Best Health Food Store 2009 | NewFlower Farmers Market | Best of Dallas® 2020 | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas | Dallas Observer
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Health Food Store

NewFlower Farmers Market

People drive in from Richardson and Oak Cliff just to come to the NewFlower Farmers Market that opened in a long-empty space on Henderson Avenue. Sure, it's popular because of "double ad Wednesdays" when the weekly sales overlap for twice as many deals. Of course people love saving money on many of the same food products that Whole Foods and Central Market stock. But what makes NewFlower our favorite health food store is the bulk offerings, healthy recipe suggestions/grocery list shopping guides, and nutrition blog online. Plus, the supplement and personal care sections have some easily coveted organic and all-natural products (Collective Wellbeing, Kiss My Face, Original Sprouts and others) that share that same "less expensive" characteristic as the food departments. Most important, though? It's easy to lose time in NewFlower because it's fun to shop there, and last we checked, for many people getting healthy doesn't equate with fun. NewFlower makes the challenge less daunting.

Best Hot Tot Stop

Baby Bliss

Even if you're a confirmed, old child-free couple, a stroll through Baby Bliss might make you want to have kids--just for the accessories. Seriously, we don't remember our families having any of this stuff 20 or 30 years ago: We had no crib that looked like it's right out of the Eames studio, no pneumatic high chair, no modern-art baby bouncer. The gorgeous textiles (check out the Serena and Lily market slings) and fancy diaper bags (those Storksaks will make all the other moms drool) wouldn't look out of place at a high-end clothing store, so fashion-conscious preggos are covered. Having trouble selling the dude in your life on the idea of a bundle of joy? Take him to Baby Bliss. When he sees the stylish and technical-looking strollers from Maclaren, BOB Revolution, Phil & Ted's and more, and hears phrases like "all-terrain wheels" and "shock-absorbing suspension," he'll sign off immediately on adding a new member to the family.

Best Hotel

The Joule

We're locals, so, really, who are we to judge? Last we heard the best hotel in town was the convention center hotel for which groundbreaking was held, oh, days ago. No, but seriously: Earlier this summer we actually spent a free Saturday exploring Dallas' hostelries just for kicks; took us all of 13 seconds in the lobby—what with that storybook-sized gear and Warhol chair and luxurious glow—for us to realize that, yeah, this could be our home-away-from. Then, of course, there's the rooftop: Have you ever seen Dallas from a chlorinated, cantilevered pool that lets it all hang out over the rooftop's edge? Then you haven't lived (the high life, at least). As for the rooms: spacious and spiffy, high-def and wired for sound and modern-comfy in a way the W only wishes it could be. Just don't ask for The Pacman Suite, and you'll be cool. And, yes, readers, you're right: We love the Belmont too. We're just not hip enough to stay there. But best view of downtown ever.

Best Local Italian Wine Blog

On the Wine Trail in Italy

On the Wine Trail is local in the sense that blog-master, Alfonso Cevola, lives in Dallas and mentions local themes and places once in a while. But Cevola is also something of an international authority. A lifelong wine seller whose mom's mom came from Calabria at the toe of the Italian boot, just across from Sicily, Cevola can tell you all about things like the tension within the Calabrian wine world over strictly regional tastes versus a more international mix of grapes. If you were real lucky, you could get this kind of stuff from him in person any Saturday morning when he might happen to drop into Jimmy's Market in East Dallas for some wine schmoozing. But the blog is the more reliable place. A salesman for Glazer's Wholesale Distribution in Dallas, Cevola has watched Dallas' wine palate develop over 30 years. Asked what the big new thing is in these times, he said, "Wine under $15." He's got the skinny.

