Pour Le Corps
Gives new meaning to feel the burn. Electrolysis is never a pleasant part of the grooming ritual, but this salon makes it easier with a relaxing ambience (and topical anesthetics). Your once-hirsute patch of skin may be tingling, but that's an improvement over the pain of more violent treatments. Since this delicate process takes time, it's especially comforting to find a competent, confidence-inspiring, and compassionate set of technicians. 224 Clarendon St., Suite 21, Boston, MA .
Louis Boston
We hate to break it to you: Your dog is definitely getting laughed out of the park in that chain store sweater. Louis's fashion-forward wagwear—print collars, camo rain vests, skull-and-bones hoodies—will have your mutt looking catwalk ready. The store also sells handpainted ceramic food bowls and (very civilized) squeaky monsters. 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2110, louisboston.com.
Barneys New York
A wise woman once said the only thing separating us from animals is our ability to accessorize. (Actually it was Olympia Dukakis in Steel Magnolias, but still, she was on to something.) What luck that Barneys has arrived to pacify our inner savages. The new two-story spot features bags, bangles, and beaded things from 220 designers, including totes by Goyard, shades by Oliver Peoples, pendants by Sonya Ooten, and cashmere scarves by Evelyne De Clercq. 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2116, barneys.com.
Kitchen Arts
A good cook knows a sharp knife is the fundamental ingredient of any recipe, and Kitchen Arts is the place to find a knife that will satisfy your inner Mario Batali. (It also sells sharpening steels for gourmands who want a surgeon's edge.) Once you get past the knives, you're ready for the nirvana of kitchen tools and accessories here, from tea strainers and seafood forks to copper pots and pans. 161 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Ilex Designs
Unlike those florists who oversalt otherwise decent bouquets with fillers and flourishes, Ilex co-owners Andrew Anderson and Carol Sharp are as restrained with their creations as gourmet chefs. Working with the freshest specimens of ingredients both familiar (peonies, roses) and less expected (pitcher plants, kale), they and their gifted design team put together naturalistic compositions that let each flower's individual flavor shine through. Delicate orchids are done especially well here, but rest assured anything from Ilex will be an absolute feast for the eyes. 73 Berkeley St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Paper Source
Located just a few blocks from the Porter Square T stop, this store beckons with a welcoming allure. Once inside, the right side of your brain is in overdrive. You may find yourself suddenly wanting to throw a party or wishing you were moving to a new address, just as an excuse to buy the unique invitations and announcement cards. In the back of the store is a separate room filled with a huge selection of stationery and in every possible shade and paperweight. An added plus: Workshops in bookbinding and paper-making are offered. 1810 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA paper-source.com.
Alan Bilzerian
With cashmere making an impressive showing on big-name designer runways this year, the once-snooty yarn has shaken its stuffy twin-set-and-pearls image. Alan and Be Bilzerian have been addicted to designing and manufacturing cashmere sweaters since Be found out she was allergic to wool. Alas, while cashmere has broken free from the land of country clubs and debutantes, the prices still require a trust fund or two. 34 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Orleans Inn
As the only waterfront restaurant in town, the Orleans Inn has reason to brag. But humble's the default setting at this 132-year-old spot above Town Cove, which has gone through many an incarnation (boarding house, supply store) to reach its current status as the top place to gaze and graze on the Cape, with a dining room serving up local seafood with stirring vistas. 3 Old Country Rd., Orleans, MA 2653, orleansinn.com.
The Juice Bar
We'll spare all you dogged ice cream testers the brain freeze and bellyache, the stained clothes and the extra pounds: On Nantucket, the only ice cream of consequence is at the Juice Bar. At this sage-green shop, blackberry, peanut butter, mint chocolate chip, and other homemade flavors teeter over enormous, just-baked waffle cones. The only thing not to love is the long line. But the chatty college kids behind the counter are industrious, so your hefty scoop is never too far off. 12 Broad St., Nantucket, MA 2554, .
Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium
While every scoop shop on the Vineyard proffers a rainbow of flavors, none do so with as much imagination as Ben & Bill's, which mixes things up with options that include chai tea and lobster, and a knockout Kahlua, Grand Marnier, and Baileys concoction called KGB. Portions are enormous, and you're allowed to sample endlessly. The place doubles as a candy factory, too, leaving no sweet tooth uncoated. 20A Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, MA 2557, .
Jake's Boss BBQ
Slow-smoked, slow-cooked, but served fast, Jake's pork ribs are greasy slabs of heaven. Or they would be, if heaven were built out of meat so tender it melts off the bone in saintly gobbets, doused in a sauce precisely balanced between infernal smoke and angelic sweetness with just the right smack of spices. The devout will also want to pay homage to the beef ribs, the brisket, and the "burnt ends," all of which are equally divine. 3492 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA .
Silvertone Bar & Grill
The ridiculously delicious marinated steak tips (or any of the simple, classic comfort foods, for that matter) are reason alone to head to this Bromfield Street restaurant for lunch or dinner. But owners Josh and Katy Childs offer much more. Silvertone has become a hangout for locals in search of a place both friendly and casual, a place that also just happens to care about the integrity of the food and service. Still unconvinced? You won't be once you sample the oven-roasted chicken scented with thyme and lemons, killer cocktails, or the remarkable wine list. 69 Bromfield St., Boston, MA silvertonedowntown.com.
Peach Farm
Check the specials before ordering at Peach Farm—the seafood is always right from the tank, the clams in black bean sauce taste fresh from the sea, and the lobster with ginger and scallions is the stuff Cantonese dreams are made of. If you don't like seafood, the braised chicken hotpot, at once complex and soothing, is a gem. The atmosphere is bustling, and the service keeps pace nicely. 4 Tyler St., Boston, MA peachfarmboston.com.
Todd Maul, Clio
While the sheer number of cocktails on the 80-drink list makes our frontal cortex twitch, it's the list's creator who brings it to refreshing, delicious life. With extreme attention to detail (black-lime-stuffed ice cubes, anyone?) and a downright hospitable attitude (we love a bartender who can carry a conversation from Roald Dahl to canoeing to why lemon juice extracted in a centrifuge makes the best Tom Collins), Maul runs a drink program like none other in the city. 370A Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, .
Johnny's Luncheonette
Having eaten our way across the MetroWest in a futile search for a challenger, there's little left to say except, once again, here's Johnny's. This four-time Best Of winner extends its run by virtue of its satisfyingly thick French toast and rib-sticking meals like pastrami skillet scrambles and Santa Fe burritos. Its sparkling-clean setup (surprisingly rare in breakfast joints) and '50s-style cheeriness further ensure its rulership over the early-bird roost. 30 Langley Rd., Newton Centre, MA 2159, .