Market >>

• Market: Bill Wisener
  The Store of Record
  The beat goes on. Can Bill's Records and Tapes? Bill Wisener does not know this story, because I've never told it to him; to others, meaning his friends and customers, I've repeated it often. It takes place not long after Wisener opened his eponymous record store on Spring Valley Road 25 years... More >>
• Best Custom Cowboy Hats
  Acid Cowgirl
  Attention, urban cowgirls. Are you looking for something to set you apart from all the other faux cowpokes at Dallas' current hottest hot spots? Well, if you're tired of seeing some skank gankin' your style, then check out Acid Cowgirl. These ladies take regular old cowboy hats and spruce 'em up... More >>
• Best CD store (used)
  CD Source
  We don't know how CD Source gets so many used copies of hot albums and sells them for less than 10 bucks a pop. Maybe it has something to do with the manager who's always sitting at the front of the store, staring at customers like a Mafia kingpin. Then again, we aren't the kind to question a... More >>
• Best Specialty Bookstore
  Black Images Book Bazaar
  Ashira Tosihwe and Emma Rodgers started Black Images in 1977 as a mail-order business after they had experienced frustration finding books with positive images of black people for their own kids. Since then, Black Images has blossomed into 2,600 square feet of books, cards and incense... More >>
• Best Nursery for Native Plants
  Redenta's Garden
  The owners of this local, all-organic nursery chain call them "Redenta's 50," unique plants they grow themselves that are usually available only at their nurseries. Like teucrium cossinnii (creeping germander) and justicia spicigara (orange shrimp plant)--catnip to discriminating gardeners. In... More >>
• Best Store Cat
  Maggie of Cat Connection
  Luxuriating on her Tiger Dreamz pet bed as you walk in the door of the feline-friendly shop is Maggie, regal store cat. The deed might say that Anne and Jay Horwitz are the owners of The Cat Connection, but as her bio on www.catster.com states, she is the co-owner. Ask them, and well, they won't... More >>
• Best Mexican Imports
  La Mariposa
  La Mariposa is Spanish for "butterfly," which is quite fitting for this Mexican imports store on Henderson Avenue. Butterflies are beautiful, delicate creatures admired for their vibrant colors and grace--much like La Mariposa. Upon entry into the shop, visitors are met with an array of bright... More >>
• Best Place to Get Tattooed
  Holdfast Tattoo
  In the world of tattoos it seems like there are two kinds of shops. There's the low-calorie, squeaky-clean place that specializes in Tweety Bird tattoos and belly-button piercing, and then there's the kind where if you're not well on your way to full yakuza regalia and your tongue is still in... More >>
• Best Toymaker
  Phebe Phillips
  How could we pass up an opportunity to recognize someone known as the "Creatrice of Exquisite Soft Toys"? Gilmer, Texas, native and Southern Methodist University grad Phebe Phillips has designed and created the Phebe Phillips Company animals since 1983. Available at Neiman Marcus and on her... More >>
• Best Wax Job
  Make Scents
  Our neighbor thinks we bake all the time. On Sundays, he thinks we have a thorough house-cleaning regimen. It's doubtful he knows we have cats, not to mention a brimming litter box. Our neighbor can thank Gary Stone, owner and creator of the Dallas-based online store Make Scents candles for the... More >>
• Best Video Store in the World, So Stop Asking
  Premiere Video
  If you've been here once, you know what we're talking about. If you've never been, well, sucker, you're probably still renting from Blockbuster Video (the ones still open, anyway) or using NetFlix (seriously, why?) or trying to get your rabbit ears adjusted on your black-and-white Philco. This... More >>
• Best CD store (new)
  Good Records
  Some music stores are content to overwhelm with their massive selection, but in the Internet age, racks and racks of CDs aren't a big deal when Amazon.com's warehouse is a click away. Five listening stations dedicated to the new Mariah Carey album? Oh, you have overpriced DVD box sets in stock,... More >>
• Best Underground Comic Books
