Marilyn Salenger, Channel 7
She may not be the most beautiful woman in Boston, but she is undoubtedly one of the sexiest. Since she came onto the air, 34 percent of the male viewers have taken their TV sets to bed. MA
Wally's Cafe
A taste of what jazz was like before it was a cultural treasure and was still just a species of fun—and some of the most unpretentious entertainment Boston had to offer. Open 365 days a year: launched half a century ago. 472 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA .
Chamber Theater Productions
Here's to a 16-year-old Boston-based for-profit company so successful with its touring theatrical productions for junior and senior high school students that it is now able to be a corporate sponsor and support other local arts organizations.
Harper's Ferry
The South Side of Chicago meets the west side of Boston in a relaxed club where the covers are merciful, the drinks are cheap, and the best local and national up-and-comers wail into the wee hours, seven nights a week. 156 Brighton Ave., Allston, MA .
"<em>Full Disclosure</em> . . . is filled with the kind of intriguing possibilities, drama, and suspense that plummeted <em>Advise and Consent</em> to the top of the bestseller list a few years back."—from a radio spot heard during a Red Sox broadcast in July.
The Boston Globe, which was serializing the new William Safire novel, commissioned the radio ad, but referred us to the agency that wrote it, Quinn & Johnson. At Q & J, they claimed the verb had been changed to "sky-rocketed" and that radio stations had been told of the correction. Error charged to WMEX?
Ben's Café
The meal deal at Maison Robert is the prix fixe menu in Ben's Café, which is most enjoyable eaten outside. Three courses of French classics are available for $18 or, with more options per course, for $25. of all, you get to say "pree feex" like a Parisian, while sitting in historic downtown Boston. 45 School St., Boston, MA .
Yoshinoya
This Central Square institution has been providing the Boston Japanese (and other tofu freaks) with the ingredients for their home cooking for years. Yoshinoya's endless variety of fish, nori (edible seaweed), fresh fish, and all the snacks and sweets one could wish for make this the place to begin the preparations for any good Japanese meal. 36 Prospect St., Cambridge, MA .
Nine Zero
The city is smitten with Nine Zero. And what's not to love? Travelers embrace its classic contemporary elegance, streamlined design, and central downtown location. The spacious in-room workstations and Louis Boston and Armani personal shoppers are reasons to check in; the upscale Mario Russo bath products and soft, luxury bedding are reasons to never check out. 90 Tremont St., Boston, MA ninezero.com.
Pamela Santorelli
A store with avant-garde clothing needs a sales assistant who can steer a client through it. Pamela Santorelli of Louis Boston does just that. She's relaxed and refreshing, patient and pressure-free. And she tells us when something looks terrible without hurting our feelings. Louis Boston, 234 Berkeley St., Boston, MA .
Allen Edmonds
Set the kids and their sneakers aside and Boston is a business town. And while you won't see Shaq in Allen Edmonds, at 36 Newbury Street, you'll see some of the legends from the financial district selection from about 50 styles that are fashionable when it comes to making money the old-fashioned way. 36 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Nancy Garber
Garber combines her natural talents (she's been making predictions since she was a kid) with over a decade of training in England to tap into a world of spirit. Garber, the only medium in the Boston area certified through the Spiritualist National Union, is in high demand at spiritualist churches all over New England.
Mike's Pastry
Boston cream pies are all about ratios: cake to chocolate, chocolate to cream, cream to cake. At Mike's Pastry in the North End, somebody did their algebra homework. More like a cake than a pie, Mike's rendition brings together equal parts satiny custard, rich chocolate frosting, and airy sponge cake. 300 Hanover St., Boston, MA .
Roland Tumble
With a restless slide on a molted guitar, Roland Tumble, who frequently perches in the Park Street Red Line station, plays rubbery melodies with all the melancholy of a heavy-hearted Boston evening rush hour— and just enough bounce to snap us out of the drone of commuting.
Chau Chow
Chau Chow stays open until 4 a.m. most nights, which makes it the best restaurant in Boston after midnight. The rest of the time (from 6 a.m.), it's just the best Chinese restaurant around. 52 Beach St., Boston, MA .
Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
Muffins and homemade rolls cool aromatically in the window while the Manjourides family flops eggs and pancakes in individual pans on the stove top. This half-century-old Boston institution retains many of the original fixtures, including a wooden refrigerator, and a homeyness that makes the morning bearable. 429 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA .