Dewberry Dogs & Cats Too
Pets can get dirty in a matter of seconds. So why does it often take months to schedule a groomer appointment? This cozy spot offers greyhound-fast service (often in the same week you called) and an assertive yet warm touch that will help bring out your buddy's best look. 357 W Broadway, South Boston, MA 1217, dewberrydogs.org.
Margie at Changes
If the thought of parking on Newbury Street gives you hives, wheel into the lot beside Changes and ask for Margie to turn your bad hair day into something that will have you crowing, "I'm worth it." Channel 5 newswomen swear by her, as does her devoted west-suburban clientele. 1160 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
Bombay Club
If you think there are no new party ideas under the sun, you haven't tried a tandoor barbecue. The Bombay Club will bring its traveling tandoor to your door and provide food that is drop-dead delicious—the baby lamb chop kebabs are great—guaranteed to dazzle even the most worldly palates. 57 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA .
Mike's Autobody
Luxury dealerships send their customers to Mike's, which specializes in high-end automobiles, making scratched and dented Porsches and Mercedes-Benzes look like new again. It can do the same for your car. But while the vehicles here tend toward the expensive and pretentious, the service doesn't. 251 Broadway, Malden, MA mikesautobodyofmalden.com.
Crane Beach
Four miles of white sand, more than 200 species of birds, and awesome striper fishing in the flats. And, if you have a boat, you can get to the backside, an unpopulated part of the beach that stretches on so far, you'll feel like you're at the edge of the earth. Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA .
Carter Dayton Home
The interior designer Michael Carter teamed up with the retail visionary Lynn Dayton to create a Wellesley showroom that doubles as a valuable resource for professionals. Think of Carter Dayton Home as the answer to all your decorating prayers—it even offers a fabulous array of fabrics, wallpapers, and lighting usually available to the trade only. 276 Washington St., Wellesley, MA carterdaytonhome.com.
Bristol Lounge
The only difference between one cold glass of gin and another is where it's served and how (assuming, of course, it's good gin to begin with). The Bristol takes the prize with its tableside pouring, the generous garnish of olives, and the comfy seating. Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St., Boston, MA .
Upstairs at the Pudding
The minute you step out of the high-ceilinged dining hall and onto the lush green patio, you will be transported to another world. Sip a cappuccino amid roses and bougainvillea; enchant your mate under starlight. Rumor has it that the restaurant's proprietor gets up before dawn to pamper this fantastic roof garden. 10 Holyoke St., Cambridge, MA .
Siam Square
The atmosphere isn't much, but the food is. Ask for the brown menu—reserved for Thai diners—and order the Steamed Mussels, the Tod Mun fish pancakes and the Green Papaya Salad with Sticky Rice (roll the rice into a little ball with your fingers and then dip into the papaya). 86 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA .
The Gigolo Aunts
After five years without a release, the Gigolo Aunts burst back onto the music scene with Minor Chords and Major Themes, a disc so infused with kicky pop sensibility it landed them in People magazine and won them an opening slot on summer tours for Matthew Sweet and Counting Crows. Welcome back.
Shalimar
The aroma from the tandoori oven greets you at the door, and the food on the plate does not disappoint. As the "Kashmiri Song" goes, "Pale hands I loved beside the Shalimar." After eating the hot tandoori chicken, though, your hands are likely to be a mite flushed. 546 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
Cuppow
Anyone who's ever sipped from a mason jar has endured its main pitfall: spillage. Enter the "Cuppow," a sippy lid invented by Somerville's Joshua Resnikoff and Aaron Panone. It screws on top to streamline beverage flow and keep liquids in their rightful place (in the glass, not all over your plaid shirt).
The Boston Phoenix
"Cardinal Sin" by Kristen Lombardi in the Boston Phoenix, March 23, 2001, which reported four months before the Globe that the court had sealed documents related to whether Cardinal Bernard Law knew in 1984 about Geoghan and did not remove him.
Seven Stars
If you want to read up on holistic health or simply expand the horizons of your mind, Seven Stars, in Harvard Square, offers the greatest collection of esoteric books in the area. Subjects include tarot, metaphysics, old wisdom, astrology, meditation, relaxation, and visualization. Co-owner Yvonne Paglia (an astrologer herself) is a great resource. 58 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA .
Frank Webb Home
With working displays, experienced showroom consultants, and a selection sourced from the largest plumbing distributor in the Northeast, Frank Webb can be trusted to guide you through everything from going green to finally upgrading your showerhead. 307 Dorchester Ave., Boston, MA 02127, frankwebb.com.