  Keith's Comics
  Every nerd at the Dallas Observer (and, man, for a hipster rag, this place is crawling with them) counts himself blessed to live in a town raging with toy, game and comic book stores. Most local comic shops deserve--and usually earn--Best Of awards for their various strengths, and even if... More >>
• Best Bookstore (new)
  Borders Uptown
  Under what other roof in town would you find contemporary rocker Bryan Adams, Texas picker Jerry Horn and Queer Eye guru Kyan Douglas? All were special event guests at Dallas' newest Borders bookstore. Surrounded by the ultra-hip venues of the West Village, this store tried to do a story time... More >>
• Best Bookstore (used)
  Paperbacks Plus
  OK, nobody really beats Half Price Books for selection, location, price, service--if that's the kind of stuff you care about. But don't you ever want to go into a place that just feels like an old ex-hippie East Dallas bookworm hang-out? Paperbacks Plus has been at or near its La Vista Court... More >>
• Best Florist
  Cebolla Fine Flowers
  Tight bunches of bright, sturdy, long-lasting flowers packed in fine glass or pottery vases--the hallmark of the Cebolla arrangement is its dramatic brilliance, and it won't droop before your dinner guests arrive. Cebolla (pronounced se-BOY-yah) also does elegant hatbands, head wreaths and... More >>
• Best Totally Organic Everything Store
  Green Living
  You think you're organic? You have no idea what organic is till you come here. Do you wear earth-friendly clothes? Sleep on organic bedding? Use hemp hair care products, aluminum-free deodorant, recycled toilet paper, culture preservation tablecloths, an all-natural oven, buckwheat pillowcases,... More >>
• Best Health-Food Store
  Whole Foods Market
  You'd have to be socially responsible to the point of obsession to do your everyday grocery shopping at Whole Foods. Unbleached, recycled coffee filters that cost twice as much as the other kind probably aren't that appealing to fans of, say, a free, not to mention witty and urbane, weekly... More >>
• Best Bicycle Equipment
  Plano Cycling & Fitness
  OK, look, we know. Richardson Bike Mart is bigger, and the prices on bikes and accessories are pretty much the same everywhere, so why not go with the perennial favorite? Here's why: We traded in our old Trek 1400 this year for a sleek new Specialized beauty. We shopped both places and found the... More >>
• Best Pond Supply
  Creative Water Gardens
  To block out the sound of a noisy neighborhood or nearby highway, there's nothing like a water feature. And to help you realize those fantasies about turning your backyard into a pond paradise, there's no place like Creative Water Gardens. The store stocks pumps, koi food and water additives,... More >>
• Best Tiny Trees
  Sunshine Miniature Trees
  It's kind of a mystery why intricately detailed dollhouses and elaborately laid-out train sets hold such fascination, but there's no doubt that people love things in miniature. Combine the unfathomable love of wee things with hipster America's general obsession with Eastern culture, and you'll... More >>
• Best Tree Trimmer
  AP Professional Tree Care
  You want two things from your tree-trimmin' folks: your limbs cut and your cut limbs hauled away. Simple as that. And if you can get it done at a reasonable price, so much the better, though we've been known to pay a little more to get a little more. Turns out with AP Professional Tree Care, you... More >>
• Best Green Wares
  Walton's
  "Make yourself at home," said a Walton's employee as we wandered through the humid, verdant outdoor plant display. And that's just what is so charming about Walton's--a feeling you can't get at a big-box garden center. It's like you're walking through a friend's garden, and boy, does your friend... More >>
• Best Place for Paws to Pause
  Pooch Patio
  If your dog's wardrobe, bed, dishes and collars cost more than DISD's annual per child budget, Pooch Patio is not for you. This place is for the everydog: the four-legged fashionistas sporting Isaac Mizrahi for Target, the Saturday-morning dog park dachshund, the pug in the Passat whose mom... More >>
• Best Feed Bag
  Roach Feed & Seed Inc.
  There is a myth that farmers and ranchers just treat their livestock like, uh, well, livestock. But at places like Roach Feed & Seed Inc. (lovingly referred to as Roach's by customers in Garland), there seems to be a mindset that it is all right to feed and treat your animals better, and we... More >>
• Best Dog Wash
  Dirty Dawgz
  You bring your muddy mutt in. They show the two of you to a booth equipped with a big hose and a squeeze bottle full of dog shampoo. You wash the beast. It's great. All of the stupid flapping and shaking and slobbering gets done within the confines of a nice metal stall instead of in your house... More >>
• Best All-Around Vet
  City Vet
  We once left City Vet for a more "convenient" veterinarian, one that was closer to home. But we ended up coming back. City Vet has the hours, the friendly staff and the services that we wanted and needed. Convenience? You can drop off your pet before work and pick him up on your way home.... More >>
• Best Fly Shop
  Blue Drake Outfitters
  Sure, theoretically you could fish for bass with a fly rod in the Trinity River. You could also fish for boots with a fly rod at the city dump. But what if you want to do some real fly fishing for trout on a gorgeous mountain stream like Robert Redford in A River Runs Through It? With a full... More >>
• Best Place to Get Tired
  Advantage Tire Pros
  Nothing is better than beating a tire to the blow-out. Because nothing is worse than that loud KABOOM! followed by the involuntary swerve, the maneuvering to the shoulder and the dance with traffic. Inevitably you're either trying to change the tire pinched between a guardrail and the car or... More >>
• Best Small All-Around Mechanic Shop
  Lakewood Automotive
  You see a mechanic shop in a modest older building, it can mean one of two things. They're going to rob you blind, stick the air hose in your nose and make you squawk like a dime balloon. Or you have finally found the treasure for which every car owner's life is an endless quest--the honest... More >>
• Best Salvage
  Orr-Reed Wrecking Co.
  Don't wear sandals, and come ready to sweat and dig. Because at Orr-Reed Wrecking Co., they're stacking 'em deep and selling 'em cheap. Their specialty is architectural salvage, and you're likely to find a little bit of everything, including ancient gas heaters and clawfoot bathtubs. But the... More >>
• Best Pawn Shop Atmosphere (tie)
  Village Pawn, Regent Jewelry and Loan
  Here's the thing about pawn shops--the inventory changes quickly and constantly. On Tuesday, you might be able to walk in and buy a Gibson Les Paul in near-perfect condition for a mere fraction of the original price. On Wednesday, you might venture back to that same pawn shop and find only a... More >>
• Best Wedding Stuff
  Michael's
  Sure, you can pay $100 for a ready-made veil or $500 to have your invitations printed. And if you have $600 just burning a hole in your pocket, send it immediately to us c/o our P.O. box. Didn't think so. Your frugality--er, your appreciation of good value--will lead you to Michael's, yep, the... More >>
• Best Head
  Romantic Headlines
  It's not every day a girl needs a tiara, but this Plano-based online wedding superstore offers more than 650 of them priced from $18 to $500. Still don't see the one you want? They'll custom-design it for you. Called "The Amazon.com of Bridal Headpieces and Accessories" by industry bible... More >>
• Best Nuptials on a Budget
  TWU's Pioneer Package
  As a bride-to-be, you had best be prepared to take it hard. Not necessarily from your fiancé (that's negotiable), but from wedding service providers--florists, printers, dressmakers--who will gladly take advantage of you. Since many brides have a sky-high budget for their fairy-tale... More >>
• Best Thrift for Handypersons
  Habitat for Humanity Outlet Store
  A good plan to make any thrift store trip less disappointing and more fruitful is to go in with a general idea of what you want (pants) rather than being set on a specific item (vintage Levi's 501s). The same applies to shopping for building and decor supplies at the Habitat for Humanity Outlet... More >>
• Best Furniture Store
  The English Pine Company
  So it's not really a store. After owning retail shops in East Dallas and Plano for more than 25 years, Harry Walker has been there, done that. But his well-earned retirement lasted only a couple of weeks. Now Walker's "showroom" is a barebones warehouse space in northeast Dallas, where he offers... More >>
• Best Furniture for Thee
  Amish Furniture Showcase
  Yeah, yeah, we're just as excited about IKEA's opening as anyone else in North Texas. Woo-hoo, now we can have the same spindly bookcase and desk lamp that millions of other people have. We prefer our furniture handmade by hardworking people who appreciate quality and abhor vanity--and drive... More >>
• Best Home-Decorating Store
  IKEA
