Trident Cafe
For all its beauty and history, the Back Bay struggles to maintain a true neighborhood feel. Its commercial district caters to tourists and students; on weekends, Newbury Street seems a bit too much like an outdoor mall. Amid the clamor of shoppers and too-noisy, expensive sidewalk cafés, the Trident is a low-key, affordable oasis. Here, diners can tuck into the signature stuffed French toast (served all day) or savory items like homemade squash ravioli and a mom-approved meatloaf, and enjoy it in relative peace. 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2115, tridentbookscafe.com.
Royal Jewelers
This is where to go after you've checked that shiny new Rolex (which Royal doesn't carry) off your wish list and are ready to start building a collection around more-exotic lines. Since 1948, the family-run business has catered to aficionados with hundreds of models from top brands like Ulysse Nardin and Vacheron Constantin—both exclusive to Royal in the Boston area—and an in-house repair service. Plus, the excellent salespeople don't work on commission, so feel free to take your sweet time. 58 Main St., Andover, MA 1810, royaljewelers.com.
Gregg D'Andrea
After teaching spinning at workout meccas like Equinox and Crunch, D'Andrea opened his own 5,000-square-foot fitness studio last year to cater to his considerable following. (He claims a 70 percent retention rate among his clients.) Free advice: "For weight training, dumbbells give far better results than machines. And forget weight belts. Last I heard, cavemen didn't wear weight belts, and they were in better shape than some of the people working out now." 55 Charles St., Needham, MA 2494, .
Feast & Fettle
Work, school, soccer practice, dance, repeat: When life gets too busy to spend time in the kitchen, Feast & Fettle is there with fully cooked, locally sourced, restaurant-quality meals. Born from a chef’s desire to nourish busy families, the service caters to all needs and appetites with flexible delivery plans, allergy-conscious options, and kid-friendly menus. Bonus points for an eco-friendly delivery model that leaves customers with zero (yes, zero) waste thanks to reusable delivery containers. feastandfettle.com.
Jamaica Mi Hungry
The fiery, hearty, soulful fare of Jamaica has a cozy home in Jackson Square, where chef Ernie Campbell uses skills honed as a caterer and food-truck operator to serve heaping helpings of jerk chicken, coconut shrimp, oxtail, and curry goat. Bonus points for the prime location next to an MBTA Orange Line stop and bus hub, which makes these good eats accessible to a broad, underserved swath of the city, notably a nearby section of Roxbury with few sit-down or takeout restaurants. 225 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, jamaicamihungry.com.
The Port Hunter
On an island, it’s not surprising that bars cater to either locals or tourists, rarely both. The beauty of this lively spot is that those distinctions don’t apply — everyone’s welcome. There’s indoor and outdoor seating. The craft cocktail program is inventive without being pretentious. And the food, like Vineyard flounder tacos and hickory-grilled whole fish, is far superior to most pub grub. But what will really draw you in is the sound of laughter and live music bouncing off the exposed red-brick walls and out onto Main Street. 55 Main St., Edgartown, MA 02539, theporthunter.com.
BHLDN
Rallying the troops for a shopping sesh isn’t so easy when your ’maids live in different places. Thankfully, BHLDN’s virtual styling appointments make cross-country celebrating a breeze, ensuring each gal can successfully browse and shop online. As for the dresses? Catering to a range of sizes, styles, and budgets, BHLDN’s selection of gowns in a rainbow of easy-to-match hues — accessible via the shop’s new swatch program — all but ensures your girls will be wearing their picks long after your special day. 220 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, bhldn.com.
Perfect 10 Unisex Salon
The name says it all: Catering to all hair types and textures, this small but mighty team of stylists score the highest marks for their gorgeous weaves, silk presses, locs, and braids. And that’s not the only way in which they’re giving Bostonians a boost: The salon was recently the only small business in Massachusetts to be awarded a HartBeat of Main Street grant from Main Street America, thanks in part to owner (and mother of four) Kanessa Alexander’s efforts to give back to the community. Now that’s what we call beautiful. 1896 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132, perfect10hairsalon.com.
