Originally founded in 1991 by Michael Aplin to honor his life partner Geoffrey Seelen, this long-time favorite from Boston's Back Bay recently reopened in Roslindale Square with all a familiar panache reminiscent from its days on Tremont Street. This Washington Street hot spot has a to-die-for menu boasting yummy comfort foods ranging from its spinach & artichoke appetizer dip served with tortilla chips ($7.95) and its tasty chicken saltimbocca chicken plate seared with proscuitto, capers, spinach, balsamic mushrooms served atop mashed potatoes ($14.95). While the food is stellar, it's Geoffrey's funky-chic ambiance, friendly staff and outdoor patio area that will having you coming back for more.

With a mix of smaller jewelry and handbag designers Rapt Boutique is a refreshing addition to Newbury Street. Many of their items are handmade and unique - great for gifts for others or yourself! We are pleased to announce the launch of rapt boutique's online store!!
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Be it for a power breakfast, long and leisurely lunch, or night on the town for dinner, Asana in the new Mandarin Oriental, Boston, can offer American and Asian fusion cuisine for all of the above. Stocked with a special cheese cavern and extensive wine list, Asana also offers an exclusive Chef's table for 8 in the kitchen that allows the diners to watch Executive chef Nicolas Boutin at work.

Named #1 New Restaurant in America by New York Times Critic Frank Bruni^[1]. Excerpt below: With the possible exception of a certain turbulent campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, there may be something to these husband-and-wife tag teams. At O Ya Tim and Nancy Cushman successfully divvy up the emotional impact they want their restaurant to have on you. Running the kitchen, he takes charge of dazzling, and does so with intricate, stunningly creative dishes grounded in, but not restrained by, Japanese tradition. Running the front of the house, she takes charge of soothing, and I saw an example of that the moment I arrived. Two women ahead of me approached the hostess stand and asked her if she had any unreserved tables. She didn’t. So she gave them a detailed rundown of the restaurants nearby. Then she called the ones that interested the two women. She made them a reservation, gave them walking directions. And off they went — to dine at one of her competitors. The Cushmans don’t have any children other than O Ya, a fussed-over, tightly clutched baby that Tim Cushman, 55, dreamed about over the decades that he worked as a restaurant consultant, helping other chefs realize their ambitions. In Los Angeles in the 1980’s, he dined in Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurant and even, for a few days, worked beside him. Later he traveled to Japan, gathering new ideas. Nancy, 34, has been there with him and on her own, and is the architect of the impressive sake list at O Ya, whose name is a Japanese expression of curiosity. The restaurant, plotted with excellence more than profit in mind, reflects extraordinary pride. Although it has just 37 seats, 17 of them at an L-shaped sushi counter, there are as many as five chefs in addition to Mr. Cushman working on a given night. They execute a menu with about 80 savory dishes, few of them simple, and just as many sauces and dressings a night. The front side of the menu is devoted to sushi and sashimi ($8 to $28 for two or three pieces), almost all of it given embellishments much more elaborate and unexpected than wasabi and shiso. A raw oyster was crowned with minuscule scoops of ponzu-marinated watermelon and diced cucumbers. It was an ideal palate primer at the start of the meal. A fried oyster shared its rice bed with a house-made yuzu aioli, a julienne of Japanese leek and “squid bubbles,” a froth of oyster juice, squid ink, olive oil and milk. It was a one-bite affair, but what a bite — briny, creamy, alive with different textures and flavors. Mr. Cushman’s idea of what belongs on a pedestal of rice isn’t limited to salmon, tuna, eel and uni, though O Ya has all of that. It extends to seared foie gras, which he bathes in balsamic vinegar, chocolate and raisins. I ordered a second piece as soon as I finished the first. There was no way I was leaving O Ya with the memory of just one. The flip side of the menu has such categories as pork (kurobuta), beef (wagyu) and chicken (poulet rouge), the last of which yielded a “ballotine of chicken wing” ($12) that exemplified the kitchen’s painstaking efforts. The boned wing had been brined overnight in a mixture including tea and yuzu juice; stuffed with a pâte of ground chicken, shiitake mushrooms and Napa cabbage; and deep-fried. Then it was placed over tangy house-made kimchi and drizzled with scallion ginger oil, fresh yuzu zest and toasted sesame seeds. My companion marveled, “It’s like a chicken bone just melted in my mouth.” At the risk of putting my credentials as a carnivore in doubt, I must say that the best dish on the menu — maybe the best dish of my entire journey — came from the menu’s vegetable category. Called “grilled sashimi of chanterelle and shiitake,” ($18) it seemed to me to settle any and all debate over umami, which has to exist if only to explain why these thinly sliced mushrooms, brushed with soy sauce and a rosemary garlic oil, have such a full, magnificent taste. Sesame gets some credit. In fact sesame gets a lot of credit, contributing to both a froth of porcini and milk that covers the so-called sashimi and to a brittle that’s sprinkled on the froth. The desserts at O Ya don’t live up to what precedes them. It doesn’t matter. You might end up spending $125 a person on the restaurant’s modestly portioned dishes. It’s worth it. The quality of the ingredients, the warmth of the service and the coziness of the setting — a dark, weathered, brick-walled room that was built as a firehouse a century ago and rejects clichéd sushi-bar sleekness — will convince you of that. And you’ll walk out the restaurant’s inconspicuous front door, off a cobblestone alley in an oddly somnolent neighborhood near the main train station, wondering whether you should keep this little secret or shout it out loud.

