The Maids Home Services

We aren't ones to cry over spilt milk, as our floors can attest; our couch has more hair on it than our cat. Without a speck of judgment, the Maids clean up our act month after month, dusting baseboards, degriming showers, and all but eliminating any traces of pet (except for, of course, the pet itself). They're quick, well priced, and unobtrusive: Aside from the preternatural sparkle and neatly triangled toilet paper, you'd never know they'd been there. 179 Boylston St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, .

Michael's on the Waterfront

1982 Sauvage Sauvignon. 85 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA .

The Bostonian Hotel's Beaulieu Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Beautour

Should cost $4 a glass—but doesn't.

The Maids

We aren't ones to cry over spilt milk, as our floors can attest; our couch has more hair on it than our cat. Without a speck of judgment, the Maids clean up our act month after month, dusting baseboards, degriming showers, and all but eliminating any traces of pet (except for, of course, the pet itself). They're quick, well priced, and unobtrusive: Aside from the preternatural sparkle and neatly triangled toilet paper, you'd never know they'd been there. maids.com.

Parker House's Last Hurrah

The editors have concurred that no sane individual selects a restaurant by the merits of its salad bar. But they're popular nowadays. If you want the best, go to the Parker House's Last Hurrah. But for God's sake, don't be enticed by the salad alone. The restaurant has more to offer.

Parker House's Last Hurrah

Huzzah for the fries at Parker House's Last Hurrah. Hand-cut into big slices and crisp to perfection.

Urban Soirée

When up-and-coming event planner Renée Sabo launched her own boutique firm in 2017, she quickly established herself as one of the city’s go-to vendors. While her creativity and attention to detail shine through in each wedding the Urban Soirée founder brings to life, it’s her deep commitment to her clients and community that impresses most. When the coronavirus outbreak threatened to derail untold brides’ and grooms’ big days, for example, Sabo sprang into action, sharing crucial postponement and rescheduling advice on her blog and teaming up with fellow pros to offer gratis planning consultations for local couples in distress—true leadership, if ever we’ve seen it. urbansoireeboston.com.

The Maids

When you start naming your dust bunnies, you know it's time to stage an intervention. Let the Maids help by eradicating all that befouls your home. Using environmentally friendly cleaning products, teams of four dirt-purging professionals will degrease your kitchen, disinfect your bathroom, and polish your floors to a glossy shine. Prices range from $140 per hour for a first-time cleaning down to $102 per cleaning for a weekly visit—and the results are worth the price. As for those dust bunnies, let's just say the Maids know a little farm in the country. 73 Lexington St., Newton, MA themaidsma.com.

Who Needs the Gym, Anyway?

Who’s keeping Bostonians healthy and fit even as we spend our days baking, watching Netflix, and doing endless craft projects? These four local wellness gurus, that’s who. Pilates instructor Kara Duval was among the first to jump on the Instagram Live bandwagon, and continues to attract more than 200 users to her signature class, the Foundation, every time she logs on. Jessie Burdick, meanwhile, has kept her Zoom (and socially distant outdoor) groups small and her ethos simple: strength training for everyone. Her lighthearted and down-to-earth attitude makes digital classes fun and enjoyable, even as you bust out burpees and what feels like a million straight-leg sit-ups. When finding Zen in a house filled with family members, roommates, or pets is virtually impossible, Billy Gamble’s on-demand yoga classes, offered on his YouTube channel, invite participants to destress with Vinyasa flows and juicy side body bends. And for those a little too self-conscious to try one of Heather White’s heart-­pumping dance-cardio classes at TrillFit, the move to Zoom sessions might just be a blessing: Lead instructors keep you moving and shaking every inch of your body until the music stops and you collapse onto your mat.

Who’s keeping Bostonians healthy and fit even as we spend our days baking, watching Netflix, and doing endless craft projects? These four local wellness gurus, that’s who. Pilates instructor Kara Duval was among the first to jump on the Instagram Live bandwagon, and continues to attract more than 200 users to her signature class, the Foundation, every time she logs on. Jessie Burdick, meanwhile, has kept her Zoom (and socially distant outdoor) groups small and her ethos simple: strength training for everyone. Her lighthearted and down-to-earth attitude makes digital classes fun and enjoyable, even as you bust out burpees and what feels like a million straight-leg sit-ups. When finding Zen in a house filled with family members, roommates, or pets is virtually impossible, Billy Gamble’s on-demand yoga classes, offered on his YouTube channel, invite participants to destress with Vinyasa flows and juicy side body bends. And for those a little too self-conscious to try one of Heather White’s heart-­pumping dance-cardio classes at TrillFit, the move to Zoom sessions might just be a blessing: Lead instructors keep you moving and shaking every inch of your body until the music stops and you collapse onto your mat.

Dependable Cleaners

True to their name, the folks at Dependable will deodorize, de-spot, and de-wrinkle your duds—all within 24 hours (or even the same day if you schlep there by 8 a.m.). In addition to the speedy service, we also like the Sunday hours and night drop-box. And as in any good relationship, it's the details that count. On several occasions we brought in skirts with fallen hems that were returned not only clean and pressed, but hemmed at no extra charge. Ditto for loose buttons. Plus, they've never lost our threads, and the prices are reasonable. We'll go out of our way for a cleaner upon whom we can depend! 110 Newbury Street, Boston, MA dependablecleaners.com.

Area Four

Hand-stretched and fermented for more than 30 hours, Area Four’s crispy, Campania-meets-New Haven crust confidently undergirds a cornucopia of toppings—from handmade mozz to sustainable seafood to house-smoked meats. 500 Technology Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139, areafour.com.

Tony Coviello

Maybe it's because his "Good morning" is warm as toast on your way into the hotel for a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting. Or maybe it's because he (and the players on his team) will keep your car up front if you tell them you're only going to be an hour. But Tony Coviello has become a beloved Boston institution most likely because he makes every guest who swishes through the portals of the Four Seasons feel that he or she belongs there. Four Seasons Hotel, Boston, MA .

The Loft Salon and Day Spa

Michael Albor approached our box-dyed, peppered-with-gray mop with a single question: What was your hair's hue in grade school? Three hours later, this miracle worker had restored our locks to their former luster, accented with honey-brown highlights and champagne notes we hadn't seen in decades. 253 Newbury St. #2, Boston, MA 2116, theloftsalonanddayspa.com.

The Laundry-Galleria

Lillian Bloom's North End hybrid features brand-new machines (Maytag, fifty cents), free coffee and tea, twenty-four-hour drop-off service, and inexpensive art on the walls. There's usually an artist in residence too. Buy a painting, and perhaps he'll fold your undies. 256 North St., Boston, MA .