Wayland Golf Shop
For a great combination of price, quality, and service, this family-owned mecca is hard to beat. And you can try out your club selection on the course before you buy. Route 27, Wayland, MA .
Neiman Marcus
The clerks there don't work for a specific cosmetics company, so they'll mix and match brands to help you achieve your look—even if it's not what Ultima or Estee Lauder is promoting this season. 5 Copley Place, Boston, MA .
Jobi Liquors
The best place in town for free advice with your wine, for specials, and case discounts (10 percent). John Gilbert (236 Boylston St.) might have a better selection of reds, however. 170 Cambridge St., Boston, MA .
Salon Eva Michelle
Want a style that stops traffic? Book an appointment with Eva Mustafai. She handles her scissors with race-car-driver precision, and will find a cut that flatters your face and has lift and movement. 118 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, salonevamichelle.com.
JM Curley
Photo by Jesse Burke This half-pound-plus burger is big, fat, and perfectly spiced. Toppings of cheddar, griddled onions, pickles, and house Russian dressing—which meld together without causing a mess—only make it better. 21 Temple Place, Boston, MA jmcurleyboston.com.
Eastern Standard
Technically, it's a salad ($11). But the house special here is a dieter's nightmare and a foodie's fantasy: Crisp, bitter frisée is balanced with salty bacon, braised sweetbreads, a still-runny golden yolk, and crunchy hazelnuts. 528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 2215, easternstandardboston.com.
Oleana
The theatrics alone make this starter ($9), accented with peaches and sweet peppers, a winner: A waiter pours the anise-flavored liquor over the salty cheese, then lights the dish on fire. The light show is impressive; the taste, even better. 134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 2139, oleanarestaurant.com.
B&G Oysters
The accompanying paper towel is merely decorative, considering B&G's semolina-dusted Ipswich bellies shed virtually no grease from their crisp nooks and crannies (which justifies double-dunking them in the addictive house tartar sauce). 550 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2116, bandgoysters.com.
Stella
Throw on a pair of $200 distressed jeans and your John Varvatos Chucks and join the in-crowd on the bustling sidewalk patio at Stella for linguine carbonara or a sausage and roasted red pepper frittata. 1525 Washington St., Boston, MA 2118, bostonstella.com.
Darren Le
Le considers himself, as he puts it, a teaching artist. That means a snip session with this rising star will not only rock your locks, but also leave you a wiz at recreating the Le-styled look in the weeks to come. G2O Spa and Salon, 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA g2ospasalon.com.
The Tannery
photo by Alex Lau Whether you're lacing up for work or a workout, the Tannery has your soles covered. The vast selection of footwear encompasses most makes—Clarks, Sperry, Converse—and models—wingtips, boat shoes, boots, sneakers, sandals. 711 Boylston St., Boston, MA thetannery.com.
Jeffrey Lyle, Emerge
A savior for those dying to have born-with-it blond locks, Lyle mixes up a shade so natural and places it so artfully that your roots will be ashamed to show themselves. 275 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, emergespasalon.com.
Bundle of Hope
Photograph by Jessica Scranton Be prepared to drop a bundle here: As soon as you spy the Zutano casualwear and fancy attire from European lines Petit Bateau and Deux Par Deux, you won't be able to resist stocking your kids' closets. 146 Front St., Scituate, MA 2066, bundleofhope.net.
Castle Island
This is where Whitey used to go to commune with nature, collect his thoughts, and avoid electronic surveillance. If you happen to run across him now while on your daily constitutional, we hear there's a reward.
A Few Good Girls
Kids have so few good role models in the entertainment industry today. A Few Good Girls, a four-woman hip-hop dance group from Boston and Newton, is dedicated to dancing—and to promoting positive image.