Hairo
As blowout bars become as ubiquitous as Starbucks franchises, many have resorted to a formulaic styling process: wash, dry, and out the door. At Hairo, however, there’s no shuffling through a blow-dry assembly line: You’ll get a personalized ’do from a seasoned stylist, plus expert tips on which looks work best for your hair type. The best part? Your tamed tresses will last for days, with just the right amount of bounce. 163 Newbury St., Boston, 617-266-1199; 2 Winter Place, Boston, 617-231-7914. 163 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, myhairo.com.
Robert Sisca, Bistro du Midi
Boston is blessed with a bumper crop of young culinary talent injecting our food scene with energy and enthusiasm. But while many seem to spend as much time on the party circuit as they do in the kitchen, Robert Sisca has retained a singular focus: turning out exacting Provencial fare. The deceptively simple plates he creates at Bistro du Midi—pan-roasted cod with golden raisins and chorizo; grilled Mediterranean sea bass with slow-cooked fennel—employ the meticulous French technique he honed under chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York. 272 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, bistrodumidi.com.
Aquitaine
There's no shortage of French technique in Boston, but few restaurants can effectively transport you to Paris for the night. Aquitaine, in the lovely old St. Cloud building (master architect Nathaniel J. Bradlee's 1869 homage to the French flat), feels like a real 11th-arrondissement brasserie. Gold-stenciled mirrors, an oversize chalkboard, and voluptuous floral arrangements (courtesy of Spruce) look the part. But it's the buttery, bouquet garni-rich classics—mussels en cassoulette, escargots de Bourgogne—that keep us coming back again and again. 569 Tremont St., Boston, MA aquitaineboston.com.
Bistro du Midi
Any restaurant can decrumb your table or change your silverware 500 times during a meal. True service is something else entirely, and no one does it better than Bistro du Midi. We stumbled in on a rainy night after getting rudely booted from another packed spot. "Make yourself comfortable," the hostess said with a smile. "Mind your knees," a server chirped as he nudged our seat in toward the table. It's the kind of coddling that puts an instant smile on your face—and chef Robert Sisca's coastal-French cuisine keeps it there. 272 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, bistrodumidi.com.
Christine Moore, Umi Salon
Ladies, cancel your lunch appointments: Color correction is no 10-minute miracle. Plan to spend at least a few hours in Christine Moore's chair while she analyzes the look you were going for, and what went horribly wrong; she'll detail the multi-step repair process, translating enigmatic salon-speak ('opacity,' 'porosity') into terms you actually understand, before working her hair-repair wonders. The color-removal potion might stink to high heaven, but the brilliantly natural results make it worth every whiff. 75 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, umisite.com.
Grand Opening!
For a store hidden away on the upper floor of a sleepy Brookline mall, Grand Opening! is incredibly visible in the community. In the past year, brazen sex-priestess Kim Airs has hosted a night of amateur porn for HBO, handed out condoms at the gay pride parade, and pounded the pavement in support of National Masturbation Month. She brings the same mix of shamelessness and hilarity—minus the sleaziness of so many other shops—to her women-oriented sex store. Whether youre looking for lubes, vibes, clips, or plugs, the clerks will answer all of your questions without blushing—even if you're blushing as you ask them. 318 Harvard St., Suite 32, Brookline, MA .
Marathon Sports
Yeah, they're only shoes. And yeah, Kenyans run without 'em. But until you swap the Esplanade for the Savannah, you'd best take your jogging footwear seriously. The running savants at Marathon Sports know that the wrong pair might just be responsible for those niggling aches, and so guide you through the buying process with more attention—and less upselling—than you encountered when purchasing your last car. The smart selection of energy gels, water belts, and technical tees from Sugoi, Brooks, and other pro brands is proffered with condescension-free friendliness, regardless of whether you log five miles each week or 50. 671 Boylston St., Brookline, MA 2445, marathonsports.com.
Stil
While most specialty clothing boutiques are inviting enough, it's increasingly hard to find ones that risk stocking merchandise that is, in fact, special—that is to say, not all over Barneys, Neiman's, and Saks. In the mall but still in the vanguard, Betty Riaz's Stil satisfies fashion individualists with such off-the-grid labels as Copenhagen's Bruuns Bazaar and Munthe Plus Simonsen and mold-breaking looks from otherwise more-mainstream designers. Rounding out the mix are local talents like casual-cool Nirva and couture wunderkind Sam Mendoza (whose workshop in Stil's second outpost, at the Pru, is a draw unto itself). 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 2467, stillinc.com.
