Bliss Home
Hand-selected by proprietor Panamai Manadee, the au courant dinnerware patterns at this Back Bay boutique can convince browsers to send their own plates packing. Great news for those of us who, during our engagement, went blithely over to Ye Olde China Shoppe and, after scanning the matronly selection, grabbed the least offensive style. At Bliss Home, pick from brands that your mother never heard of, decked out in colors invented only last week. Then relax—because with table settings this eye-catching, your dinner guests won't even notice that you overcooked the poor asparagus. 225 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Bliss Home
We all know the standard china and silver registries backwards and forwards, but at Bliss Home, newlyweds learn to expect the stylishly unexpected. This is where they find not only exquisite Spanish handcrafted rugs and French crystal Champagne glasses, but avant-garde curvilinear bookcases and natural-horn pâté spreaders. Bliss consultants can guide you through the registration process even if you're a flat-, serve-, bar-, dinner-, or stemware novice. And if you think it all looks good here, just wait 'til you see it in your house. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA blisshome.bridgecatalog.com.
Kenneth Cole
What's not to love? Shoes that are hip, yet comfortable. A designer who's a dish, yet a good daddy. And an ad campaign that will make you laugh before you run out with your charge card to challenge Imelda for the crown. 128 Newbury Street, Boston, MA .
Forest Cafe
This cafe's a bit dark, a bit smokey, a bit of a hole in the wall, and a bit more country/western than Southwestern. But it has the most authentic Mexican food in the city— from old standbys like chiles rellenos and burritos to more imaginative creations such as pescado con mole verde (with pumpkin seeds and peanuts) and enchiladas poblanos (with a chile sauce flavored with bitter chocolate and sweet spices). Who says hot has to mean bothered? 1682 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
York Athletics
Breaking into the sneaker market in a town like Boston is no easy feat. We’re already home to the global headquarters of New Balance, Converse, and Reebok, not to mention Rockport and Saucony, which have offices in the suburbs. But York Athletics’ founders weren’t daunted. Even in Sneaker Town USA, they saw a gaping hole in the market, and an underserved consumer group of independent thinkers they could claim as their own. Read more yorkathleticsmfg.com.
Scandia Down Shops
So the stuffing's been knocked out of it, the cat scratched a hole in the ticking, and it's starting to look a little shabby. This is the store devoted solely to high-end year-round or seasonal duvets and linens. The staff will also arrange to wash, repair, and refurbish any of its models—from the 29-ounce, 330-thread count, white Hungarian goose-down Gossamer to the 37-ounce, 340-thread-count Hungarian goose-down Versailles. The Mall at Chestnut Hill, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
Villa México Café
Telecommuting has its perks, but none are as tasty as the grilled corn tortillas — with fillings like tender marinated chicken in a rich, complex mole sauce — that office crowds snatch up from this beloved stalwart of the downtown-lunch-hour scene. Made with palpable passion by matriarch Julie King and her daughter, industry advocate Bessie, the tacos are destination-worthy no matter where you work, but take a tip from the regulars and drench your carnitas in Villa México’s transcendent black salsa, now sold by the jar for snacking at home. 121 Water St., Financial District, MA 02109, villamexicocafe.us.
The Oak Room
Some hotel bars are trendy watering holes with rooms upstairs; others are mediocre places for conventiongoers to pickle themselves. The Oak Bar is another species entirely: an escape that's equal parts time machine (jazz piano; career bartenders doling out snack mix) and glorious splurge ($17 martinis delivered in an icy shaker; a Chateaubriand sandwich on brioche). 138 St James Ave., Boston, MA 2116, oaklongbarkitchen.com.
Julien Bar at the Hotel Meridien
There's no more appropriate place to seal the deal than in the Julien Bar, once the reception room for the governors of the Federal Reserve Bank and now the financial district's most appealing watering hole. But keep it clean: N. C. Wyeth's murals depicting Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton set a lofty tone. 250 Franklin St., Boston, MA .
Peter Cipriani, 29 Newbury
Sure, the only requirement for a good bartender is that he's quick with a drink. For a great bartender, stir in some personality. But to be elevated to Bar God status, you need a whole lot more. Peter has the perfect recipe: Take equal parts wit, charm, and smarts, add lightning reflexes with a lighter, perfect name recall, and fabulous looks, and top with a huge dollop of humor. No wonder 29 has been a magnet for big personalities- scientists and hairdressers and club kids and club owners - during the five years that Peter's held court. He thinks the patrons pack the small watering hole because they're "united in their love of alcohol." Ask a regular, and it's for Peter's sake. 29 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Savas Shoe Repair
While longtime sole man Arthur Savas might not, as one pal jokes affectionately, 'win any personality contests,' he is undoubtedly a shoe's best friend: re-heeling, re-soling, and otherwise patching up even the saddest specimens. But could he handle the spanking-new Pradas with the torn fabric-covered heel? Savas protested we were expecting too much...yet a week later the job was done, the work irreproachable. 260 Elm St., Somerville, MA 2144, .
Inde Salon & Skincare
Come for an expert cut and color, stay for the waxing, spray tan, and facial services at this full-service Quincy salon, situated in the first floor of a charming old home. With just a handful of chairs that face full-length mirrors, the intimate, sunny space feels even more like home once you sit down and chat with owner Hillary Deshler or one of her experienced stylists, all of whom are adept at creating beautiful, face-flattering looks. 46 Independence Ave., Quincy, MA 2169, indesalon.com.
Stone Hearth Pizza Co.
Of course, the better story would have been some cheese sliceslinging hole in the wall beating out the gourmet spots as our pizza parlor champ. Maybe next year. For now, you can't do better than the thin, chewy-crusted pies at Stone Hearth Pizza. If rarified toppings like arugula, white beans, Yukon gold potatoes, hot Thai peppers, and all-beef, nitrate-free pepperoni sound a smidge pretentious—well, yeah, they are. But they also make a mighty tasty pizza. And with a price tag of about $11 for a whole pie, you can afford to keep it real with a $4 draft. (A $4 artisanal microbrewed draft, but still.) 57 Leonard St., Belmont, MA 2478, stonehearthpizza.com.
<em>The Price Is Right</em> New Hampshire Incident
The Internet got a major kick this year out of the plight of Marshfield’s Catherine Graham, whose grand prize on The Price Is Right was a glamorous vacation to … New Hampshire (not exactly the exotic Tahitian adventure she’d been hoping for). But to sweeten the pot, tons of local businesses stepped up to make her journey across state lines a special one, offering a bounty of gifts and hotel stays. As one local official put it, they didn’t want her to take her neighbor to the north for granite. Well done.
Folklorica
The idea of handcrafts is intriguing; the reality, often ho-hum. Folklorica, however, hones its edge with one-of-a-kind creations by big names (Alexis Bittar, Jane Diaz) and sharp local talent. 61 Union St., Newton Centre, Newton, MA 2459, .