Barneys New York
Some men like to shop. Then there are the rest of them. At Barneys New York, the breadth of merchandise—a bounty of socks, cuff links, wallets, watches, duffels, and other assorted man-bags—offers something for both kinds of fellows. Dandies can spend hours deliberating over the perfect pocket square, while the guy who just needs a tie can get in and out before the sweat starts to bead. 100 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2116, barneys.com.
Barefoot Books
Kids? Reading? Ha. Pass the remote. Fortunately this Porter Square independent publisher and bookshop still emphasizes literacy and creative storytelling, matching up unequaled illustrations with cross-cultural tales to create award-winning titles such as The Gigantic Turnip and the celebrated My Daddy Is a Pretzel. In-store craft sessions, sing-alongs, and community store hours further the case for imagination—no batteries required. 1771 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA barefootbooks.com.
City Video
In some stores you search for hours for a decent title. In others, like City Video, you instantly strike gold. Maybe that's because its shelves aren't stuffed full of 6,000 copies of lame summer blockbusters, but instead feature an overwhelming and diverse selection of cult movies, foreign films, and classics. If you do get stuck, the literate staff bubbles with picks and suggestions. Take advantage of the "Two-for Tuesday" offer to help the week pass that much quicker. 23 White St., Porter Square Shopping Center, Cambridge, MA .
Yelena
Hidden in the parking garage of the Atrium at Chestnut Hill is this whiz with the sewing machine. Yelena, mother of Tatiana (as in Bridals by Tatiana), is the seamstress with the mostest. No alteration is too difficult or too hurried for her. We tested Yelena with a pricey Vera Wang gown that had to be refitted in 24 hours; the job included ripping seams, restructuring a bodice, and hemming a fitted-waist A-line skirt. The result: Not a thread out of place. 300 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA tailoringservice.com.
Tess
Deep inside the grunge of Harvard Square, this boutique is a welcome alternative for those who eschew Birkenstocks for Blahniks. Tess specializes in high-end women's designer clothing from Biella Collezioni, Strenesse, Dosa, Collette Dinnigan, Loro Piana, TSE Cashmere, Han Feng, Mr. and Mrs. Macleod, Ted Baker, and Ter Et Bantine, to name a few. Then there are those value-added services, such as free delivery and private appointments before and after hours. Look out for a second store in Newton Centre this fall. 20 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA .
Classic Tuxedos
High-end tuxedos by Matteo Mass and Denise Hajjar as well as standard lines like Ralph Lauren and Perry Ellis. This place rents tuxedos to celebrities like Ted Danson, as well as various and sundry Celtics and Patriots. Didn't realize it was a black tie event? In a pinch, it'll get you tuxed in a few hours. 249 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Bruno Nicolazzo, Auburndale Plumbing and Heating
We can hardly believe Nicolazzo responds to a 24-hour answering service, appears for emergency work at almost any time (with assistants), and does excellent work. He's even plumber to the stars; that is, he's doing the work on the home of rock singer Ric Ocasek of the Cars. "I remodel old bathrooms and kitchens," the affable Nicolazzo told us, "but not new ones. No challenge. But I will repair them." And for a reasonable price. Newton, MA
Neptune Oyster
It must be nice to be a pearl: just hang around inside an oyster for a while, getting shellacked until round and shiny. We feel similarly after a couple of hours at Neptune Oyster, quaffing glasses of chilled rose while surrounded by ridiculously fresh bivalves (plus a selection of just-off-the-boat crab claws and expertly dressed crudo). There's a reason this place is known as a gem. 63 Salem St., Boston, MA neptuneoyster.com.
Prima e Dopo
At Eastie red-sauce palace Rino's Place, patrons can get stuck waiting two hours for huge portions of baked rigatoni and chicken Parm. To accommodate the throngs, the owners opened Prima E Dopo across the street, offering balsamic-glazed wings and $6 cocktails. Now we just skip Rino's altogether and hang here, dining on sausage-and-broccoli-rabe pizza, crispy bruschetta, and perhaps the most flavorful meatballs we've ever had. 300 Saratoga St., East Boston, MA 2128, .
L'Espalier
Chef Frank McClelland's celebrated dining room offers not one, but two extravagant tasting options. There's the "Seasonal Degustation"—a six-course meal headlined by dishes like Hudson Valley foie gras (take that, California!) with angelica and oatmeal-nut tuile, or lamb alongside roasted figs and caramelized fennel, both featuring ingredients sourced from the chef's own Essex farm. Not lavish enough for you? Then choose the $200 "Chef's Tasting Journey," and you'll be treated to an hours-long repast replete with caviar and truffles. 774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2199, lespalier.com.
South Street Diner
From eggs, home fries, and pancakes to the turkey club piled with crispy bacon, the 24-hour South Street Diner nails the classics, then ups the ante with plates like chocolatey French toast and fried pickles (not together, thankfully). With Nitzer Ebb and Passion Pit on the jukebox and mimosas available until 1 a.m., we love South Street for the same reason we love Boston: It's steeped in tradition, but never short on quirk. 178 Kneeland St., Boston, MA 2111, southstreetdiner.com.
Les Zygomates
Happy-hour drinks, dinner dates, late-night cocktail sessions—all are equally good reasons to come to Les Zygomates, a perfect combination of wine bar, bistro, and jazz club. Its ambiance is wonderfully French, though (thank God) there are no overt Paris references or antiques from the City of Light. Even better, the quaffs are affordable and the food superb. There may be a finer frisée aux lardons salad elsewhere in town, but we have yet to find it. 129 South St., Boston, MA 2111, winebar.com.
American Seasons
It's a bold statement for a city mag to give the stellar-cellar nod to a restaurant located a couple of hours (and several modes of transportation) from downtown. But for those willing to roll with the car-ferry-taxi shuffle, the reward is Orla Murphy-LaScola's gem of a wine list at American Seasons, packed with off-the-beaten-vine vintages from the States. Even jaded sommeliers—stuck tending to creaky libraries of 'important' quaffs from Burgundy and Bordeaux—scratch their heads in amazement at theeccentric yet impeccable collection of small-production wines. 80 Centre St., Nantucket Island, MA 2554, americanseasons.com.
Finale
Finale has the whoopie down to a sweet science: Two palm-size triple-chocolate cookies sandwich a white-chocolate cream-cheese filling. The local dessert chain, which also bakes bite-size whoopies, has late-night hours and multiple locations, letting you take care of those cake-and-cream cravings at (almost) any time. 1 Columbus Ave., Cambridge, MA 2138, finaledesserts.com.
Temple Bar
When we want to pray to the god of late-night dining ("Please let it be open!"), this is the temple where we come to worship. It offers sandwiches, pizza, and sophisticated small plates—wasabi-laden tuna tartare, spicy crab cakes—to satisfy all types of cravings until 12:30 a.m. And don't forget the cocktails: A frothy espresso martini is guaranteed rocket fuel to propel you further into the wee hours of the morning. 1688 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA templebarcambridge.com.