City Express
City Express has the craftiest couriers in town: some are lip-pierced and dreadlocked, some are AARP candidates, some are chain-smoking Ukrainians, all take good care of your packages and treat you with friendly care. The phone staff is expeditious and charming, and will always tell you when the traffic is bad enough to cause a delay. No matter what the assignment, they'll get your package there with uncommon style.
Cafe Louis
Leave it to Louis Boston to install a cafe that outdoes most of the local stand-alone restaurants. What keeps us coming back to Cafe Louis, even when we don't want to shop. is chef David Reynoso's incredible pizza margherita. It's thin-crusted, with fresh fontina and basil leaves, and so authentic a Neapolitan experience that you'll forget your chic environs and lick your fingers afterward. 234 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA louisboston.com.
Crane & Co. Papermaker
Dalton-based Crane's 100 percent cotton paper has been used exclusively to make U.S. currency since 1879. And while your wedding invitations may be slightly less official than that, they're no less important—and should be no less grand. Crane's seasoned staff sees to it that your stock and print quality are the finest possible, and that you've got everything covered, from save-the-date cards to envelope linings and thank-you notes. Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St., Boston, MA crane.com.
Audio Concepts
Audio Concepts Home Theater After you're done drooling over Audio Concepts' fantasy home-theater setups—massive TVs, booming speakers, George Jetson-worthy remote controls—find a salesperson and tell him your audio-visual dream. No matter the budget, be it $1,000 or $20,000, he'll briskly and breezily sketch out a plan to turn your underutilized family room or basement into the neighborhood cinema. 870 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA audioconcepts.com.
Gentle Giant
It is worth the hassle of moving simply for the pleasure of employing perennial winners Gentle Giant. The entire process unfolds like a dream: Book the move with a phone call and watch as the exceedingly polite, good-humored movers show up on time, load your belongings into the truck with astonishing grace and speed, and unload them—in their proper places—into your new home. Yes, they're more expensive than other movers, but they're worth it. 29 Harding Street, Somerville, MA gentlegiant.com.
Matsu
Luddites rejoice. Perhaps the factory-inspired, hard-sell, high-tech atmosphere infiltrating most retail outlets inspired Dava Muramatsu to open a store that has your spiritual well-being in mind. Sure she sells great designer togs from Dosa, Cynthia Rowley, and Lilith among others, but she also stocks objects of beauty for body, home, and soul. Keep your eyes peeled for her seasonal festivals featuring yoga instructor Roni Brisette, astrologer Elizabeth Hermon, and hair maestro Troi. 259 Newbury Street, Boston, MA matsuboston.com.
Giorgio Armani
This is not your father's monkey suit. No longer need you dread that command: black tie. For a well-cut tux that will stand the test of time, Giorgio Armani has the ne plus ultra in evening attire. But if your pocketbook can't stand the stress, there's always Emporio Armani, where the tuxedos are a little funkier. Remember, there's safety in black—unless it's a very dark French navy. 22 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Mr. Sid
If you hate to shop but need to update your wardrobe, Mr. Sid's can outfit you from head to toe and also provide a few divertissements—namely a bar, antique pool table, and hair salon. At least you'll have something to do while your clothes are pressed and tailored. The store carries everything from casual to formal wear, including labels Brioni, Hugo Boss, Segna, Hickey Freeman, and Canali. 1211 Centre St., Newton Centre, MA .
Zimman's
The selection of fabrics is so enticing it makes you think about taking that adult ed upholstery course. Whether you're looking for a snippet for the perfect set of throw pillows or vast yardage for lush drapes to pool along your hardwood floor, this is the place. You'll get decorator-quality fabrics at an honest price. Your only problem will be finding someone who can sew. 80 Market St., Lynn, MA .
Canyon Beachwear
There's something disconcerting about trying on swimsuits in badly lighted dressing rooms that seem to highlight every wrinkled lump on your legs. Canyon Beachwear feels your pain: It offers mix-and-match tops and bottoms for whose who fit into a 12 on the bottom but a 6 on the top. The store carries one-piece suits, bikinis, tankinis, and wraps from Domani, Calvin Klein, Anne Cole, Manuel Conovas, Jag, Esprit, and Mossimo, among others. 229 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Marathon Sports
By a mile, Marathon packs a lot of running expertise and merchandise into its very small Cambridge anchor store, but as they say, size doesn't matter. The prices aren't much lower than at those megastores, but the salespeople are knowledgeable runners, so the fit will be worth the money. If you like, they'll help you with your technique, and even analyze your feet. 1654 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA .
Pro Camera International
Erik Baier, owner of this quirky shop, is like every photographer's benevolent uncle. He'll answer your stupid questions, talk you through your photographic dilemmas, and impart his considerable wisdom, sending you off with just what you need. His stuff is new, used, or for rent, and if he hasn't got it, he'll get it. 840 Summer St., 3rd floor, Boston, MA .
Petco
Okay, so this massive warehouse chain has great prices on a huge selection. No surprise there. But it also offers surprisingly good service. You're greeted right after entering the store and guided to the aisle for, say, your iguana, and they'll even schlep the 40-pound bag of food to your cat. The doggie-biscuit salad bar is the canine equivalent of Bread & Circus. All locations, .
Johnson Paint Co. Inc.
When you need paint, Johnson has it, from the usual house paint to aniline wood dyes to oil and watercolor. (There's an art-supply store upstairs— is that perhaps because more artists than we suspected pay the bills by painting houses?) When it runs a sale, you'll find yourself planning the recoloration of rooms you don't even have. 355 Newbury St., Boston, MA .
Mr. Sid
Even though the name might sound a bit outdated, the clothes are right on the mark. This tastefully outfitted men's store was the first vendor in the United States to carry Ermenegildo Zegna, while continuing to provide for the less adventurous dresser with designers like Hickey-Freeman. For a shop that can fulfill your practical as well as your extraordinary needs, Mr. Sid fits. 1211 Centre St., Newton, MA .