UPDATE: Minibar is now open for business. The Copley Square Hotel plans to unveil its new urban-chic look on Wednesday, Dec. 31 after a $17 million facelift. Formerly Domani Bar & Trattoria, this new martini bar is located in the heart of Boston's Back Bay. The interior of Minibar, the soon-to-be-opened lobby lounge and U-shaped bar adjacent to the Copley Square Hotel, is emerging as a sleek example of modern chic. Inspired by lounges at the W Hotels and Miami's Delano, designer/architect Stephen Sousa's Minibar boasts modern design elements including a black-and-metallic color motif and gray-leather seating surrounding a minimalist bar area. After snooping outside of the Copley Square hot spot yesterday, it looks like the interior of the South End's Oishii coupled with the contemporary flair of Vintage Lounge in the Financial District as well as the stark modern design elements of the new Downtown Crossing Italian restaurant Bina Osteria. Of course, Sousa designed Gypsy Bar and nearby Saint so there are obvious design similarities. Minibar will offer a renowned drink menu with signature cocktails and an inspired host of appetizers. All served under the ambient sounds of cool, hip, progressive lounge music. Minibar will be accessible from both the hotel lobby and the street, and will be open from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week.

This swank new restaurant recently opened in Jamaica Plain. Vee Vee is a New American Bistro on Centre Street, serving mid-priced, modern American food, with a focus on fresh seafood, vegetables and grains. The menu, which changes seasonally, features local products whenever possible. Also, Vee Vee's stunning decor is minimalistic with a contemporary flair. They also sport a carefully chosen selection of craft beers. Vee Vee is now open for Sunday brunch brunch from 10:30 - 3:00PM.

Better deals together? Absolutely. Consumer United is a savings-driven, grassroots group based in Boston's Leather District that’s spearheading a network of ordinary consumers, folks like you, who have joined together to identify the best service providers, negotiate better deals and simplify their lives. As a movement, their goal is to leverage competitors to lower prices on auto insurance, phone, Internet, cable, personal banking and utilities. Yes, there’s power in numbers. The Boston Phoenix's Stuff Magazine highlighted Consumer United in its "Hot 100" list, adding that the group "helps shoppers band together to negotiate better deals on everything from utilities to health insurance."

• Check out Consumer United's blog HERE. Also, follow them on Twitter HERE or join their Facebook group HERE.

The recent addition of Rocca to the growing list of top-tier restaurants in the SOWA region of the South End was highly lauded when it opened in Spring 2007. Italian food inspired by the Riviera, this hotspot is not only a fabulous meal with a creative twist, but it also boasts a great bar scene. Rocca's menu is mid-range prices with a fairly expensive wine list. The best way to describe Rocca? Italian-style tapas. Rocca specializes in small portions and a collection of Italian-style tastes like fresh raviolis, gnocchi and the artichoke "taste" dish. There's a rustic water wheel sculpture made out of metal for outdoor diners which punctuates the restaurant's already stunning red-and-silver ambience. Also, Rocca boasts ample free parking which is a definite plus for Boston-area foodies. Check out Rocca's blog HERE.

This upscale, chic bar attached to the The Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Their drink, wine list and bar is expensive. A bottle of Duval Leroy goes for $75 and a Martini around $13. Definitely not a hipster hangout for youngsters but a hot spot for professionals looking for a luxurious evening out.

Looking for over-the-top opulence with Asian-inspired elegence? You're in luck. Featuring 148 guestrooms and suites that span over 14 floors, the new Mandarin Oriental officially opened its doors on Oct. 6, 2008 with a ceremony officiated by Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The rooms are designed with custom furnishings in golden-hued, exotic wood coupled with lush silk. While extravagant in both price and amenities, the rooms boast a to-die-for view of the Back Bay. The hotel's in-house restaurant Asana offers breakfast, lunch and dinner dining from an inspired menu by executive chef Nicolas Boutin. Sporting panoramic views of Boylston Street, the restaurant's offerings include a combination of American and authentic Asian-inspired cuisine. The Boylston street urban landscape is shared by the adjacent M Bar & Lounge.