Branch Line
You don’t create the buzziest beer list around with ye olde faithfuls. Staying on top of the freshest stouts and saisons requires the kind of grunt work Magellan Casto puts in at Branch Line, where she racks up frequent flyer miles tracking down next year’s bucket-list brews. Sours from Swedish import Omnipollo, nouveau-Euro styles from New Hampshire’s beloved Schilling Beer Co., full-bodied ales from Finback—the former Bukowski Tavern manager seeks out the most coveted producers and gifts them to the suburbs. 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA 02472, branchlinearsenal.com.
Newbury Comics
Parents may feel better about parking their offspring with an electronic babysitter when there's more to choose from than the Wiggles or Baby Einstein. In a chain renowned as a playground for adult music fiends, the Fresh Pond outlet of Newbury Comics does right by ankle-biters, dedicating plenty of real estate to kiddie DVDs and CDs. From Pixar flicks to the Smurfs, Laurie Berkner to They Might Be Giants, there's a slew of entertainment options to be had. Much of it is sold gently used, too, which means indulging ADD inclinations (theirs or yours) is less of a budget strain. 211 Alewife Brook Pkwy., Cambridge, MA 2138, newburycomics.com.
Marathon Sports
Any running shop can outfit you with warm winter running tights, a cool stopwatch, or the best summer dry-fit shirt. But only the best can motivate you to actually get out and use the stuff you spent all that money on. Founded in 1975 and one of the first running specialty stores in the country, Marathon Sports provides as much inspiration as gear. The knowledgeable and eager salespeople invite you to test out your sneakers with a jog on the sidewalk before you buy, and the stores organize regular training runs and an annual 5-mile road race in Wellesley. Cheaper prices can be found, but with such expert guidance, Marathon Sports runs circles around the competition. 671 Boylston St., Boston, MA marathonsports.com.
Out of Town News
Big-city newsstands have mostly gone the way of afternoon dailies, but there are a couple of exceptions. Out of Town News gets the nod this year for four reasons. First, it's bigger than fellow standard-setter Copley Square News, and the extra real estate means it offers even more newspapers and magazines from all over the world. Second, it's a national historic landmark, meaning it's in little danger of disappearing. Third, it's right in Harvard Square, where the people-watching is first rate. And last, because Nini's Corner, directly across Massachusetts Avenue, is a pretty good newsstand itself—a boon to anyone too lazy to cross the street to find a magazine. Zero Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA .
Brattle Theatre
You can catch an Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu flick at any multiplex nowadays, but you won't see Boston Underground Film Festival highlights or a repertory series of World War II movies—or, for that matter, a weeklong Muppets marathon—anywhere else but the Brattle. The Harvard Square institution has been screening foreign, art house, and classic films for over 50 years, but it's much more than a sleepy civic treasure: It's holy ground for Boston's cineastes, budding film auteurs, and anyone who just likes to watch Casablanca on the big screen. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA brattlefilm.org.
Bobby from Boston
If you like vintage-inspired menswear from Ben Sherman and Rogues Gallery, you'll love Bobby from Boston, a time capsule of a boutique owned by world traveler Bobby Garnett. He specializes in filling his expansive South End space with collegiate sweaters, stadium hats, well-worn denim jackets, army surplus coats, and other goods you wish your grandpa had kept around. The reasonable prices suggest another era, too. Want more? Garnett also takes private appointments at his 5,000-square-foot storage warehouse in Lynn. 19 Thayer St., Boston, MA 2118, .
Uncle Pete's
A welcome addition to gifty, girly Beacon Hill, this new boutique is as hip as it is friendly. On any given day, you'll find Uncle Pete's proprietor Peter Tam chatting about everything from dark denim to indie music. His fashionable menswear lines include Rag & Bone, Tretorn, Cloak & Dagger, and Surface to Air, and he's eager to chime in with helpful, practical advice on what goes with what. Bonus: A women's section means your lady friend can look as cool as you, sir. (Buy her something nice, why don't you?) 119 Charles St., Boston, MA 2114, .
