Lotus Designs
This is a florist that elevates blooms to a cultural experience. Breath-stopping bouquets mix long-stemmed red roses amid tall birds of paradise and other flowers selected fresh daily. Owner Jimmie Palakavong is a native of Thailand and his early immersion in Asian blossoms transforms a simple get-well-quick arrangement into a world-straddling work of art. The place to call if you want to send flowers that are remembered long after the last petal has dropped. 482A Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .
Treasured Legacy
Rosalyn Elder opened this gallery/bookshop almost four years ago to make African American culture both approachable and affordable, and to foster a sense of artistic heritage that had been lacking in the community. Elder offers reproductions by such celebrated African American artists as Romare Nearden and Jacob Lawrence, as well as handmade wares form Africa and original art by local artist. There's also a great selection of African American books, toys, games, and note cards; the store is both an inspiration and an education. Coplely Place/The Dartmouth Street Shops, Boston, MA .
Radius
Heralded as one of the 50 "most exciting" restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveler, this is the place where power brokers meet to wheel and deal over seared Arctic char, foie gras, and truffle-scented shrimp. Chef Michael Schlow and general manager Esti Benson have mastered the art of cuisine and flawless service—key factors when you're doing lunch under pressure. Oversized tables accommodate documents, and are far enough apart to ensure the utmost discretion. 8 High St., Boston, MA radiusrestaurant.com.
Hotel Green
With two hotels, an art gallery, and an upscale shoe salon to her name, Nantucket transplant Vanessa Noel practically is the island. Her 10-room Hotel Green manages to make "environmentally correct" feel entirely first class, with eco-friendly touches like hemp shower curtains, buckwheat pillows, ayurvedic toiletries, and cardboard furniture (which, if you're wondering, looks far nicer than it sounds). Even the wall paint is organic, as are the blueberry pancakes and fresh-squeezed orange juice in Café V next door. 33 Centre St., Nantucket, MA 2554, .
Oxtail Soup, Matt Murphy's Pub
Cynical James Joyce said that Irish art was "the cracked looking glass of a servant." Obviously, he never took the Green Line to Brookline for a pint of Guinness and a bowl of Matt Murphy's unique oxtail soup, a divine example of Irish artistry. Spicy beef broth, inch-thick carrot wedges spinach, onions, and Idaho potatoes make it a soup that truly eats like a meal. 14 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA mattmurphyspub.com.
Pieranna Cavalchini
Thanks to this easygoing contemporary-art curator, the Gardner has maintained one of the most vibrant artist-in-residence programs in the U.S. No doubt Cavalchini's close relationship with director Anne Hawley has also helped shape the museum's new Renzo Piano-designed digs, which will give the city one very hip theater-in-the-round. 280 The Fenway, Boston, MA 2115, gardnermuseum.org.
The Opera House
Since it reopened with The Lion King last year, the restored Opera House hasn't drawn the most inspiring of productions. But it does look great. The 2,600-seat theater is a jewel from the dying days of vaudeville, and it gleams with the sort of Beaux Arts gilt that ought to shame more-modern buildings: chandeliers, murals, even period-style urinals. Now if we could only get some shows to match . . . 539 Washington St., Boston, MA bostonoperahouseonline.com.
Flat Top Johnny's
Who needs waitresses in jackboots or martinis with funny names? You came here to play pool, not tipple and gawk at the scenery. Johnny's feels like a downbeat 1940s pool hall updated with a punk-rock vibe that cuts through the attitude dripping from those billiards palaces downtown. Funky conceptual art hangs above a dozen or so tables—enough so there's rarely a wait, but not so many that you feel like you're racking 'em up in a warehouse. One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA flattopjohnnys.com.
Kendall Square Cinema
Culture and film buffs thank the celluloid gods for this place to see all the idiosyncratic flicks that get reviewed in The New Yorker and The New York Times. Still the sole straddler of the art house/multiplex genres, it offers a great selection on nine screens and in many languages. Great snacks too: real biscotti and cappuccino, and birdbath-size containers of high-quality popcorn. All this and gumfree floors. One Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA .
Andrew Spindler Antiques & Design
There are furniture stores, and then there's this exquisite Essex shop, where every last piece is quirky, unusual, and utterly compelling. From colorful vintage prints to a stunningly original art deco aluminum bedroom set, Andrew Spindler's eclectic inventory says as much about the owner's depth of knowledge as it does about his unerring eye for beauty. 163 Main St., Essex, MA 1929, spindlerantiques.com.
A & J King Bakery
Husband-and-wife team Andy and Jackie King have built their business around the art of crafting thick, crusty loaves brimming with ingredients like olives, walnuts, and apricot fennel and baked fresh each morning while most of us are still drooling on our pillow. Naturally, they try to source ingredients from nearby farms, meaning their sweeter offerings change with the seasons—you wouldn't trust anything in March featuring strawberries, would you? 48 Central St., Salem, MA 1970, ajkingbakery.com.
Cabot's Ice Cream & Restaurant
This family-owned ice cream parlor is a flashback to the '50s, but what better era to find a real New England ice cream frappe? Here they've perfected the art, with three straw-bending scoops of ice cream blended in a tall frosty frappe glass (five scoops for the extra-thick variety). Your choice of nine flavors, including mocha, black raspberry, mint, and cherry, or mixed with strawberries, banana, or pineapple. 743 Washington St., Newtonville, MA .
Nomad
When you're over hipster onesies and cheeky monogrammed totes, venture to Nomad for rare objects that will remind your favorite dinner-party host of travels to exotic lands. The quiet two-story shop stocks folk art from Mexico, lanterns from India, jewels from Morocco, and other international treasures that change regularly. 1741 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140, nomadcambridge.com.
Sophie Hughes
It's all about craftsmanship for Sophie Hughes, who uses recycled precious metals and reclaimed diamonds to fashion each of her masterpieces by hand. The MassArt grad, whose boutique also proffers work from other local artisans, continues to win us over with her moon-shaped earrings, pared-down necklaces, and graceful bangles. 80 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA 02116, sophiehughes.com.
Cambria Grace
Memories fade, but photographs last forever. Thankfully, you can trust Cambria Grace to be everywhere you are and everywhere you can’t be on your wedding day. The Boston shutterbug’s camera is like an invited friend, bringing unparalleled intimacy to every teary-eyed gaze and loving embrace it captures. These aren’t stiffly posed portraits; they’re art prints meant to be framed, hung, and cherished for a lifetime. cambriagrace.com.