Party Express!
A word to bosses of the nineties: if you can't give your staff raises, let them eat cake. This outfit will deliver a party—including balloons, noisemakers, napkins, and a scrumptious golden or chocolate cake—to your office doorstep. 8 Park Plaza, Room 174, Boston, MA .
Hamilton Children's Center
This adjunct to a full-time day-care center will take care of your healthy child when your regular arrangements fall through. It's bright, clean, fun and $50 a day. (Preregistration is required). 39 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA .
Windsor Button Stores
When you've lost your buttons or the buckle on your trenchcoat, Windsor is still the best place to look for a replacement. The selection of buttons, thread, trims, and other sewing supplies is staggering. 35 Temple Place, Boston, MA .
The Pawsitive Dog
The wait for a consultation can be long (up to three months), but it'll be worth it when the customized training approach here leads to your dog's behavior finally matching your lifestyle. 188, 88 Black Falcon Ave., Boston, MA 2210, thepawsitivedog.com.
Niche Urban Garden Supply
Photograph by Sarah Fisher Even if your home garden is a window box of salad greens, Niche is your local source for the seeds, planters, and garden tools that you’ll need to keep them thriving. 619 Tremont St., Boston, MA 02118, nicheboston.com.
Party Favors
The pastel delights from Party Favors may take you back to your first-grade birthday, but the moist cake and fluffy buttercream frosting will satisfy your more mature inner gourmet. 1356 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 2446, partyfavorsbrookline.com.
East Coast Grill
Sure, there's the bloody mary bar. But after a big night, the best plan may be to divert the pain from your temples to your tongue with the Hangover Cure from Hell: a plate of spicy sausage and roasted habaneros. 1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 2139, eastcoastgrill.net.
Steve Buckley
Sports guy Steve Buckley holds down four, count'em, four jobs: ESPN2 staffer, Herald columnist, WEEI weekend man, and prodigious freelancer. A little Buckley goes a long way.
Mirabelle
Ona cold winter's day, when the city crowds wear at your nerves and your psyche cries out for stillness, slip into this serene cafe and order a lemon scone and a "pot of hot chocolate." 85 Newbury Street, Boston, MA .
Jonathan Wells, <em>Boston Herald</em>
Thrown into the State House breech created by the defection to the Globe of the semilegendary Frank Phillips last year, Wells regularly whacks the veteran along with the rest of the Gray Lady's somnolent State House bureau.
The Freedom Trail
Boston's three-mile walk through America's history. Start at the kiosk near the Park Street subway station. Don't miss the USS Constitution, the Old State House, and the Paul Revere House.
<em>Common-wealth</em>
Common-wealth copped five Sigma Delta Chi awards this year—not bad for an eighty-page, four-color magazine that grew out of a four-page newsletter. Just think what we should expect from the Globe. Boston University, Boston, MA .
Barmakian Jewelers
If you like numbers, try these: Some 60,000 loose diamonds and 20,000 settings are available at this century-old family jeweler, where you can design a sparkler that perfectly matches your style—and your budget. 333 Washington St., Boston, MA barmakianjewelers.com.
Vows Bridal Outlet
Just because you've bypassed the high-end bridal boutiques doesn't mean you don't want to be fussed over when making the biggest decision of your wedding (besides the groom, of course). Enter Vows Bridal Outlet. With an attentive staff offering as much help and advice as you want, this store manages to make its customers feel they're at a posh boutique—until they see the prices. Designer gowns by the likes of Vera Wang, Amsale, and Caroline Herrera (to name but a few) are drastically marked down. Zip one on, strike a pose on the mirror-surrounded pedestal, let a saleswoman place a matching veil in your hair, and try not to gloat over it with your friends who paid retail. 334 Watertown St., Newton, MA bridepower.com.
Oisa Ramen Slurp & Go
"Own your slurp" is the mantra at Moe Kuroki’s tiny ramen bar: It means belly up to the counter, enjoy your soup, and worry about those stains on your shirt later. But it also applies to Kuroki’s personal journey: The self-taught cook from Fukuoka, Japan, began tinkering with traditional tonkotsu recipes during a particularly strong bout of homesickness. In 2014, she started slinging bowls of tender pork belly and chewy homemade noodles at pop-ups across the city. Now she’s sharing her love for the art of ramen at her new brick-and-mortar, where a layered, rich, fully vegan-style bowl stands out in a sea of fresh noodles on the scene. 1 3/4 Broad St., Boston, MA 02109, oisaramen.com.