Dani Wagener, Shu Uemura
For everyone out there who thinks you're attractive, chances are there's someone else who thinks you look like Shrek. Makeup tilts the odds in your favor. Fifteen-year vet Wagener works with your best features—and plays down the rest—to produce a flawless, universally appealing visage. Plus, the top-quality mineral-based products from fanatically beloved Japanese skin-care line Shu Uemura stand up to the hottest public spotlight, as well as those more prosaic 9-to-5 fluorescents. 130 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Amanda Lydon, Truc
So what if Food & Wine Magazine stole our thunder by making her one of America's best new chefs for the year? They read about Lydon's talents here first, courtesy of reviewer Corby Kummer. Indeed, Kummer knows true talent when he tastes it: Lydon's holistic approach to food involves combining the very best local ingredients with proven French techniques. Her frogs' legs, her lamb chops, her simple touch with vinaigrettes and sauces—she's a star on the rise for sure. Lydon makes it look effortless; we can't wait to see what she'll concoct next. 560 Tremont Street, Boston, MA .
Mike's Gym II
These days, "gym" is such a bandied-about catchword, people barely know what it means anymore. Well, we do. It means a no-frills establishment where people come to sweat, not be seen in Spandex or loiter over echinacea smoothies. Mike's, a South End staple, takes equipment seriously—in fact, we dare you to name an apparatus they don't have. Who cares about the lack of décor and amenities when there are seven rooms of machines, free weights, and cardio equipment? The clientele's chummy demeanor and the clean locker rooms make you feel right at home. Getting back in the habit? Just look around at the burly shoulders and pumped pecs for inspiration. 560 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA mikesgym.org.
Kieron Reynolds, City Gym
Let's be blunt: Kieron Reynolds kicks ass—literally, with a medley of cardio and strength exercises. In addition, his heavy brogue and constant quipping make the workout whipping a comedic treat. When Reynolds is not bolting around the room to check your form, barking an inspirational word, or holding a punching mitt in front of you, he doubles as a deejay and keep the place booming with techno tunes. If you haven't sweated enough during Reynolds' hour-long aerobics class, his 30-minute ab session that follows is sure to finish you off. 542 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA .
Yelena Courture
Sometimes it's impossible to resist buying something fabulous when the price has plummeted. That's when your tailor becomes your best friend/ The mark of a great tailor is the ability to pare something several sizes too big down to size without sacrificing the design. This small shop (located in the garage of The Atrium) transformed a heavily discounted Donna Karan skirt and made it look practically custom-made. The pros here also altered a heavily beaded bodice, work that required a large degree of finesse, and they did it in less than a week. The Atrium Mall, 300 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA .
St. Alphonzo's
In the gap between Southie's working-class past and emerging condo-class future, St. Alphonzo's stands as a small marvel of a bridge: authentic but not staid, polished but not pretentious. Owned by Silvertone alums Natasha and Peter Irving, who live nearby and obviously pride themselves on feeding their neighbors well, it plates up top-notch sandwiches (the Cuban's a standout) and affordable pastas, meat, and fish that embody home cooking in the best sense. The pocket-sized space is rarely packed, which means patrons can relax and actually hear themselves think—probably, about how soon they can come back. 87 A St., Boston, MA 2127, stalphonzoskitchen.com.
Sportello
It's a puzzle, how Barbara Lynch can manage to launch four restaurants, a bar, and two retail operations, all in different genres, while preserving the quality and essential Lynchness of each. And so we come to her most casual spot, Sportello, a minimalist midprice Italian diner—only here, the line cooks sling hiramasa crudo, chicken with dates and pine nuts, and mustard leaf agnolotti. It's a testament to the power of the gnocchi alone that the place is bouncing, despite the surrounding Fort Point Channel neighborhood's still-delayed gentrification. No other startup exhibited so much polish out of the gate, or such a pitch-perfect sense of the way we're eating now. 384 Congress St., Boston, MA 2110, sportelloboston.com.
The Metropolitan Club
Even after a few million years on the fire, steak as a culinary concept is far from done. For proof, look to the Metropolitan Club, where executive chef and former Todd English majordomo Todd Winer not only finds new ways to deploy beef (a 'steak and egg' appetizer using flash-seared Wagyu), but also brings to the table a fascinating variety of cuts and small-farm sourcing (shoulder tender from Idaho, sirloin from Maine). Stone Age types can keep their porterhouse-and-baked-potato lairs—this is a steakhouse for the evolutionary-minded carnivore. 1210 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, MA 2467, metclubandbar.com.
