Row 34
Photo by Morgan Ione Yeager Steely Chablis and minerally Muscadet are natural seafood pairings. But at Row 34, wine takes a back seat to beer director Megan Parker-Gray's phenomenal suds selection. Her rotating cast of rarities includes stouts and sours from around the globe, small-batch collaborative projects from the likes of Hill Farmstead and Mikkeller, and the latest IPAs from next-door neighbor Trillium Brewing Company. 383 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, row34.com.
Alden & Harlow
Chef Michael Scelfo's first solo outing was an instant success thanks to its vegetable-forward fare and ungodly rich, smoky burger. But Scelfo also deserves a pat on the back for his staffing skills. In particular, bar manager Seth Freidus has assembled a cocktail list that rivals the dinner menu in creativity and ambition, with drinks incorporating vegetables like squash; a house-made amaro on draft; and, come winter, a boozy take on hot chocolate topped with absinthe-and-orange whipped cream. 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138, aldenharlow.com.
The Druid
Within the enormous spectrum of Irish-ish spots in Boston, what ultimately sets the Druid apart is its unwavering commitment to the basics (a perfectly poured Guinness, traditional live music sessions, an affable barkeep), plus some surprises, including a seasonal braised oxtail soup, Pretty Things Meadowlark IPA on draft, and trivia nights that pay cash prizes. 1357 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02139, druidpub.com.
Nine Zero
While not entirely indie—it's part of the Kimpton hotel group—Nine Zero is a singularly splendid place to lay your head. All rooms boast robes, European linens, and windows that open to let in the fresh air. But if you're lucky enough to book one of the Premier View offerings—or, even better, the Cloud Nine Suite—you'll be treated to some of the best vistas in the city. 90 Tremont St., Boston, MA 2108, ninezero.com.
Bradley & Diegel
What's your dream hair length? Want more layers? Or maybe a cappuccino? The staff at this salon asks all the right questions, ensuring that each client ends up with a gorgeous style to fit her taste, and gets a respite from the bustle of Newbury below. Plus, the well-spaced stations, ahh-inducing massage chairs, and large front windows bathing the place in natural light make the whole experience second to none. 77 Newbury St, Boston, MA 2116, bradleyanddiegel.com.
Gary Croteau, Salon Mario Russo at Fan Pier
If you're looking to keep your root touchups on the QT, Mario Russo's new outpost inside Louis on quiet Fan Pier offers an alternative to gossipy Newbury Street salons. A better reason to go, however, is Gary Croteau: His sure hand with blond tresses ensures full-bodied color from root to tip, plus sun-kissed highlights that look like the byproduct of a Saint-Tropez getaway. 60 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 2210, mariorusso.com.
Caterina Sorrenti, Rina's Studio
The Newbury Street veteran's solo endeavor in Newtonville is a study in making the best of a painful (and often embarrassing) salon service. Caterina Sorrenti keeps Rina's Studio obsessively clean (no double-dipping applicators here). She's thorough, too, though she gets this award because she's a pro at multitasking, able to chat distractingly about real estate, the weather, and whatever else while going to town on your ingrowns. 811 Washington St., Newton, MA 2460, rina-studio.com.
Gentle Giant Moving Company
Anyone who's used inferior movers knows the torture of watching them slowly load a single box onto the truck. You won't need to stifle the urge to grab a handcart and goose the friendly Gentle Giant guys, who gather up as much as they can carry, unload, and literally sprint back for more. And that brawn doesn't come at the cost of finesse: Everything arrives at your new home unscathed. 29 Harding St., Somerville, MA 2116, gentlegiant.com.
JJ Gonson, Cuisine en Locale
So you're a little lazy. Or overworked. Or simply a really, really bad cook. No one has to know—not with Gonson around cover your tracks. Armed with fresh ingredients culled from local growers and farmers' markets, the Cambridge-based chef swoops into homes throughout the Hub, leaving a week's worth of healthy meals in her wake. And she's not afraid to share her tricks, offering kitchen and pantry organization and private gourmet-grocery shopping, too.
AZ Studio
Changing stylists right after you've been butchered presents a classic rebound scenario: No matter how well you're treated, there are nagging trust issues. That is, unless you drag your sorry 'do to AZ Studio, which has both veterans (some have been here 10 years or more) and next-generation snippers adept at soothing frizzed, scraggly, and otherwise badly ruffled feathers. Still feeling a bit heartsick? A shopping spree in the amply stocked salon boutique will make it all better. Derby Street Shoppes, Hingham, MA 2043, azstudio-derby.com.
Shanti
The services brochure is more richly designed than most wedding invitations. The décor is a balance of industrial details, chocolate leather, and walls soaked in cool blue-green. Everything about this six-year-old salon, renovated and renamed last year, suggests a keen attention to how things look—which bodes extremely well for your hair. The pros here will quiz you closely on cut and color, and may keep you in the chair longer than you're used to, but the results are unimpeachable. 50 Water St., Newburyport, MA 1950, .
Emerge Spa and Salon
By now you've seen the articles proclaiming that men are (hold on to your footballs!) concerned with their hygiene and grooming. Yet at most spas, the premises still feel dominated by women, or at least by lots and lots of flowers. Not so at Emerge. Its Men's Club, flush with mahogany paneling and boasting a flat-screen TV, is cordoned off and populated by neatly kempt guys awaiting their facials, massages, waxings, and manicures. The only femininity here comes via the friendly staff. And that's something the male clientele doesn't seem to mind. 275 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, emergespasalon.com.
Amy Leydon, Exhale and The Sports Club/LA
A former Emmy-winning television producer, Leydon spices up traditional (but challenging) vinyasa-flow yoga with inspiring music and unexpected sequences to show aspiring yogis how to find their own path to limber inner peace. Free advice: "Remember that yoga is noncompetitive. We live in a culture that makes it hard to let go of egos, but when you're doing precarious positions for the first time, you have to back off and go at your own pace." 28 Arlington St.; 4 Avery St., Boston, MA 02116; 02111, exhalespa.com; thesportsclubla.com.
Tom Reen
Reen, a registered dietitian and certified sports nutritionist and personal trainer, helped launch the life coaching program at the city's leading fitness outpost, the Sports Club/LA. He also tends to a healthy private practice. Free advice: "When life gets stressful, nutrition's usually the first thing to go out the window. Make sure to try new things, and not just new foods, but things that will keep your attitude interested and fresh and happy." The Sports Club/LA, 4 Avery St., Boston, MA 2111, .
Chatham Bars Inn
Had Fitzgerald created Jay Gatsby today, he might have installed his debonair protagonist at the Chatham Bars Inn. The 1914 hotel's foyer alone, with its polished wood floors and stately white columns, is redolent of money and understated class. Still a place where old New England summers, the property now encompasses 25 acres of landscaped grounds, four restaurants, a state-of-the-art spa, 40 guestrooms, and 30 private cottages, a handful of which sit on bluffs overlooking the Atlantic. 297 Shore Road, Chatham, MA 2633, .