She's Leaving Home
Poetry, performance art, and Brazilian food (what else?) upstairs, next-wave music below. When it happens, it happens. 80 Kilmarnock St., Boston, MA .
Sweet Sis
Incredibly moist and fragrant was our consensus. And why is it that all of a sudden Newton has become a hotbed of culinary art? 1302 Washington St., West Newton, MA .
Laura Young, who retired from dancing last May after 25 years with the Boston Ballet
Always graceful, always strong. Young was the tantrum-proof center of the Boston Ballet. She will remain as director of the Boston Ballet II and the Summer Dance Program.
Downsview Kitchens and Fine Custom Cabinetry
Replete with glass cabinetry, cleverly disguised appliances, and showcase-worthy islands, the spaces designed by the team here are functional works of art. Boston, MA downsviewofboston.com.
Hermitage
Classic Russian cuisine amid the best modern-art exhibits in the city. Dinner is both pricey and erratic, though. 955 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Kevin White
Exonerated by the office of the U.S. attorney. Was there ever a dodger so artful as our Kevin?
Campus-ManRay
The interior looks like Metro's, the graphics look like Spit's, the setting's Central Square, and the art is, well, different. But it works. 21 Brookline St., Cambridge, MA .
Cheng Xiaoming Chinese Acupuncture and Herb Services
Trained in the art of ancient Chinese herbal medicine, Cheng Xiaoming uses hundreds of local and imported flora and tubers to remedy ailments and balance the body and mind. 1170 Beacon St., Brookline, MA .
Chimera
Whether you’re looking for a work of art by Bocci or traditional exterior lanterns by Fourteenth Colony Lighting, a visit to this Fort Point outpost promises to be illuminating. 327 A St., Boston, MA 02210, chimeralightingdesign.com.
Artsmart
Life's little necessities—from CD racks to toothbrush olders—artfully wrought, along with terrific accessories for the home, in two tantalizing shops. 272 Congress Street, Boston, MA .
"More Than Minimalism: Feminism and Abstraction in the '70s"
Edited by curator Susan Stoops, the catalog for this fascinating show at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University is lucid and informative, with essays and quotes from scholars and women artists.
13-Up
State of the art, with imaginative programming by Joe Verange. 13 Lansdowne St., Boston, MA .
SoWa Winter Festival
Returning this holiday season, this event is the ideal winter one-stop shop: Get all of your gifts from local arts and craft vendors while enjoying food and cocktails, all graced by the glow of ice sculptures. 500 Harrison Ave., South End, MA 02118, sowaboston.com/sowa-winter-festival.
International Poster Gallery
Why? Because no one else can hook you up with an original art-nouveau Mucha on silk, or a first-edition movie poster from Stanley Kubrick's Lolita. Lolita, 205 Newbury St., Boston, MA .