Fresh
Nuts About Beauty, our favorite purveyor of natural body-care products and feel-good ephemera, has changed its name and moved to Newbury Street. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Dr. Mark Russo
Drawing on acupuncture and other Far Eastern practices, this vet's approach may seem unorthodox. But Kitty no longer pees on our floors—and who can argue with that? Kingston Animal Hospital, 192 Main St., Kingston, MA .
Michael Albor, the Loft
In the words of one $350-a-cut stylist (who thought the handiwork was his own), our Albor-made chestnut brown 'has never been better.' 207 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Lone Star Taco Bar
Bacon-wrapped and smothered in refried beans, crema, and chipotle mustard, Lone Star’s over-the-top Sonoran dog tastes best around midnight—wonder why that is? In fact, the Mexican spot’s full menu of satisfying snacks—including house-made chorizo tacos, piquant chili con queso, and crispy tostadas—is available until 1:30 a.m. every night at both the Allston and Cambridge locations. Pair them with a hydrating Topo Chico mineral water, and you’ll thank yourself in the morning. Multiple locations. 479 Cambridge St., Allston, MA 02134, deepellum-allston.com/lonestar.
Erbaluce
Named for a rare Piedmont grape, Charles Draghi’s Erbaluce is the rare 2018 restaurant that manages to do just about everything right without calling too much attention to itself. Maybe it’s the tucked-away Bay Village location, or, more likely, the fact that the veteran chef isn’t on Instagram and hasn’t tweeted in years, but is still in the kitchen night after night, churning out a soulful deep dive into northern Italian cooking, from wild boar meatballs that resemble breakfast sausage in the best way possible to an impeccable duck-egg-yolk carbonara with house-made bucatini. 69 Church St., Boston, MA 02116, erbaluce-boston.com.
Boston Park Plaza
A wedding’s not a wedding without a little opulence, and celebrations at the Boston Park Plaza—which wrapped a renovation in 2016—have it in spades. Already a prime destination for guests with its onsite restaurant, top-notch suites, and posh fitness club, the hotel woos couples with its Grand Ballroom—complete with gilded balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows, and breathtaking Baccarat crystal chandeliers. In addition to its undeniably elegant look, the show-stopping 780-person event space has hosted theater productions, so you can expect top-notch acoustics for your swanky soiree, too. 50 Park Plaza, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, bostonparkplaza.com.
Kacie Corbelle, KC Bridal Beauty
Styling upward of 40 brides per season, Kacie Corbelle is one of the most sought-after makeup artists around—and it’s easy to see why. Her bronzer and highlighter make a bride glow, while neutral-colored eye shadow adds a subtly seductive touch. And whether she’s working with Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Bernie Sanders, or you, she comes prepared: Equipped with foundation for all skin tones, long-lasting lipstick, and false eyelashes, the only thing she’ll ever wing is your eyeliner. 450 Harrison Ave, Boston, Massachusetts 02118, kcbridalbeauty.com.
Jarvis Appliance
If options are what you’re after, you’ll certainly find them at Jarvis. Family-owned since its founding in 1957, the Wellesley superstore teems with inventory from big-name brands: sleek gas ranges by Miele and Bosch; heat-sensing wall hoods from Thermador and Viking; and WiFi-connected refrigerators by LG and Monogram. And with a dedicated service team waiting in the wings, you’ll feel good knowing that your new appliances will stay in top form long after you take them home. 958 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA jarvisapplianceinc.com.
Landry & Arcari
Shopping for rugs anywhere other than Landry & Arcari is like installing wall-to-wall carpeting in your bathroom: You just don’t do it. Family-owned since its inception, the well-loved store proffers thousands of handmade treasures in styles ranging from traditional to tribal to contemporary. And service is also second to none: For proof, consider the team’s quick pandemic-induced pivot to offering customers an in-store shopping experience online, including sharing videos of the stacks of rugs available in the showroom and providing virtual consultations with design-savvy staffers. 333 Stuart St., Boston, MA 02116, landryandarcari.com.
WERS
We love a tote bag as much as the next person, but after a while, the GBH and New Yorker ones start to pile up. WERS, Emerson College’s radio station, not only plays some of the best eclectic music around town — from singer-songwriters, rock, and R&B to show tunes and a cappella — its live-music swag also beats all. Baseball caps, T-shirts, hoodies, and coffee mugs all blare your allegiance to Boston’s best college radio station and make you look younger and hipper than you actually are. 120 Boylston St., Theater District, MA 02116, wers.org.
Pressed
The menu at Pressed was partially created by acclaimed New York-based chef Joya Carlton, known as a wizard of vegan cuisine. The mostly locally sourced and organic offerings—made entirely in-house—include cold-pressed juices, of course; paletas (gourmet popsicles); sandwiches like the "Smoked ELT" (smoky marinated-eggplant "bacon," tomato, mixed greens, and basil mayo on seven-grain bread); and smoothies (called "superfood shakes"). Try the "Charge," a concoction made with raw cacao, almond butter, cold-brewed coffee, and almond milk. It's so good, we ordered two. 120 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114, pressedboston.com.
Saltbox Kitchen
Chef-owner Ben Elliott, whose grandparents started the family farm in the 1940s, grows garden staples and lesser-known heirloom veggies and raises sheep for meat, chickens for eggs, and bees for honey, which translates to the freshest ingredients possible on your wedding plate. His stint as chef de cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s No. 9 Park, meanwhile, translates to creative, beautifully plated dishes—from wild striped bass with tomato agrodolce in the summer to handmade tagliatelle with white-wine-braised rabbit and charred baby onions in the fall. 84 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, MA saltboxkitchen.com.
Fuller Craft Museum
Don't let the name fool you: This Brockton institution isn't a musty warehouse of old quilts and wooden shoes. It's instead a showcase for contemporary handmade objets d'art, a place where sublime ceramics made at East Cambridge's Clay Dragon Studios sit beside burnished-aluminum mobiles inspired by the myth of Icarus. Later this year, the museum will unveil an intricate, kaleidoscopic survey of enamel art from the 1920s to the present day, and, most eye-catching of all, artist Stan Munro's massive replicas of such architectural wonders as the Taj Mahal and the White House—rendered entirely in toothpicks. 455 Oak St., Brockton, MA 02301, fullercraft.org.
K.C. Cargill, Chez Henri
At first glance, Cargill has the right résumé: He started at Cheers. Of course, he was only parking cars. Now behind the bar at a more upscale and off-the-beaten-path location, the Newburyport native has quietly made a name for himself, especially for his mojitos. (He's got the muddler's callous to prove it.) But he's equally adept at martinis or whatever might be your highball poison. Cargill's laid-back charisma and cackling laugh perfectly match Chez Henri's easygoing French-Cuban vibe, and his knack for creative mixology produces concoctions that would bowl over even Norm Peterson. One Shepard St., Cambridge, MA chezhenri.com.