  What can we say? For years people have made road trips to Houston just to hit the big IKEA. Now we don't have to rely on the catalog or spend a night in the stinkhole of Texas for a little Scandinavian love. A tour through this expansive store proves that, yes, they did think of everything. Not... More >>
• Best Place to Stock a Kitchen
  Ace Mart Restaurant Supply
  We just had our kitchen done, which essentially meant repainting old cabinets and replacing old appliances--fancy, huh? Best part of designing on the proverbial dime was going to the Ace Mart to replace old utensils. This monstrous store has everything you'd ever need, from tiny spoons to bowls... More >>
• Best Exotic Home Furnishings
  Jaya
  A container from the Zheijiang province of China had just come in the last time we visited Jaya, bringing a huge shipment of village artifacts and unusual antique furniture. The geometric shapes and clean lines make it easy to incorporate Jaya's tables, china cabinets, desks and bookcases into... More >>
• Best Used Furniture
  The Salvation Army Thrift Store
  Shopping at the Salvation Army is usually a hit-or-miss proposition. Those not too picky about the condition of their housewares will almost always find what they need, but shoppers hunting for hip, retro clothes often find plenty of retro with very little hip. Yet the Salvation Army store on... More >>
• Best Arts and Crafts Furnishings
  Quaint Home Gallery
  For collectors of antique Mission-style furniture and accessories, this new store in Munger Place goes on the once-a-week, must-browse circuit. In addition to unique tables, settees and chairs, the Quaint Home Gallery offers lamps and other accessories in the Arts and Crafts style not seen... More >>
• Best Person to Put the Feng Back in Your Shui
  Linda Pennington
  Before we met Linda Pennington, we thought we had style, class, sophistication--all the things you think you have till you meet someone who actually has those things. After we had our kitchen updated, we quickly came to realize the rest of the house wasn't quite right--something about milk... More >>
• Best Hardware Store Not Named Elliott's
  Westlake Ace Hardware
  We love Elliott's as much as the next handyman. If only we were handy, but still. Yet it's almost too much of a good thing, a hardware store in which the hardware's getting short shrift. Around the time they started selling make-yer-own fudge, well, we decided we'd best look elsewhere for our... More >>
• Best Hair Salon
  Matthew Tully Salon
  Obsessed with Bravo's hit show Blow Out and the upscale styling world of its weepy, tantrum-throwing owner Jonathan Antin? The atmosphere of hair guru Matthew Tully's Uptown salon isn't far off. The shop is a bit more Day-Glo and Tully doesn't boohoo as much in public. But that's a big plus. We... More >>
• Best Beauty Products
  BeautyFirst
  Are you a slave to product? Gel in your hair, polish on your nails, lotion on your skin--these are not luxuries, they're necessities. And they ain't cheap. Not at your level of use, anyway. If this sounds like you, BeautyFirst should be on your list. Aside from offering a hair salon and a wide... More >>
• Best Place to Get a Haircut and Listen to Tupac
  Stylelabb
  So you're sitting there and the stylist is cutting your hair, and she doesn't know you and you don't know her and the silence between you she can't stand--you can, but she can't. She's got to talk to her clients. She must build a client base. "So," she says. "Have you seen any good movies?" Ugh.... More >>
• Best Place to Get Pierced
  Ritual Body
  It's no longer a question what body part you'd like pierced--the best piercers in Dallas can do them all. The real question--well, wait, there are actually two questions that separate the best from the rest. How clean is the piercing parlor? And how helpful are they with customers? The first... More >>
• Best Men's Barber
  Rob Vilarreal, Rob's Chop Shop
  Don't be put off by Rob Vilarreal's obsession with pompadours and lambchops. Sure, he prefers to put a little hepcat into your hairstyle, but he can handle just about any cut you can dream up, from high-and-tight to low-and-loose (OK, you come up with the opposite to high-and-tight). His... More >>
• Best Place to Tan Your Hide
  Palm Beach Tan
  Everybody knows tanning contributes to skin cancer, premature aging and a host of other dermatological issues. But everybody also knows that looking tanned means looking good. So how are image-conscious Dallasites supposed to resist the temptation when there's a tanning salon on every freakin'... More >>
• Best Gift Store
  Urban Flowers & Gift Market
  To win this category, a shop has to cover several problem gift receivers. The frilly grandmother. The distant aunt. The whimsical uncle. The new sister-in-law. The tinkering dad. And of course, Mom. In previous years, maybe you've resorted to goofy gifts, giving tchotchkes that barely graze... More >>
• Best Kids' Clothing (and Toys and...)
