L.J. Peretti Co.
Like cigars, but can't stand the sort of people who go to cigar bars? Take home a box from Peretti's instead. These guys have been around since 1870, which practically makes them the Puritans' tobacconists. 2.5 Park Square, Boston, MA .
Michelle Caruso, <em>Boston Herald</em>
Inheritor of Brian Mooney's mantle as the town's most tenacious investigator, Caruso was the first to begin unraveling the Mary Beth Lenane story, and was all alone on the poisoning of two children in a Roxbury foster home. When you think of Caruso, the word unrelenting comes to mind.
Symphony Sandwich Shop
The kishke here is cooked on a grill so that the outside (which is the intestinal lining of a cow or calf) gets nice and crisp. The stuffing is a flavorful mixture of matzo meal, onion, rendered chicken fat, and spices, and the whole thing is smothered in a good meat gravy. 182 Mass. Ave., Boston, MA .
Saks Fifth Avenue
Shoe heaven is, in fact, a place on earth—and you can find it at this second-floor salon, where heels from Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and other stalwarts mingle with pairs from rising stars like Tabitha Simmons and Sophia Webster. In short: If your soles need saving, look no further than Saks. Prudential Center, Boston, MA 2199, saksfifthavenue.com.
Neptune Oyster
The perfect fried clam belly is a thing of beauty: crisp on the outside, tender and saline on the inside, the whole thing offset by a dunk in piquant tartar sauce. Neptune’s Ipswich clam appetizer, which comes with a massive helping of pickle-y, slawlike tartar sauce, is a master of the form—and well worth the hour-plus wait for a table. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA 2113, neptuneoyster.com.
Julie Michaud
Michaud will travel to your home or hotel and make you look picture-perfect for the big day, if it's a natural glow you're after or something more dramatic. She'll also give you a care package including the right shade of lipstick, liner, and powder for touch-ups throughout the momentous event. 297 Newbury Street, Suite 21, Boston, MA prettyology.com.
Tom Coughlin
First, he beats Notre Dame, then he beats feet for Jacksonville—doing, of course, only the Best Thing for His Family. We certainly hope BC invites him back when they raise that Carquest Bowl banner this fall.
Savenor's
Julia Child loved Savenor's because it offered the finest cuts and good advice on what to do with them. The same holds true today, whether you seek lamb, prime beef, organic chicken, or trendier fare like kangaroo and yak. 160 Charles St., Boston, MA savenorsmarket.com.
Circle Furniture
There are plenty of high-end shops in town to satisfy sophisticated tastes, but we keep coming back to Circle, Boston's source for New England-built beds, chairs, and more. You can furnish your entire home here. Just remember: This is custom stuff. It takes time to build, but it's worth the wait. 31 St. James Ave., Boston, MA 2116, circlefurniture.com.
House of Sarah Books
Loaf on the couches, chitchat with owner Jodi Malone, or mosey through the well-stocked stacks. This place feels like home, complete with a cat stunning in the front window. And the prices penciled in the front of the books are tough to beat. It's sweet relief from the sour pretension so often found in used bookshops. 1309 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA .
Saks Fifth Avenue
Whether its flat and functional, high and impractical, slides for poolside posing, or rubber soles for pavement pounding, Saks has the shoe. Brands like Prada, Gucci, Miu Miu and Sigerson Morrison share shelf space with Ferragamo and Stuart Weitzman. In short, the shoe department runs the gamut of age and fashion preference. Prudential Center, Boston, MA .
Thom Brown
They definitely got the funk. Thom Brown boasts the biggest selection in town from the hipper side of Kenneth Cole to platforms in all shapes and sizes. Here's where our boys find shoes that express their personality without getting too ridiculous. 331 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Picco
Connoisseurs of pure and simple ice cream are all about two things: richness of flavor and quality of texture. Picco delivers both, first by using the most intense ingredients available in every batch (Vietnamese cinnamon; fudgy chocolate chunks), and second by making everything from scratch—a whole new meaning for cold comfort. 513 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2116, piccorestaurant.com.
Grange Gourmet
On the quieter (i.e., not downtown Gloucester) side of Cape Ann, this erstwhile grange building is home to gourmet sandwiches, salads, a tiny seating area (great for local gossip) and a miniscule garden that will make you forget about the beach entirely. 457 Washington St., Gloucester, MA .
Julien
Homemade buckwheat blini and every fixin' you could hope for accompany the osetra caviar ($60/ounce). Yellow roses decorate the block of ice that chills a bottle of Stolichnaya (it comes with each order). All ceremoniously rolled out on a trolley. Does it get any better than this? Le Meridien Boston, 250 Franklin St., Boston, MA .