The dramatic ambience and fashionista crowd at Mantra almost overshadows the stunning French-Indian fusion cuisine served up my chef Thomas John but his classic culinary instincts and clever use of spices ultimately prevails at this fine-dining must where Boston’s Downtown Crossing and Theatre District intersect. The décor is breathtaking. This former bank from the 1800s has been transformed into an avant-garde masterpiece with its Italian marble walls and floors, halogen lights and saffron-colored silk drapery that makes seem like an experiential journey of the senses. Chain mail curtains and stepped tables evoke multiple rooms in the Beaux-Arts marble hall of the Old Colony Bank. Tip: Gentlemen, the urinals are disguised as ice machines. Ladies, your privacy is secure: the glass is one-way.

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Italian small plates and no bottles of wine over $26 make this Ladder District restaurant a favorite for lunch and dinner. Set away from the hustle and bustle of Downtown Crossing on Temple Place, Ivy is a sharp restaurant with the appeal of prices in the everyday range.

Boston Electrology and Skin Therapies is a highly specialized state-of-the-art skin care clinic and medical day spa focusing on patient education in the areas of electrolysis, laser skin care treatments and skin therapies incuding chemical peels, microdermabrasion and facials. As educators we pride ourselves in keeping all of our treatment services on the cutting edge.

Feathers and leathers, buttons and bows, line the aisles of this odds-and-ends warehouse. You'll find exotic sequined fringe and peacock-feather trim alongside beads, boas, and bridal kitsch. The yarn section is both larger and cheaper than Harvard Square's knitters depot, Woolcott's. One full wall is filled with cases of buttons, from 12¢ (plastic) to $20 (jeweled). Don't overlook the giant box of button miscellany by the door (25¢/button, $5/boxful). 10% student discount with ID. This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard. Since 1936, Windsor Button has been providing consumers in the Boston area with an outstanding selection of quality buttons, sewing and craft notions. They carry the largest assortment of buttons in the northeast, including selections from all over the world. Our extensive line of notions ranges from basic to specialty items. We have added a full yarn department including basic to novelty yarn, as well as knitting needles, books, patterns, and accessories.

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We're pleased to open our doors once again for our second annual holiday book fair where you'll find BIG savings on some of our best-selling books, movies, games, and educational materials about Asia. Both English and multilingual items are available. Enjoy complimentary cookies and cocoa, sign up for your chance to win great door prizes, and get in the holiday spirit with Cheng & Tsui! When: Friday, December 12th Time: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Where: 25 West Street, Ground Floor Boston, MA No RSVP necessary—just stop by for great buys, good food, and holiday cheer!

As comically old-school as it may be, Locke-Ober invariably delivers on its biggest promise: a wildly decadent, scotch-and-cigar-laden immersion in all things traditionally New England—and Harvard, of course. This restaurant's ancient leather chairs, pheasant prints, sprawling chandeliers, and heavy panelled walls once watched only the wealthiest of men. Now, as our waiter lamented, the dining room is open to ladies, though “it is not designed for it.” The spookily stiff waiters invisibly deliver dishes from a menu leaning heavily toward expensive meats and seafood, from appetizers such as the divine Jonah crab cakes ($14) all the way through the entrees (tasty, fatty sirloin; $36) and sickeningly rich and delicious desserts. For the pyromaniacs among us, ample opportunities exist to have various dishes flambéed (read: lit on fire) tableside. For good reason, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals still bring their Man of the Year here annually. For a bit of Boston history in your belly, order a "Ward 8." This section contains information from Harvard Student Agencies' Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

I have to give the nod to El Triunfo for best west-coast style Burritos in Boston, but Herrera's is very good and whenever I'm in the area for lunch its my first choice. Their hours are limited, but for workday lunches it's a great option. Service is always pleasant and speedy.

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