Eastern Standard
Photo by Alex Lau This Kenmore Square institution made its name catering to a wide range of diners—Sox fans, tourists, restaurant industry types, students, the list goes on—and treating them all as if they were the most important people in the room. How do they do it? By taking notes on every diner who comes through the door. Yes, it’s a bit Big Brother—esque, but this kind of close attention ensures that you enjoy your steak frites and whiskey smashes just as much as you did the last time. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
Harvest
The three-course prix-fixe menu is everything brunch should be: a selection of sweet and savory breakfast and lunch dishes and an assortment of chilled seafood (Wellfleet oysters, countneck clams, shrimp) with a Bloody Mary or mimosa to wash it down. Dine inside for a plush, low-lit and serene atmosphere or outside on the secluded patio. Start with roasted oysters with mascarpone, pancetta, and spinach; granola and fresh fruit; or a Caesar salad with—hallelujah!—white anchovies. Move on to crab cakes with perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise, and ossetra caviar; French toast with spiced apples and sausage; or a smoked-salmon sandwich on toasted French bread with tomato, red onion, and parsley-caper egg sauce. Then prepare to nap away the afternoon. 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA .
Appleton Bakery
It's hard to decide what's best about this cozy South End bakery, where the owners have thought of every amenity for busy city dwellers. Is it the a.m. treats? The lunch? The cute tables that overlook Appleton Street? The gourmet take-out options? The catering? When push comes to shove, we choose the scandalousy delicious breakfast goodies: scones to cry over, fruit-studded muffins, old-fashioned sour cream coffee cake, and granola that could put a commune out of business. We could go on, but our trainer says no. 123 Appleton Street, Boston, MA appletoncafe.com.
The DogScoop
Call it whatever you want—the Puppy Palace, the Kitty Kastle—no euphemism will ever fool pets into believing a kennel is as good as their own bed (or yours). But when you just can't bring them along on the family trip to Cabo, this is the next best thing. Indoor and outdoor play spaces, trained staffers, and stimuli aplenty make for boarding that's almost fun; at-home visits cater to the finicky, moody, or antisocial. Plus, the DogScoop's handy pickup/drop-off service makes coaxing Cupcake into the car or crate their problem, not yours. 216 Webster St., Newton, MA 2465, thedogscoop.com.
The Maids
Amid a flurry of cleaning services catering to on-the-go urbanites, the Jamaica Plain outpost of this national operation shows an unbeatable blend of polish and professionalism. After setting the appointment and sending an e-mail confirmation, your cleaning team will arrive armed with grime-busting equipment and a dozen sprays, as well as a rigorous 22-step plan for restoring your home's sparkle. The Maids will even pick up and drop off your keys at work—another excellent reason to fork over the $159 fee, which is lowered if you book monthly follow-ups. 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, .
Micro Center
With heavy hitters like Lenovo, Apple, and Sony to call upon, the sole Bay State outpost of Ohio-based Micro Center stocks the best personal computers on the market, along with a bevy of cameras, scanners, monitors, and other peripherals. But what really gets local tech-heads powered up is the vast BYOPC (Build Your Own PC) section, replete with all the components needed to pimp that desktop—or build one from scratch. Free in-store clinics on such topics as VoIP and network security further cater to IT acolytes who aspire to true geekdom. 730 Memorial Dr., Cambridge, MA 2139, microcenter.com.
Dessert Works
Kristen Repa has seen (and made) a lot of wedding cakes: Before launching her own bakery more than a decade ago, she honed her sweet skills at local institutions like Konditor Meister and the Catered Affair, and even trained at the renowned Konditorei Gerstner, in Austria. Whether you want your cake to match your theme, your personality, or your gorgeous gown, Repa and her team of pastry chefs will turn out an exquisite confection that tastes as good as it looks (dulce de leche or lemon—summer berry, anyone?). 302 Providence Hwy., Westwood, MA 2090, dessertworks.net.