  Divine Consign
  Imagine a garage sale where the only things being peddled are top-notch kiddie clothes--the kind you hate to part with, even though Baby Junior hasn't been able to fit into his onesie for three years. Then imagine if that garage sale took place in an auditorium and was filled not only with one... More >>
• Best Toy Store
  Froggie's 5 & 10
  We hate getting older, but not for reasons most people think. We're fine with gray hair and, frankly, it appears as though the paunch is unavoidable. What really sucks is how, as the years pile on, it becomes less acceptable to play with toys. So we step into blissful Froggie's, where... More >>
• Best Kids' Book and Video Store for Cheap Bastards
  Dallas Public Library
  The stacks are packed at the local library--not only with the obvious kiddie classics, but with popular videos, too, among them everything the Wiggles have ever released. Better still, you can renew online, which means we still have our copy of Wiggle Bay some four months later, and it ain't... More >>
• Best Way to Mimic a Marsupial
  Hotslings
  In 2003, Kristen DeRocha developed something no parent (kangaroos excepted) thought was possible. She created a way to securely carry a baby and use both arms for another--or possibly two--tasks. Trial and error at her sewing machine finally produced the first Hotsling, a pouch-like holder for... More >>
• Best Way to Spoil Your Kids
  mish MOSH
  As much as it may surprise some of our readers, the Observer is a kid-friendly place. We like 'em and sometimes they even stop by to hang out. Another surprise: We don't mind splurging on them every now and then--as long as the splurge is incredibly adorable. And that is exactly what Claudine... More >>
• Best Rich-Folk Toy Store for Poor Folk
  Learning Express
  Whenever the weather's lousy or we're just looking for something fun to do with Junior Boy that doesn't involve a rusty playground, we like to head over to the Learning Express toy store in Snider Plaza, where an hour can turn into an afternoon and you can escape without spending a penny if you... More >>
• Best Place to Get Stitches
  The Woolie Ewe
  If you couldn't tell two knits from three purls, the Woolie Ewe can help school you in the way of stitch witchery. At first glance, two pointy sticks and a ball of yarn don't seem to add up to much, but learn a couple of stitches (with the help of the Ewe's classes, book selection or... More >>
• Best Bangers, Beans and Sundries
  The British Emporium
  Anglophiles, unite! Join us for a trip just past the insipid wineries and knickknack pushers of "historic" Grapevine to discover a heaven rich with Earl Grey and black currant. Pop a Fruit-tella chew and say hello to owners Alexandra Evans and Sheela Kadam. While you're at it, thank them for a... More >>
• Best Chocolate Indulgence
  Chocolate Secrets
  Chocolate is damn tasty and shopping isÉwell, honestly, who doesn't like to splurge on themselves every now and then? That's why we love Chocolate Secrets, a fantastic little chocolate shop on the northern edge of West Village. The store specializes in delicious concoctions like traditional... More >>
• Best Sweet E-mail Treat
  DailyCandy
  Every day we sift through the junk in our e-mail inbox: "Reduce Your Mortgage" (don't have one), "Plump Your Penis" (don't have one), "Trace Your Family Tree" (wish we didn't have one). Then we get to the sweet little morsel that is DailyCandy. This free e-mail newsletter and Web site keeps us... More >>
• Best Oak Cliff Coffee Spot
  Nodding Dog Coffee Company
  There's something about coffee that makes it so addictive. Oh yeah, the caffeine. And there's something about Oak Cliff that might make it seem impossible to find a decent cup of joe south of the Trinity River. Now people in the Winnetka Heights/Kessler Park/Cockrell Hill areas of the real OC... More >>
• Best Computer Store
  Fry's Electronics
  You wanna buy a computer that looks purty and works? Go to the Apple store, you big sissy. Wanna cheap Windows PC? Go online and shop, you cubicle monkey. What we want is a machine of our very own, built by our own manly, geeky hand from the motherboard up, something that sneers at the godawful... More >>
• Best Place to Pick Up Sketchy Computer Freaks
  First Saturday Sidewalk Sale in the West End
  Started in 1969 as a get-together for ham radio enthusiasts, the sidewalk sale has had several locations, including under the Woodall Rodgers bridge between Routh Street and Central Expressway and in a parking lot on Ross Avenue. Under a bridge and in a parking lot? That's sketchy enough right... More >>
• Best Way to Get Car Stuff Done Without Going Anywhere
  C.A.R.S.