Best Low-Guilt Shoes

TOMS Shoes

Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS shoes after a visit to Argentina in 2006: For every pair of shoes sold to a customer in the United States, TOMS donates a pair to a needy kid somewhere in the world. So far TOMS has given away 140,000 pairs to shoeless kids. All of the Southwest Region Whole Foods stores are offering a line of TOMS shoes—simple but cool canvas slip-ons with plastic soles. They cost $49.99 each—not bad, compared with similar products in shoe stores. The line includes subtle variations in style and colors from taupe to faded red and blue. If nothing else, it's a way to indulge your shoe habit and do some good in the process.

Best Massage

Spa Habitat

From the reclaimed wood floors to the organic oils and balms, a massage at Spa Habitat is a luxurious way to go green. The spa uses recycled paper for paper products, organic cotton for linens, and Green Mountain Energy's wind power to fuel the operation. So it's easy to offset your guilt emissions at indulging in such a sybaritic pursuit—hey, by getting a massage here, you're helping the environment. A dimmed reception area with cushy chairs and curtains for privacy begins the relaxation. The warm aromas and even warmer rice packs used in the Green Peace Massage (the spa's most popular massage) take you all the way to limp-noodle state. As far as environmental action goes, this beats a protest any day.

Best Movie Date

Planetarium + IMAX at Museum of Nature & Science

Any douche can ask, "Wanna go to the movies?" It takes a slightly more thoughtful guy (or gal) to change the old date routine into something a little more interesting—like a Saturday afternoon "movie" date at the Museum of Nature & Science. For just $7 apiece, you and your date can catch a short film in the museum's hemispherical IMAX theater, an all-enveloping experience, no matter whether the flick is about the ocean or the mountains. (Plus, it's a great way to start a conversation about a romantic getaway to Fiji or Steamboat Springs.) Just another $3.50 each will get you into the planetarium for an opportunity to hold hands (or if you're lucky, get to second base) under the simulated stars.

Best Movie Theater

Angelika Film Center

Countless critically acclaimed films have made their debuts at the Angelika throughout the years, making it the favorite theater for movie buffs anxious to see the latest Oscar-caliber flick. And while it has the reputation for being more of a specialty and independent film house, it's not afraid to mix in a few movies for mass consumption like Bruno, which is part of why we like the Angelika so much—it's not a snobatorium. And because it's at Mockingbird Station, parking is a breeze and access to shops and restaurants to kill time before and after shows is all within walking distance. Luxury stadium seating, digital sound and a café featuring beer, wine and desserts all create the city's best place to catch a movie, hands down.

Best New Artist

Photographer Alex Remington

Remington has been shooting pictures for a decade, but only in the past two years has he debuted as a professional, making a living showing and selling his unique brand of photography. Mostly surreal landscapes or urban scenes and close-ups of natural objects, his images are often manipulated through long exposures or digital techniques that bring out phantasmagorical colors. His 2009 exhibit at Cathedral of Hope was aptly named Ethereality, but don't be fooled—the beautiful images aren't at all too bizarre for tasteful display. From his vibrant, large-scale orchids to his bright green landscapes and creatively composed architectural shots, Remington's work would transform any space into a welcoming enchantment. His work can be found at Rising Gallery or viewed through a private showing.

Best New Big Girl Shopping Destination

Park Lane Place

East of NorthPark is the easy-to-access, fun-to-shop collection of new stores that offer lots of fashion options for the non-petite woman. While the mall's biggest retailers have taken women's sizes 14-up off their selling floors, Nordstrom Rack has a huge selection of curvy-girl couture at markdown prices. The discount arm of the Seattle-based retailer also is the best place to find size 9, 10 and 11 ladies' shoes on deep discount (seriously, new Cole Haans for $40). Directly across the street in this five-block center is ladies' retailer Lane Bryant, which carries sizes into the 20s, plus the Cacique line of lingerie. Coming soon to the $750 million Park Lane project is Old Navy, which also carries a variety of women's sizes. At least in this shop-to-drop arena, it's hip to have hips.

Best Of Dallas®

Best Of

Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use, our cookies policy, and our privacy policy The Dallas Observer may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2024 Dallas Observer, LP. All rights reserved.
Do Not Sell or Share My Information
Powered By Foundation