Alex & Co.
The way it wriggles off a finger or pops out of its setting, you'd think jewelry had a mind of its own—one that knows how to roll juuuust out of reach under the refrigerator or, worse, straight down the garbage disposal. Capricious gems need a strong hand, which is where the dexterous staffers at Alex & Co. come in. They can restring, reset, or resize anything quickly and securely; if more-drastic measures are needed, owner Alexander Zamsky will pour his European design training into creating a brand-new piece guaranteed to fit, and look, a hundred times better. 100 Needham St. #1, Newton, MA 2464, alexandcompany.com.
Charles Street Flowers
This is the kind of place where Harry might have stopped to buy a bunch for Sally. The look and feel of Charles Street Flowers is old Boston, as is much of the clientele—but the shop serves its share of young lovers too. Strolling by on Charles Street, you'll be lured into this secret garden by its floor-to-ceiling windows, which are filled with hanging ivy and artfully arranged pots of flora. The small interior is packed with everything from daisies and sunflowers to lilies and orchids; it is clean, bright, and a pleasure to navigate. A vase of crisp cut flowers starts at $40 (it's a small financial jump to a $50 arrangement, but worth it). There's also a bookcase filled with glorious pots of hand-arranged dried roses. 115 Charles Street, Boston, MA .
Ristorante Toscano
Real Italian food isn't about layering precious specialty ingredients into one impressive dish. It's about honest, simple ingredients that spotlight intense flavors. So it is at Toscano, Charles Street's beloved tribute to Northern Italy. The space, divided by brick walls hung with cooking instruments, antique maps, and handpainted plates, is rustic Tuscan through and through. As is the welcome. And the food. Chef Vinicio Paoli whips up such traditionals as vitello tonnato, roasted veal sliced thin as a dime and smothered with fresh tuna sauce, and a risotto that highlights nothing more complicated than earthy, meaty wild porcini. 47 Charles St., Boston, MA toscanoboston.com.
South End Formaggio
Here's one neighborhood shop that wins big on several fronts. Hardcore foodies drool over its petite but unparalleled stock of spreads, produce, and exotic cheeses. Culinary novices appreciate such hard-to-find items as mini-Turkish plums, wild asparagus, and "capers in salt from the Islands of Salinas," thanks to the detailed descriptions that accompany them. Even grifters (the avid samplers and snitchers in all of us) find solace here in the many free tasting plates so generously left about. Don't cook? Take home a helping of duck breast or one of the other carryout dishes. 268 Shawmut Ave., Boston, MA southendformaggio.com.
Oleana
Most outdoor dining in Boston consists of nothing more than a few cramped, wobbly tables set up hastily on the sidewalk along a traffic-choked street. But not at Oleana, a Cambridge oasis with a lovely brick patio out back where blooming vines and flowers snake lazily along the wooden-fence walls. What better environment for enjoying chef-owner Ana Sortun's creative Mediterranean cooking, with dishes such as tuna and olive deviled eggs to evoke nostalgia for the of summer picnics? Don't be surprised if Sortun joins you during dinner service on the patio, where she can often be seen snipping herbs from the adjacent vegetable patch. 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA oleanarestaurant.com.
Audubon Circle
Yet another example of why bigger isn't always better. Don't get us wrong: This burger is big. But it isn't so monstrous that you have to strategize a way to fit it into your mouth. With Audubon's burger, you get the appropriate ratio of bun, lettuce, tomato, cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or blue), and perfectly cooked meat in every mouthful. That means a bottom bun that's not saturated with grease. It also means you'll be able to eat most of it, along with the accompanying roasted potatoes, without feeling woefully overstuffed. Add pleasant service and a sleek, attractive setting, and Audubon is everything your typical burger joint is not. 838 Beacon St., Boston, MA auduboncircle.us.
Mistral
Fiery martinis, seductive lighting, chef Jamie Mammano's Mediterranean flavors, alluring bartenders—whatever drarws them there, the beautiful people who sidle up to Mistral's long, intimate bar wind up in the mood to shake and stir long after the last call. The barflies come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and present a decent cross section of the city's professional landscape along with well-heeled out-of-towners looking for a good drink and possibly a good time. The come-ons can be so smooth that on a recent night we actually overheard this imaginative opener: "Hi." And it worked. 223 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA mistralbistro.com.