Best Poke in the Eye

It sometimes seems that the city offers two options for eye doctors: chichi boutiques where everything costs $250 or harried technicians with a stylistic selection equivalent to a spinning rack at Rite Aid. "Dr. Slam" is neither. A gen-u-ine local -- she graduated from Lowell and Cal and has been practicing downtown since 1982 -- Dr. Slamovich strikes a balance between efficiency and quality. Her elegantly bespectacled frame buyer, Margo Novak (who also staffs the front desk), strives for eyeglass choices that aren't like those you'd find in the mall, while Dr. Slamovich gives personalized service with a particular focus on contact lenses and laser eye surgery. In the office she shares with fellow Lowell grad Dr. Eileen Chan, Dr. Slamovich sees around a dozen patients a day, but she tries "not to be cranking tons of people through." She's charming. She's well read. She coaches kids in writing in her off time. In short, she's a mensch. And she wears very cool glasses.