Ruth Strachan
Strachan, who taught herself to windsurf five years ago, works with Can Am Sailcraft. "It took me half a summer," she says, "and a lot of tears and frustration." But Strachan figures she can teach a novice in two lessons; she even provides special breathing exercises for people who freeze up. How tough is it to learn? "It's based on counterbalance, rather than brute force," she says, "like learning to ski, in that as you do it, you can get very strong. But you don't have to be particularly strong to learn the basics." Marblehead, MA
Skipjack's
For the healthy: blackened tuna sashimi. For the daring: wasabi-crusted salmon. And for the hungry: a lobster roll that's meaty, chunky, and sweet. No matter what your palate craves from the sea, Skipjack's probably serves it, and serves it well. This year, the Newton and Natick branches of the three-restaurant chain even began to feature sushi, from hearty lobster maki rolls to thin-sliced tuna sashimi. Or bypass the raw and head straight for the cooked—everything is flapping-fresh and runs from the creative (mahi-mahi grilled to perfection, then smothered in a peach pepper salsa) to the traditional. (The Boston clam chowder is a rich meal unto itself.) 55 Needham St., Newton, MA skipjacks.com.
Le Soir
It could be the soft lighting and rich hues of creamy taupe, burgundy, and deep orange in the dining room. Maybe it's the Francophile's dream of a wine list. It might even be the comfortable and confident service. But ultimately we think it's chef Mark Allen's food that pushes the romance quotient at his Newton restaurant Le Soir to hot and steamy. The heady aromas of chanterelle mushrooms, truffle oil, and even slowly cooked rabbit potpie fill the air while the sensuous textures of crispy-skinned roast duck fill your mouth. A meal here with anyone is special, but with your significant other, it's a night to remember. 51 Lincoln St., Newton, MA .
Bakers' Best
Some days you don't want to even decide on dinner, never mind cook it. Thank goodness this Newton Highlands restaurant chooses for you with a monthly dinner menu, two specials that change nightly, and a setup that's designed for whisking food straight home and onto the table. Dinner specials, such as grilled ginger-lime salmon and scampi over angel hair pasta, range between $11 and $18 and include a starch, vegetables, bread, and choice of dessert. Or you could skip the dinner and go straight for the sumptuous cakes and pastries. 27 Lincoln St., Newton Highlands, MA bakersbestcatering.com.
Franklin Park Zoo
Sometimes pushing a stroller through the mall feels like navigating a herd of wildebeest; an afternoon at the playground, like dodging wild chimpanzees. On these days, wise parents escape to more civilized environs—namely, this parklike turn-of-the-century zoo, which offers 72 acres' worth of roaming room. The recently renovated gorilla exhibit and the addition of two magnificent tigers have the zoo looking better than ever. And it has lots of kid-friendly food options and convenient diaper-changing stations to help keep your own little critter happy. 1 Franklin Park Road, Boston, MA 2121, zoonewengland.com.
M.F. Dulock
There are gems for meat eaters of every stripe at this Somerville shop: owner Michael Dulock’s expert cuts of New England—sourced, pasture-raised lamb, pork, and beef for steadfast locavores; a rotating selection of inventive sausages—bloody mary-inspired beef links, brats infused with Slumbrew’s Happy Sol—for those just looking for something tasty to throw on the grill. For the most adventurous of carnivores, there’s Dulock’s Meat Club, which offers up 5 pounds of the butcher’s finest nose-to-tail cuts for a reasonable $50 a month. 201A Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 2138, mfdulock.com.
Bliss Home
We all know the standard china and silver registries backwards and forwards, but at Bliss Home, newlyweds learn to expect the stylishly unexpected. This is where they find not only exquisite Spanish handcrafted rugs and French crystal Champagne glasses, but avant-garde curvilinear bookcases and natural-horn pâté spreaders. Bliss consultants can guide you through the registration process even if you're a flat-, serve-, bar-, dinner-, or stemware novice. And if you think it all looks good here, just wait 'til you see it in your house. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA blisshome.bridgecatalog.com.