  Every time we get our oil changed, we wait in that little dingy lobby and feel like we're sitting outside the principal's office. We deserve a lecture. We've waited long past that whole three months/3,000 miles guideline because of the simple problem of scheduling. The problem is that on the way... More >>
• Best Gas Station
  Lakewood Texaco
  What makes a good gas station? Is it the functional stuff, like cleaning fluid for the squeegees outside, a well-stocked convenience store and clean restrooms inside? Lakewood Texaco has all that. So do a lot of other places. But owners Issa and Lena Boueri go the extra mile. They have an... More >>
• Best Wine/Liquor Store
  Goody Goody Liquor
  Selection is good, prices are laudable, and the buzz hunt is pleasant. The reason? The setting. This old warehouse has lots of abused brick and mortar drips, giving it an old pub demeanor. Goody Goody Liquor Store used to be Marty's, which had been pumping the city's veins with culinary... More >>
• Best Outfitter
  REI
  Dallas has a long tradition of meaningless membership requirements, mostly because of antiquated liquor laws. But membership at REI outfitters is actually a tangible benefit. Your 15 bucks get you back 10 percent of your money at the end of the year, and they also help support REI's impressive... More >>
• Best Rethreads
  Ahab Bowen
  Most of the hard part of shopping has been done for you at Ahab Bowen. The clothes here have been inspected for coolness at least twice, first by the original owner and second by the store's buyers. If you find something you like, the chances of having friends and acquaintances run screaming in... More >>
• Best Glad Rags
  Krimson & Klover
  Entrepreneurial sisters Kathryn and Kristin Anderson started this Soho-esque shop featuring up-and-coming designers two years ago in an old house near Uptown. The idea seems to be silky, lacy, colorful girly-girl clothes that make any damsel feel like flirting. Slip a soft shrug over a lacy... More >>
• Best Place to Get Cheeky
  Mesho
  Designer T-shirts and their hefty price tags may confuse a certain subset of shoppers (you know the type--they're the same people who actually balance their checkbooks). Fifty-dollar T-shirts? What, are they dipped in gold? No, silly, but they are so cu-ute. Witness Cheeky tees, a line of... More >>
• Best Lingerie
  Tres PINK Boutique
  The motto: "Think Women. Think Pink." Well, this boutique's merchandise is not necessarily pink, but it's definitely ultra-feminine underthings that any woman worth her push-up bra would appreciate. And any man who can't find a nightie or teddy here that his honey will not only adore but... More >>
• Best Women's Shoe Store
  Heart & Sole
  In the fetish-inspiring shoe departments at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, finding glamorous, sexy, trendy or investment-worthy shoes is a breeze. But finding shoes you don't want to fling off your aching tootsies into a corner the moment you get home ain't easy. At this tiny shop tucked into the... More >>
• Best Women's Clothing Store
  Emeralds to Coconuts
  There's really no denying it--the mall sucks. Who wants to max out a credit card amidst the aroma of overpriced cinnamon rolls? So what's a woman in need of clothes to do? Her best option is Emeralds to Coconuts, a clothing/accessories/gift shop that will make a girl forget about all those other... More >>
• Best Hour at the Beach
  The Massage Professionals
  OK, it's really a small room in an office building near Mockingbird Station. But work with us here. One wall is covered with a giant photograph of a lovely beach, complete with palm trees and pristine blue water. Artwork depicting a placid whale adorns another. Ask massage therapist Marci Novak... More >>
• Best Men's Shoe Store
  Nordstrom
  There is a time to stand on principle, and that time ends when your feet begin to hurt. We don't like recommending chain stores or malls in this compendium of consumerism, but the shoes at Nordstrom are worthy of making an exception. The sheer variety would be mind-boggling if the friendly sales... More >>
• Best Excuse for a Manly Man to Shop for Clothes
  Threads
  Threads has to be the only men's clothing store with a TV in the back hooked up to a PlayStation 2. You can play Madden all you want. Or drink beer. Threads has a bar. Or watch the game. Threads has a second TV forever tuned to ESPN. The owners of Threads, Michael Elliot and Charles Williams,... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Men's Clothes, if You Can Afford Them
  Neiman Marcus
  There are plenty of cheaper places to buy clothes. God knows we can't afford to buy a suit at Neiman's, where the inexpensive stuff still comes in four-digit denominations. And there are hipper places, too. You wanna look like Euro-trash, by all means head over to one of those Euro-chic stores... More >>
• Best Turkish Bazaar
  Another Time & Place
  Exploring this tiny shop on Henderson Avenue is like burrowing into a Middle Eastern street market in search of handmade treasures. From their travels, owners Mehmet and Lisa Celik bring back things like Afghani wedding hats, elaborate headpieces of bright fabric, embroidery, beads and metal... More >>
• Best Massage for the Masses
  Massage Envy
  Why should "ladies who lunch" be the only ones who get to enjoy a massage? Certainly, instructing a housekeeper, shopping at Prada and attending a charity gala make for a stressful day. But what about those of us who actually, uh, work all day? Whether you're employed in a cube farm or with a... More >>
• Best Place to Buy a Virgin
  Chango Botanica Inc.
