Ellen Signaigo Brockman, Coldwell Banker/Hunneman realty
With the real estate market showing few signs of slowing, the only way to find your dream home is to have a great broker by your side. Ellen Brockman specializes in Cambridge real estate—she knows every property, every building, every transaction that occurs. For buyers, she's a quick study on your likes and dislikes, and her instincts are dead-on when it comes time to make an offer. For sellers, she offers tried-and-true advice for showing your home at its best and getting the right potential buyers in the door. 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA .
Marching and Chowder
We wish we had thought of this—a take-home-dinner kiosk in the middle of South Station. You can peruse the daily updated online menu (marchingandchowder.com) from the comfort of your office, then pick up your meal on your way to catch the train. This year-old business offers soups, salads, gourmet-style comfort foods, low-fat and vegetarian options—even sushi. We think you'll like it; if you don't, they'll give you back your money. South Station, Boston, MA .
Todd Lipman, Bistro du Midi
Not to diminish the importance of knowing your Rhône from your Rheingau, but technical expertise is but a fraction of the wine steward’s craft. What separates wonky savant from sommelier superstar is, quite simply, knowing how to read your audience. Next time you dine upstairs, perk up your ears as Todd Lipman morphs seamlessly from patient Sancerre 101 ambassador to wily investment strategist, saving the whale at Table 8 a cool hundo with some lesser-known (but better-drinking) Bordeaux. 272 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2116, bistrodumidi.com.
The Midway Cafe
Throw on a pair of skinnies, grab your cash, and make like it's the '90s at the Midway, which on Thursday nights transforms from a mostly-locals dive bar into a hub for gay women (and the straight folks who love them). Elbow your way to the bar and grab a little liquid courage before shaking your booty or singing your heart out during the Queeraoke interludes. 3496 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA 2130, midwaycafe.com.
Nelson Randall
Bring them your frizz, your layers, your tired locks yearning to breathe free. This high-tech, low-key salon will liberate them. 306 Washington St., Brookline, MA .
POSH
Ready for your Marie Kondo moment? Trust this formidable organizing firm to bring order to your jam-packed basement, help you downsize, or rethink your kitchen storage—no film crew required. posh-boston.com.
Jenny Luu Hair + Makeup
Trust Jenny Luu with your bridal makeup, and she’ll do so much more than expertly blend your foundation and apply false lashes. Weeks before you walk down the aisle, Luu (a self-proclaimed “skinthusiast”) will equip you with a personalized skin-care routine to ensure that your face remains blemish-free. Then, on the big day, the Boston-based artist will use products from Charlotte Tilbury and Dior, among others, to create a look that not only highlights your natural beauty, but also outlasts the after-party (seriously). 460 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, jcluu.com.
Mike's Gym II
There are gyms, and then there are sports clubs. Mike's Gym II is unmistakably in the former club. And it's for neither the soft-hearted nor the soft-bodied; with seven rooms of equipment, no flab escapes this place alive. Weights and equipment are situated according to muscle group, so you don't have to hike to complete your workout, and there are plenty of aerobics classes and cardiovascular equipment to get your heart pumping. And if yours happens to be a softer heart, well, take note: Clients come to this South End spot to lift, and they look like it—shiny with sweat and muscled to the max. If you're easily intimidated, don't come looking for a boost to your self-esteem. 560 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA .
Kitchen Arts
Next time you need a hard-to-find imported baking pan, follow your inner Escoffier to Kitchen Arts. From culinary esoterica (a one-inch funnel or a rolling mincer) to basics (need your knives sharpened?), these kitchen wizards have it all, including five lines of high-performance cookware. There are good old American brands alongside fancy European makes, and no fewer than 20 types of coffeemakers (stovetop percolators, French presses, and filter drips). Don't worry if your cooking skills extend little beyond boiling water. The employees know of what they speak and want you to enjoy the time you spend in your kitchen. 161 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Giuliano Day Spa
Pass through the frosted glass door to the spa area of Giuliano's and experience the ultimate in feminine luxury. The aestheticians bustling about this girly-girls' playhouse are absolute pros, and their facials leave your face as smooth as silk. Everyone who touches your skin is required to take an intensive training course in Phytobiodermie, a product line based on Chinese philosophy of the five elements. The philosophy deals with both inner and outer beauty; for example, an aromatherapy facial pinpoints which natural element you are (based on your birthdate) and then uses different herbal extracts specific to your skin type. 338 Newbury Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA .
Trish McEvoy
New from New York, the McEvoy line offers hip, practical palettes for lips, eyes, and cheeks, and even has a zippered filofax-style case that you can fill with customized inserts (for all those important little daily appointments to powder your nose). The trained crew at Neiman's invites you to try before you buy. Educating rather than arm-twisting, patiently demonstrating special techniques like "push and wiggle" so you can line your lids like the pros—even after you get home—they do one side of your face, then it's your turn. Neiman Marcus, 5 Copley Place, Boston, MA .
The Scarlet Oak Tavern
The dish is hot crab-and-cheese dip, and it goes a little something like this: chunks of tender, sweet blue crab tossed with heavy cream and supersharp cheddar, then wood-fired to a roof-of-mouth-scorching sizzle. After that, the menu at this guilty-pleasure oasis is your oyster. Or your goat cheese-slathered wild mushroom pizza. Or your flaky chicken potpie with a scrumptious baked side of three-cheese macaroni. The elegant setting is so picturesque you could have your wedding reception here—so long as you let out the dress first. 1217 Main St., Hingham, MA 2043, scarlettoaktavern.com.
Dessert Works
Kristen Repa has seen (and made) a lot of wedding cakes: Before launching her own bakery more than a decade ago, she honed her sweet skills at local institutions like Konditor Meister and the Catered Affair, and even trained at the renowned Konditorei Gerstner, in Austria. Whether you want your cake to match your theme, your personality, or your gorgeous gown, Repa and her team of pastry chefs will turn out an exquisite confection that tastes as good as it looks (dulce de leche or lemon—summer berry, anyone?). 302 Providence Hwy., Westwood, MA 2090, dessertworks.net.
Bliss
Some pedicures are utilitarian—file, buff, polish, and out the door in 30 minutes or less. Bliss’s glam foot treatments are anything but. Want to watch your favorite show (headphones provided) while a technician buffs your calluses? Zone out with a fashion mag during your calf massage? Or just polish off a few mini brownies as your polish is applied? Done, done, and done. The spa’s heavenly scented scrubs and lotions, meanwhile, make pedicures here a delightfully sensory—and, yes, positively blissful—experience. 100 Stuart St., Boston, MA 2116, blissworld.com/spa/locations/massachusetts/bliss-boston.
Bambini Design
Sure, you can find a crib or changing table at any old baby-furniture warehouse, but here's what you'll be missing: design staffers who will come to your home, interview your child (who may or may not answer back), and determine the furniture match for her budding personality. Meanwhile, they'll scope out the rest of your pad to ensure the nursery jibes with your carefully chosen décor. Expect high-end contemporary pieces by the likes of Oeuf and Monte, streamlined beauties that are still comfortable enough to take the edge off those 3 a.m. feedings. 82 Boylston Street, Brookline, MA 2445, bambinidesignonline.com.