Daniel Bruce
More than 300 wine festival diners and he has yet to duplicate a menu. The chef not only foraged the wild mushrooms on your plate, but the sumac in the iced tea. When it comes to a passion for his craft, Bruce can't be beat. Rowes Wharf, Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston, MA .
Rowes Wharf Restaurant at the Boston Harbor Hotel
Jasper White's torch has been passed to chef Daniel Bruce. Many of the ingredients in your meal Bruce has either harvested, foraged, hooked, trapped, netted, and/or shot. Pass the Local Wild Mushrooms over Stoneground Cornmeal Polenta, please. 70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA .
Blue Nami
A solid sushi bar, with seasonal specialties like soft-shell crab, and traditional Korean dishes like bulgoki, cooked at your table and served with eight separate side dishes, including three kimchis. And you're on a ship docked in Boston Harbor! 310 Congress St., Museum Wharf, Boston, MA .
Mather-Williams Nuptials
Former Harvard professor Kirtley Fletcher Mather, eighty-nine, and Muriel Speare Williams, sixty-three, said "We do" on May 31, before a packaged house at Cambridge's Memorial Church. The happy couple is motoring cross-country on an extended honeymoon—an example to young cynics everywhere. MA
Winston Flowers
Winston has cornered the petal market west of Boston. Its bright blooms are consistently the freshest around, and whether you want rare lilies or timeless red roses, Winston always finds your flowers. Plus, its unique year-round arrangements and gourmet gift baskets make present-sending simple. 31 Central St., Wellesley, MA winstonflowers.com.
Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Institute
Twenty bucks for yoga? Om, no. At Baron Baptiste's Monday and Wednesday community classes, $7 buys 90 minutes of eagles, dolphins, and downward dogs. Expect to lose about a gallon of sweat—though not your shirt—in the center's heated environs. 2000 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 2140, baronbaptiste.com.
Campus Night at Manray
Think young. Then subtract two years. That's the average age of a ManRay patron on Thursday "Campus Nights," which draw a 19-plus crowd of supersweet male eye candy and their admirers. Spectators are welcome, and young women (sexual preference uncertain) pour in by the hundreds to bump bodies with Ivy Leaguers in designer blacks. 21 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA .
Club Cafe
From dumpy to delicious, your options are unlimited at Club Cafe on Saturday nights. Guppies mingle around the piano bar or cruise the back lounges where music set at just the right volume stimulates conversation, and inexpensive drinks hasten lubrication. 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Arnold Aboretum
Looking for nature close to the city? Grab your walking shoes and head for the Arnold Arboretum. This "museum of living plants" provides you with 278 acres worth of walking, jogging, and birdwatching. But don't pack a lunch—picnicking is allowed only on Lilac Sunday. 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA .
The Red Inn
With its wide windows and incredible vistas, this circa-1915 inn offers a clam's-eye view of Provincetown Harbor and the lighthouse at Long Point. Hardwood floors and beamed ceilings set the mood for platters of fresh-off-the-local-boat cod, lobster, and oysters. The only thing missing is sand between your toes. 15 Commercial St., Provincetown, MA theredinn.com.
Dropkick Murphys
Okay, a crushingly obvious choice. But consider that the Dropkick Murphys were able to get Bruce Springsteen on their first new studio album in four years—a kickass, heartfelt record that hit number six on the Billboard Hot 200. And now they're headlining at Fenway next month. dropkickmurphys.com.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Shoe heaven is, in fact, a place on earth—and you can find it at this second-floor salon, where heels from Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and other stalwarts mingle with pairs from rising stars like Tabitha Simmons and Sophia Webster. In short: If your soles need saving, look no further than Saks. Prudential Center, Boston, MA 2199, saksfifthavenue.com.
Hudson
Interior designer Jill Goldberg’s expertly merchandized eight-year-old shop has all the rugs, furnishings, and knick-knacks that make a house a home. You’ll leave with an Assouline book, a Brahms Mount throw, and a whole new design perspective. 12 Union Park St., Boston, MA 2118, hudsonboston.com.
DePrisco Jewelers
This family-run business has helped grooms-to-be avoid the tyranny of the little blue box for 60 years. DePrisco's personable employees, wide-ranging stock of designer and in-house lines, and tendency to knock a few hundred bucks off the asking price can put the most nervous buyers at ease. 333 Washington St., Boston, MA deprisco.com.
Best Fit
The elegantly appointed changing areas and owner Lyudmila Sletkova's painstaking workmanship evoke a bygone era. They also ensure that, whether you've gone a touch brideorexic or decided to don Mom's '70s-era gown, Sletkova can nip your dress into shape without any skimpy-curtain indecency. 268 Newbury St., Boston, MA bestfitinc.com.