Ginza
This is where Boston's other sushi chefs eat on their nights off. Memorable maki comes with ingredients ranging from burdock root to Japanese basil. The fish is unbelievably fresh, the presentation stunning, the extra-long hours ('til 4 a.m., Tuesday-Saturday) convenient. 14 Hudson St., Boston, MA .
Roland Tumble
With a restless slide on a molted guitar, Roland Tumble, who frequently perches in the Park Street Red Line station, plays rubbery melodies with all the melancholy of a heavy-hearted Boston evening rush hour— and just enough bounce to snap us out of the drone of commuting.
Moon Villa
Regardless of the Globe Spotlight Team's investigation into after-hours clubs and unlicensed premises serving alcohol, Moon Villa is a superlative restaurant. The waiters aren't surly anymore, either. But know that when you order "cold tea" you may not get a beer anymore. Just cold tea. 23 Edinboro St., Boston, MA .
Bread & Circus
White peaches, Allegro coffee, Nicoise olives, English Stilton, and Iggy's breads now reign where once a scuzzy Stop & Shop stood. And for city dwellers, the one hour of free parking with a $5 purchase makes this the best shopping destination around. 15 Westland Ave., Boston, MA .
Bill Weld
Redhead is no Reagan republican, but his work habits are reminiscent of the Gipper. Regular squash games, Grateful Dead concerts, and a generally drowsy appearance suggest that Bill might be happier at home playing Nintendo. However, rumor that a 30-hour workweek will be a major plank of his campaign is apparently unfounded.
I Shing Garden
Chef Ta-Pao Liang makes it every day, so you don't have to give 24 hours' notice. Unlike some other local Chinese chefs, he doesn't pick up precooked ducks in Chinatown. 354 Chestnut Hill Ave., Brighton, MA .
Back Bay Laundry Emporium
The heel of your shoe is falling off. There's marinara sauce on your tie. Your rug smells like Chinese takeout. You've been going to CVS in the morning—to buy socks. Enough. It's time to clean up your life, but the problem with your life is that you have no time to clean up. Luckily there's the Emporium, the only place where you can pick up your dry cleaning, drop off your laundry, have your shoes repaired, store your winter coats, and get your rug cleaned at 10:45 on a weeknight. If your shirts have ever been trapped for a month at a laundry that closes before you get out of work, this is the place for you. 409-A Marlborough Street, Boston, MA .
Systems Design & Integration
Whether texting, shopping, or trying out the newest dating app, you’re already living your life in a series of button taps. Why not invite that kind of efficiency into your humble abode? These West Roxbury–based pros can hook you up with all sorts of time-saving technology, seamlessly wiring your home to do everything from enable your alarm system and lower your shades at night to adjust the lighting in your kitchen while you cook. 5230 Washington St., West Roxbury, MA sdiboston.com.
Fini Concierge
The perpetually overwhelmed will find relief in the care of the errand-vanquishing team at Fini. Need your car detailed, your trip to Reykjavik arranged, and the cable guy dealt with, but have more pressing things eating up your day? Hoping to deck out your stoop with the neighborhood’s spookiest Halloween decorations but don’t have the time (or the eye for artificial cobwebs)? The pros at Fini, who’ve been doing this for 15 years now, have your back. 665 Beacon St., Boston, MA finiconcierge.com.
Bos2Go
Picture this: You’ve just lugged your bag all the way from security to your gate and plopped down on a chair when you hear your stomach growl. Instead of settling for a suspiciously wet egg-salad sammy from the newsstand, simply navigate to this website, which delivers meals and other essentials from anywhere in the airport straight to your seat. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your piping-hot Wahlburger from all the way in Terminal C. bos2go.com.
9Tailors
Make no mistake, fellas: Your strut down the aisle is just as important as any bride’s. At 9Tailors, custom-suiting gurus will help you create an ensemble worthy of your big moment, walking you through myriad design options to make sure your getup matches your style and your shindig. Is the ceremony outside in summer? Lightweight fabrics only. Love to dance? Nix the skinny fit. No suit off the rack will ask you these questions. 132 Lincoln St., Boston, MA 02111, 9tailors.com.
Bliss
The foot treatments here are as good for your head as they are for your toes. Grab a magazine and settle into one of two elevated pedicure stations. Then your snacks and tea arrive. And then you notice the flat-screen TV in front of you, and the remote at your side. As your nail tech buffs, soaks, and scrubs, you feel like a kid on a fake sick day. And that makes for very happy feet. 100 Stuart St., Boston, MA 2116, blissworld.com.
Ronnie Sullivan
Anyone who's been over-processed to a disastrous shade of orange can appreciate Sullivan's careful approach. He'll be honest if your chosen color won't suit you or your hair, and he'll guide you through highlights, lowlights, and permanent color to find your hair solution. Besides perfecting your shade, his treatments enhance the shape, texture, and condition of your 'do.
Giuliano Day Spa
When your fast-track life has you ragged at the edges, check into Giuliano's for some serious self-indulgence. They'll paint your toes, trim your locks, lather your face with soothing muds, and massage your weary back with fragrant oils (by candlelight!). You'll emerge ready to do battle again—or, better yet, go out on the town. 338 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Nina Ganci, Trephin
Nina Ganci will not judge you for being a lazy blonde, even if your year-old highlights are brassy and now fall somewhere in line with your eyebrows. Instead, she'll craft a color that matches your complexion, mixing high- and lowlights that seem deeply embedded in your genetic code, and she'll do it in a way that factors in your low-maintenance lifestyle: a brushed-on balayage treatment requiring precious little upkeep. 25 Temple Place, Boston, MA trephin.com.