North Shore Dog
Parting with a furry friend pre-vacation is such sweet sorrow. But book your pup a stay at this 7,000-plus-square-foot boarding-and-daycare facility, and you can rest assured that he’ll sleep tight after romping for hours in one of four supervised, climate-controlled rooms where dogs, from teacup Chihuahuas to mastiffs, are grouped by play style and size. Walks and Blue Buffalo food are available at no extra charge, and Web cams allow globe-trotting owners to keep tabs on their pets throughout the day. 139 Endicott St., Danvers, MA 1923, nsdog.com.
Alton Place Shoe Repair
An Armenian religious icon watches over Valeriy Gazaryan and his customers at Alton Place Shoe Repair, in Brookline, and indeed, his work seems to border on the miraculous. Gazaryan is a man of few words. He silently examined our tired boots—scuffed leather, busted zippers, worn-out heel—and agreed to see what he could do. Four days later, our boots came back shined, rezippered, and reheeled, all for about $25. 3 Alton Place, Brookline, MA 2446, .
Zimman's
If you can't find the fabric you want at Zimman’s, you can’t get it anywhere. With four generations of experience, the team here offers an extensive stock of textiles consistently touted as phenomenal, including indoor/outdoor fabrics and luxurious embroidered pieces. That’s to say nothing of the custom reupholstery services, which can give everything from Grandma’s old settee to antiques-store dining chairs a new life. 80 Market St., Lynn, MA 01901, zimmans.com.
Long's Jewelers
It’s hard enough memorizing the four Cs of diamonds, never mind actually choosing the perfect sparkler. Cue Long’s Jewelers. With classic solitaires, trendy emerald numbers, and vintage bands among its many options, the family-owned biz makes easy work of finding the perfect engagement and wedding rings. It also designs custom pieces that are as unique as your betrothed. Multiple locations. 100 Summer St., Boston, MA 02110, longsjewelers.com.
Green Pinata Toys
Kids love toys. Kids also get bored of toys at lightning speed. Free your home from accumulating mounds of unused playthings — and cut your spend in half — with this straightforward and charming subscription box. For a monthly fee, you get up to four non-toxic, non-tech novelties per month. If (ahem, when) your little ones tire of the trinkets, you can simply ship them back and get a new box — making this a win-win for parents and kids alike. greenpinatatoys.com.
Sarma
Maybe it's the enticing dim-sum-style presentation of the specials that keeps us coming back. Or perhaps it's the bold Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavor combinations with a comfort-food spin: brisket shawarma with rhubarb hilbeh, pork-belly biscuits with jalapeձo-whipped feta. Put simply, four years after chef Cassie Piuma and her partner, Ana Sortun, debuted this vibrant small-plates spot, dining here is still a most exhilarating journey. 249 Pearl St., Somerville, MA 02145, sarmarestaurant.com.
Grill 23
A truly great steakhouse has exactly four essential elements: a bustling dining room, a fresh raw bar, top-notch sides, and—most important—expertly cooked beef. With all of these boxes easily checked off, this Back Bay institution takes it a step further with prime dry-aged cuts and a range of other entrees both comforting (meatloaf with pimiento cheese grits) and refined (soft-shell crab with peas, favas, and pickled ramps). 161 Berkeley St., Boston, MA grill23.com.
The Charles Street Inn
Some people think B&Bs exist only in the country. This nine-room Beacon Hill inn proves otherwise. Its antique furniture, fireplaces, and four-poster beds impart old-world class, while DSL Internet, cable television, and whirlpool tubs offer modern comforts. Tall, narrow doors heighten the charm of the cavernous rooms, named after local luminaries like Louisa May Alcott and Oliver Wendell Holmes. 94 Charles St., Boston, MA .
Exhale
Many day spas promise an escape from city life, but none delivers like Exhale. The two-story, Zen-like space alone is enough to set stress on standby, what with its hushed hallways and dimly lit treatment rooms. Choose from a full-service spa menu (we like the four-hand harmony massage), take a yoga or core fusion class, and let the courteous staff soothe and smooth your worries away. 28 Arlington St., Boston, MA exhalespa.com.
West Newton Cinema
Forget about the movie-theatre-popcorn-has-more-saturated-fat-than-a-Big-Mac scare a few years back. Send your gourmet popping corn back to Williams-Sonoma. This is fresh popcorn at its finest, with just the right combination of chewiness and crunch, nary a stray burned kernel, and salt measured to perfection. It will neither grease up your hands nor leave you desperately for a four-dollar jumbo soda. Do it right—opt for the real butter. 1296 Washington St., West Newton, MA .
Cremaldi's
This Italian specialty shop routinely stocks the finest and freshest selection of fresh pasta. Four or five daily flavors can be cut to order, and the freezer cases hold homemade tortellini filled with chicken, pesto, pumpkin, or roasted garlic, as well as a variety of sauces and oven-ready hors d'oeuvres. Also look for for the barrels of dry pasta in every shape and form, and don't miss the huge deli selection. 31 Putnam Ave., Cambridge, MA .
Santarpio's
Who knows pizza better than teenagers? We sent four teenagers who had trained on a field trip to Italy to sample pies in the North End and East Boston. Their pick: Santarpio's, with caveats. The wait staff is surly, the dining room is grungy, and the location is convenient only if you're heading to Logan. But the pizza is still the best. We suggest takeout. 111 Chelsea St., East Boston, MA .
Michael Schlow of Cafe Louis
Schlow put the newly renovated restaurant at Louis, Boston on the culinary map just a few weeks after his arrival from New York. A protege of Manhattan restaurateur Pino Luongo, Schlow and pastry chef Paul Connors, who worked at Aurora, in New York, and the four-star Ryland Inn, in New Jersey, have brought simply prepared but elegant and sometimes surprising cuisine to Boston, featuring notably fresh produce and other ingredients. Try the tasting menu.
Boston Bowl
Forty-four lanes. Metal bumpers. Affordable prices. A kingpin's dream—and now a bowling reality. The pro shop (yes, this bowling alley has a pro shop) stocks enough balls, bags, and shoes to satisfy amateurs and experts alike. The sprawling entertainment complex also has 12 pool tables, a video-game arcade, and a full service bar, and is open 24/7 (save for Christmas Eve). 820 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester, MA bostonbowl.com.
Jamaica Plain Women's Flag Football Association
You can't get much more physical than this intramural league that takes over Jamaica Plain's English High field each fall. In the four years of its existence, the league has grown to include more than 150 women in two divisions (including some fierce straight girls), and been responsible for not a few off-the-field passes. Make no mistake, these girls come to score, and the bruises they get are real. But the tradition of post-game brews at Doyle's goes a long way toward soothing the pain. E-mail jpwff1@hotmail.com for more information, MA .