  Full of statues of Jesus, the Grim Reaper and the good ol' Virgin of Guadalupe, Chango's window displays have probably caused more than a few auto accidents. Located near the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff, this botanica is your one-stop shop for everything needed to practice Mexican... More >>
• Best Place to Buy a Casket
  www.costco.com
  The ubiquitous big-box we-have-everything stores really don't have everything, and they may never, but Costco.com never quits thinking of how to better satisfy its customers. It carries caskets now. Ten kinds, ranging from $924 to $2,699. The manager at Costco in Dallas informs us his store,... More >>
• Best Culture Club
  Counter Culture
  Counter Culture, a little vintage store that started out in Deep Ellum, also wins the award for Best Expansion. This spring, CC opened a second shop at Mockingbird Station--this one's a little more upscale, with a boutique-y feel--and we couldn't be happier. Not that we don't like the Deep Ellum... More >>
• Best Frame-up
  3 Day Framing & Gallery
  The basis for this award is purely anecdotal: We had a framing project a while back that seemed quite simple in our mind--in concept, that is. The work it would require was not so simple; some would even call it tedious. But we wanted it done, and we wanted it done right. After being given the... More >>
• Best Place to Be Bead-dazzled
  Splendor in the Grass
  Stained glass windows, sparkling wind chimes, mosaic tiles, mirrored gazing balls--if it's colorful and glimmers in the sun, Splendor in the Grass has it. This Lakewood gift shop also hosts classes for budding "beading" artists. The two-hour classes in beginning bead-stringing and beginning... More >>
• Best Place to Buy Video Games
  GameStop
  Sure, you can buy video games almost anywhere these days, and the prices from store to store don't vary much. So, why GameStop? Two reasons: First, if you're just browsing and are wondering whether that game in your hand is any good, the clerks at GameStop most likely have not only played the... More >>
• Best Geek on the Cheap
  Zeus Toys & Comics
  Yes, we're somewhere between a quarter and half a century old and, no, we'd rather not discuss which we're nearer to. Despite our years of wisdom, our past spent studying tomes of philosophy and other generally impressive things, we love some good time just playing with our toys. Action figures,... More >>
• Best Store to List on Scavenger Hunts
  Half-Price Books
  Don't mind the employees' looks of dismay as a large, excited group of you and your posse come running into the store with a mission. You have to get the next item before the rest of your competition does! The vault that used to hold Sterling Jewelers' exquisite diamonds and pearls has now... More >>
• Best Neighborhood for Garage Salin'
  M Streets
  First, a clarification: If you are one of those people who circles addresses in the classifieds Friday night, gets up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and fights over estate sale items with foam-at-the-mouth antique dealers, stop reading now. We are speaking to folks who simply like to piddle... More >>
• Best Music Snob Hideaway
  The Shake Rag
  When we drag friends to The Shake Rag on a given weekend, their reaction falls into one of two categories. The first is a squint-eyed "hmm" and a quick perusal of the store, acting as if they'd just gotten a bad sweater from Aunt Ethel. The second is helluva lot more appreciative, combing... More >>
• Best Doc for Old Singers
  The Sew & So
  Your Singer getting a little creaky? Can't find your zipper attachment? Perhaps you're just in need of a lube job, if you know what we mean. No, we're not being rude; we just think you need a reliable, honest place to get your sewing machine worked on. The Sew & So, located near the downtown... More >>