Blue Frog Bakery
Having trouble finding this grain fiend's mecca? Just look for the giant blue frog above the door, and you'll know you've arrived. While best known for its bread pudding, the bakery also turns out superior loaves of caraway rye, olive, garlicky focaccia, and a Friday challah that consistently sells out. 3 Green St., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, .
Amy Bailey, Townhouse Beauty Bar
Want the secret to fabulous lashes? You’ll find it at Townhouse Beauty Bar, where lash guru Amy Bailey has been perfecting the art of sultry eyes for more than 15 years. What makes Bailey’s method unique is her custom approach, which involves meticulously selecting lashes with the perfect curl and length to give each client a natural but voluminous look. The result? No one will know your secret except you and Bailey. 28 Charles St., Boston, MA 02122, townhousebeautybar.com.
Dream Spa Medical
With age comes wisdom — and, for better or worse, wrinkles, sunspots, hair loss, cellulite… the list goes on. The good news is none of those conditions is a match for the skilled practitioners at Dream Spa Medical, where the variety of laser treatments and injectables offer real results. And with a new location at Patriot Place slated to open this summer, it’ll soon be easier than ever to look and feel your best every day. Brookline and Canton, MA dreamspamedical.com.
Talia Don
So often, fine jewelry has a formulaic look: a dainty gold necklace here, a simple diamond tennis bracelet there. The bold pieces from artisan jeweler Talia Don, however, are anything but predictable: Layered with sparkling semiprecious stones and freshwater pearls and fashioned in unique shapes, her showstopping designs beg to be worn and cherished for generations. Stop by the studio and workshop (by appointment only) to find the statement piece of your dreams. 288 Walnut St., Newton, MA 02460, taliadondesigns.com.
Viola Lovely
The North Shore outpost of this chic shop, which also has a location in the South End, continues to bring a bit of urban sophistication to the wilds of Wenham. Like its city counterpart, the boutique is known to stock statement pieces that say, “Look at me,” but not too loudly, including clothing, accessories, and shoes from brands such as Lemaire and Robert Clergerie. Plus, you’ll score something hard to find at the Boston boutique: parking. 148 Main St., Wenham, MA 01984, violalovely.com.
Perfect 10 Unisex Salon
One look at Perfect 10’s “hair transformation” videos on Instagram or TikTok, and you’ll understand why this salon is a repeat Best of Boston winner. Stylist and owner Kanessa Alexander is adept at working with all hair types and textures, producing some of the most gorgeous crochet braids, silk presses, and all-over color and highlights around. But the most important thing to Alexander is that her clients have healthy hair — something that’s evident in every style she produces. 1896 Centre St., West Roxbury, MA 02132, perfect10hairsalon.com.
Trade
If chef Jody Adams and restaurant group A Street Hospitality are Boston culinary royalty, Trade is their palace, a soaring testament to Greek and Mediterranean flavors set inside a contemporary-looking taverna accented with verdant foliage. Don’t miss perfectly attuned classics like the grilled octopus or the rosemary-marinated lamb chops, as well as surprising knockouts such as the bulgur chickpea pilaf or the oxtail pastitsio made with fresh pasta and Manouri cheese. 540 Atlantic Ave., Downtown, MA 02210, trade-boston.com.
Crazy Good Kitchen
A Crazy Good Kitchen burger. / Photo by Brian Samuels After a day spent shopping in Newbury Street’s upscale boutiques, treat yourself to a meal that feels more down to earth — and downright fun. At the Back Bay location of Crazy Good Kitchen, a two-year-old offshoot of a popular Malden joint, you can enjoy a milkshake spiked with candies, cookies, and (optionally) booze; excellent burgers; and fried chicken, especially in sundae form with vanilla ice cream and hot honey. 268 Newbury St., Back Bay, MA 02116, crazygoodkitchen.com.
Madhouse Café
Drinks and snacks at Madhouse Café. / Photo by Brian Samuels Iced tahini lattes, Lebanese meat pies, sticky-sweet baklava, motorcycles…wait, what? Madhouse Café debuted in Roxbury in late 2022, connected to — and looking into, via a giant window — the acclaimed bike shop Madhouse Motors. (Got kids? They’ll be mesmerized, and you’ll have a chance to sip your espresso in peace.) Dripping with greenery and intricately patterned tables and pillows, the space is lovely, as is the staff, making this a destination whether or not you have a motorcycle that needs fixing. 24 Blue Hill Ave., Roxbury, MA 02119, madhousecafe.com.
Contessa
Contessa's squash carpaccio. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal The crown jewel atop the Newbury Boston, Contessa upgrades the restaurant experience from swanky to downright royal. The service? Attentive without fawning. The drinks? The Sgroppino — with lemon vodka, lemon sorbet, and prosecco — is like basking in the sun. The food? A court of northern Italian delights, from pillowy ravioli to garlicky, hot-from-the-grill lamb chops. All of this in a dreamy art deco dining room, with views that are like looking out over the city from a throne. 3 Newbury St., Back Bay, MA 02116, contessaristorante.com/boston.
Love Notes by June
Known by one bride as “nothing short of a miracle worker,” Love Notes by June owner June Leung pulls off everything from simple romantic sweeps and tousled curls to textured low ponies and effortlessly stunning chignons accented with bedazzled combs. Hoping to add volume? The beauty buff and her talented team of stylists will gladly hook you up with extensions, too. lovenotesbyjune.com.
Spin Boston
Tired of looking at your coworkers’ mugs on Zoom? Maybe some friendly competition — and a cocktail or two — is in order. At Spin, Fort Point’s hip new Ping-Pong nightclub (er, venue), staffers deal with the unhappy task of hunting down stray balls, so you can focus on showing your boss who’s boss — when it comes to spin serves, that is. 30 Melcher St., Boston, MA 02210, wearespin.com.
Boston Closet Company
After calling many top closet companies throughout the area without a response, it was a relief to get immediate help from Boston Closet Company, where staffers sympathized with the space issues plaguing our Colonial and set up a design consultation for the next day. Also reassuring: The Somerville firm works with all sorts of rooms — whether they be man caves, laundry nooks, or nurseries — offering custom shelving and storage crafted by a team of carpenters. bostoncloset.com.
Glamour Cosmetics
Photo by Jessa Schifilliti Bid farewell to the days of overdone contouring and powdery foundation: Makeup artist Garineh Ashjian helps you nail that glowy, I-woke-up-like-this vibe. (She’s also all about making you feel confident, so if that means rocking a bold red lip, by all means.) Specializing in what she calls “soft glam,” Ashjian and her team ensure you’ll look and feel like a leveled-up version of yourself, no matter how little sleep you get the night before. glamourcosmeticsofficial.com.
Dream Spa Medical
With all the focus on looking and feeling your best, it’s sometimes easy to forget what medspas are really offering: medical-grade aesthetic services. That’s why we love that this gorgeously appointed facility is led by a Harvard-trained plastic surgeon, adding a level of expertise to the body-contouring procedures, injectables, and laser treatments that goes well beyond skin-deep. The results speak for themselves. Multiple locations, dreamspamedical.com.