Dorfman Jewelers
Sitting on a block somewhere between Juicy Couture and Newbury MedSpa, Dorfman's looks a tad out of place among its campier neighbors. Chalk it up to the stately facade and, no doubt, to the fact that this store practically oozes staying power. For two generations the Dorfman family has dealt exclusively in European-cut diamonds and other gems; these days they also sell such illustrious names as Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Breguet. Perhaps most representative is the in-house Barbara Collection, open-link gold pieces inspired by the clan matriarch that are at once unpretentious and enduring—much like the venerable Dorfman itself. 24 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Pho Lemongrass
Great Vietnamese should be the way it is in Vietnam: simple, brimming with sharp flavors, and built with ingredients that shout their freshness. Enter Pho Lemongrass, where a diverse (and bilingual) menu overflows with anise-and-ginger-laced dishes. Pho, the beloved noodle soup of Hanoi, comes steaming in huge bowls and filled with the protein of your choice (the shredded chicken breast is the savory standout; less so, the tripe), and packed with crunchy bean sprouts, lime juice, and chiles. One of the best entrées is vegetarian—the lemongrass tofu, which is heartily textured, spicy, and scattered with peanuts and vegetables so fresh, they might as well have just been plucked from the Mekong Delta. 239 Harvard St., Brookline, MA pholemongrass.com.
Cafe Fleuri
With eclectic specials such as the Japanese breakfast (seaweed, pickles, broiled salmon with vegetables, steamed rice, green tea), or the fitness breakfast (yogurt, exotic mushroom frittata, six-grain toast), it's impossible not to find something to please even the pickiest clients. And while the tables are close together, the plush carpet and thickly cushioned chairs make for an unhurried setting. Le Meridien recently spent a little more than $2 million on Cafe Fleuri's renovation, hiring the Parisian interior design firm Pierres-Yves Rochon to create an atmosphere perfect for schmoozing. But you'll have to clinch the deal on your own. Le Meridien Hotel, 250 Franklin St., Boston, MA .
Café Fleuri
Before it reopened after renovations and started serving only dinner, Aujourd'hui at the Four Seasons had a seemingly unshakable hold on the title of best power breakfast. Now that honor has been decisively usurped by Café Fleuri—a sunny, cushy space at the Langham Hotel where every weekday morning the elite now meet to eat. Financiers, lawyers, politicos, and every bigwig in between file in to carve up the universe while they're carving up their fruit-covered waffles and Maine lobster and soft scrambled eggs. Breakfast of champions, indeed. 250 Franklin St., Boston, MA boston.langhamhotels.com/restaurants/best_boston_restaurants.htm.
Alex's Shoe Service
Been missing truly great customer service in your life? Here's some advice: Take an old or broken pair of shoes to Alexander's. This family-owned business takes pride in its work, whether it's making the new red high heels you bought on sale actually fit or resoling a favorite old pair. The staff is helpful, courteous, fast, and services are priced right. check out all those fun shoe products like buffers, pads, and polishes, too. They even repaired a dog's collar while we waited out on the steps. 6 Grove Street, Wellesley, MA .
City Salon
Huge second-floor bay windows and sky-blue walls make you feel like you're floating int he clouds as your cranium is massaged with soothing-scented liquids. The walls are lined with works by local artists, and the eight barber chairs are spaced comfortably apart in an airy room. But best of all is the zero-attitude, down-to-earth mentality of the stylists. No hippier-than-thou hair bullies here. The staff is friendly and helpful— co-owner Jeffrey cheerfully washes clients' hair; stylish Tonya volunteers techniques for blow-drying tresses to perfection at home. 118 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Stellabella
Kid alert: This well-laid-out shop in Inman Square has lots of room for wandering feet, plus fun and interactive on-site activities for curious minds. There's a play area with a crawl-through tunnel; a plastic structure holding more than 200 balls for jumping around in; a large-piece floor puzzle; a plastic house for climbing in and out of; and, most important, a storyteller the first Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m. And those things aren't even on sale! Stelabella has top-notch goods, including the usual suspects, like Radio Flyers and Lincoln Logs, as well as an impressive selection of arts and crafts kids. Open seven days a week. 1360 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA stellabellatoys.com.
Ski Haus
When you're looking for the deals on gear, the most helpful staff, and the widest array of clothes, you have to go a few miles out of town. That's because Ski Haus, on Route 129, is the black diamond of ski shops. Its package deals of skis and bindings beat all the better-known ski shops in the area, and staffers don't try to push the newest (read: most expensive) equipment. In fact, they volunteer last year's cheaper model if the design is basically the same. Plus, the hospitality while you wait for your new bindings to be mounted is first-rate. 320 Lowell St., Wilmington, MA .