. Also available at Starbucks and Coffee Connection shops. 8 Elm St., Brookline, MA .
The Bookstore Café
Not only can you sit in a dining area upstairs, attractively done in butcher block and ferns, but you can peruse a how-to-cultivate-ferns tome while you sip your coffee. South Market Bldg., Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston, MA .
Mango liquado from Carmen's Place
Blended mango, milk, and honey, with cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. But let your imagination soar: you can combine any of the available fresh fruits with milk, yogurt, or ice cream, plus honey and fresh-ground spices. 52 Boylston St., Cambridge, MA .
La Piccola Venezia
After a short slump, the food is better than ever, the prices as low as ever, and the house red wine as much fun as ever. There's even a waitress who'll sing "Happy Birthday" in Italian. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA .
Castle Island
This is where Whitey used to go to commune with nature, collect his thoughts, and avoid electronic surveillance. If you happen to run across him now while on your daily constitutional, we hear there's a reward.
Chamber Theater Productions
Here's to a 16-year-old Boston-based for-profit company so successful with its touring theatrical productions for junior and senior high school students that it is now able to be a corporate sponsor and support other local arts organizations.
Ann Brown Allen
This gifted member of the Dance Collective has guested with numerous local companies and brought the house down on several occasions—most notably during her solo performance this past spring at the Joy of Movement Studio Theater.
Jeffrey Lyle, Emerge
A savior for those dying to have born-with-it blond locks, Lyle mixes up a shade so natural and places it so artfully that your roots will be ashamed to show themselves. 275 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, emergespasalon.com.
Darren Le
Le considers himself, as he puts it, a teaching artist. That means a snip session with this rising star will not only rock your locks, but also leave you a wiz at recreating the Le-styled look in the weeks to come. G2O Spa and Salon, 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA g2ospasalon.com.
Victoria Turovsky, Blü Salon
We're not kind to our feet. We shove them into toe-squishing shoes, pound them on rough pavement, and expose them to God knows what in the locker- room shower. Not to worry: Victoria Turovsky smoothes over all these small cruelties. She sculpts away unsightly calluses and banishes dead skin before shaping and shading our toenails into polished perfection. 118 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage
As a country, we take our hamburgers seriously; they are, after all, our native food. Luckily, the fine citizens at Mr. Bartley's offer more than 20 top-notch variations, each reasonably priced, awesomely juicy, and served with a free side of snark: The George Bush Jr. ('not bad for a C student') combines tangy cheddar and Texas barbecue sauce, while the Ted Kennedy comes with a 'liberal' pile of mushrooms and cheddar. It's enough to make a satisfied patron stand up and sing 'God Bless America.' 1246 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, mrbartley.com.
Boston Instant Shoe Repair
After clomping around the city for a few years, our Italian-leather boots were in dire need of a makeover. "Oy. You must really love these,' said this shop's proprietor as he noticed the wood and nails poking through the heels. He tenderly brought them back to life in just three days, and our boots were again ready to strut their stuff. Boston, MA
Central Bottle and Provisions
We've had it with snotty wine sellers. You know what? Sometimes all we want is an oaky California chardonnay. Instead of judging our palates or wallets, the folks at Central Bottle approach our preferences and budget like a fun riddle. That the in-store tastings are built around themes like "Bad-Ass Winemakers" only confirms this shop's populist approach. 196 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2139, centralbottle.com.
Michelle Lee, Salon Eva Michelle
Don't let Michelle Lee's warm, chatty demeanor fool you. This woman is absolutely ruthless with a pair of shears—in the best way possible. She pulled no punches when telling us the problems with our current haircut (too heavy in the back, weirdly choppy in the front, not enough movement anywhere), and promptly got to work trimming and styling with aplomb. Thirty minutes later, it looked like half our mane was on the floor. The style left behind, however, was nothing short of impeccable. 118 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, salonevamichelle.com.