Best Art Supplies Store 2016 | Asel | Best of Dallas® 2020 | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Dallas | Dallas Observer
Navigation
Support Us
Search

Best Art Supplies Store

Asel

Situated uptown is an unlikely but much-appreciated specialty supply store serving the artists, designers and architects of Dallas. Asel Art Supply has a wide variety of professional art supplies, blowing away competition from craft store giants Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Founded in 1951 by Kenny Asel and his brother Herb, the store is now employee-owned and family-operated. From canvas rolls to Sumi calligraphy ink, this store caries more hard-to-find artist supplies than any in the area. The staff is friendly and helpful, often chatting up customers about what they are working on. And for working artists in Dallas proper, the location can't be beat.

Best Women's Clothing Store

Nordstrom

Someday maybe all shopping will be done online. Home 3-D imaging sensors will let consumers try clothes before they buy and busy little drones will drop off packages at the click of a button. The department store will go the way of the dodo, dinosaurs and network news broadcasts. The world will be a much sadder place if it ever loses Nordstrom, a store that understands that clothes shopping is not simply a utilitarian chore, but a delight, a hobby and a quest (and in extreme cases, a religion). Whether high-end designer wear, everyday business attire or athleisure clothing, Nordstrom's spacious, well-ordered racks and frequent sales offer loads of hidden treasures and surprise values. Its salespeople are classy and helpful, without a hint of snootiness. And it's return policy is so liberal and hassle free that we wonder why the store even bothers to have dressing rooms. Take it home. Try it on. You can always come back for a little more fun. Our only quibble? We really miss the piano player.

Readers' Pick:

Nordstrom at NorthPark Center

Best Men's Clothing Store

Men's Wearhouse

It's an outdated concept to say that men don't enjoy clothes shopping. Some guys are good at it, and they know where to go. But there are still a bunch of us out there who feel confused, misshapen and frustrated when we walk into a store. We need help but don't want to feel diminished about it, the 21st century analog to a 1950s man walking into an auto garage. For these fellas, there is Men's Wearhouse on Preston Road. The selection (from suits to office wear) is good, the tailoring done on the premises and the prices are reasonable. But what makes this place work is the staff: subservient enough to make you feel like a big shot, knowledgeable enough to stop you from making a fashion mistake and friendly enough to point out discounts and deals. And when they up-sell you, your wardrobe is usually better off for it.

Readers' Pick:

Stanley Korshak

Best Vintage Clothing

Elluments

Not all vintage clothing is created equal. Just ask anyone who ever wore Army surplus fatigue pants to a sister's wedding or thought the Goth look, being black, was just fine for granny's funeral. But enough about our family. You people are classy and deserve the best. The expert curators at this Deep Ellum shop know the difference between classic vintage clothing and used duds and have created a boutique full of designer finds from Oscar de la Renta, Ferragamo, Burberry and countless others. They buy as well as sell. Not from us, of course – no mass-market crap here — but from people who know how to dress in clothes that keep their looks and value. Keep tabs on Elluments' Facebook page, where they frequently post outfits of the day that could soon find their way into your closet.

Readers' Pick:

Dolly Python

  • 2642 Elm St., Dallas, 75226 Map

Best Nail Salon

Melrose Day Spa

Nail polish has been in use since about 3000 BC, and until the advent of the gel manicure a couple of years ago, it seemed like techniques for applying it hadn't changed much since then. Gel, and now "dipping powder," allow for manicures that dry instantly and never chip. These inventions have made nail maintenance a lot simpler, but all that high tech comes at a cost, which quickly adds up if you want regular treatments. That's why we love Melrose Day Spa on Oak Lawn Avenue, which offers 20 percent off all services Monday through Thursday (gel is $35, dipping powder is $36). Go on your lunch break and you'll find it's never too crowded to accommodate walk-ins. The manicurists work with care and they will even rub your neck between steps. Multiple TV screens set to news channels will help you stay caught up on the latest while you're pampered. Or if that's exactly the kind of information you're trying to escape, there are plenty of trashy magazines, too. Ancient China may have had polish, but it couldn't have competed with all that.

Readers' Pick:

Hollywood Nails & Spa

  • 2506 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, 75219 Map

Best Bicycle Shop

Dallas Bike Works

It's odd. For a city that perennially ranks low in bike friendliness, Dallas and its environs has a surprising number of great bike shops. Richardson Bike Mart is the big daddy, Performance and REI have the low-cost chain end of things covered, out in Grapevine Mad Duck Cyclery justly bills itself a "concierge" shop offering custom builds and service and there are many more great shops serving on- and off-road. Our fave though is Dallas Bike Works, the shop that hits the sweet spot in supporting the local cycling community and offering a range of prices and brands, among them our beloved Jamis, a steel-framed beauty that takes all that Dallas' unfriendly streets can dish out, soaks up bumps like a sofa and is still nimble as a colt. The pleasant staff doesn't try to up-sell customers and offers the same level of friendly, knowledgeable service to noobs and experienced riders alike. Better still, their shops are located in bike-centric Oak Cliff and right off White Rock trail, making them the perfect spots to wheel in for fast, affordable repairs or meet up for group rides.

Readers' Pick:

Richardson Bike Mart

Best Photo Booth

Elite Casino Events

Some of our friends have good reasons never to go back to Las Vegas. Some have had moments in Vegas they just can't remember. (The two groups often overlap.) Elite Casino Events, one of the area's better known casino party companies, has expanded its services for those who want memories of Vegas without the threat of an arrest warrant. The company already has a Vegas-class staff — dealers, bartenders, waitresses, showgirls alike — so deciding to launch their own photo booth service wasn't a big gamble. It was just another extension of the VIP experience they provide. Elite has a Las Vegas Strip photo booth that "puts your guests right on the Vegas strip" as their in-house photographer snaps hundreds of red-carpet pictures, available as prints and online. It turns out that what happens in fake Vegas doesn't have to stay in fake Vegas.

Readers' Pick:

Premiere Photo Booth

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