Best Of Miami® 2004 Winners
Shopping & Services
This particular outpost of the national chain is housed in the space formerly occupied by a Publix -- the giant, upside-down chevron sign still marks the entrance -- and its vast stock takes advantage of an uncluttered, well-lit ambiance not generally found in granola world. Organic produce and vegan proteins are available as well as desserts, free-range beef, wines without sulfites, and cheeses from around the world. Wild Oats has an ample, respectable produce aisle, bulk pastas, rices, spices and herbs, and icy cases filled with raw ahi tuna and scallops, so the discerning, health-minded cook will be pleased. But this store is at its most usefully mind-boggling for the kitchen-impaired who nonetheless eschew fast food: A deli is jammed with ready-to-eat meatless tamales, tofu salads, and curried turkey. Grab-and-go whole grain sandwiches are stacked high with romaine lettuce, sprouts, and marinated portobellos. Spinach lasagna is available for purchase by the pan or by the slice. Beyond the capacity to keep the larder from getting low, Wild Oats offers a cornucopia of cruelty-free (read: unlike Procter & Gamble, the eyes of rabbits are not used as test tubes for these products) cleaning and bathing lines, from Burt's Bees to Avalon Organics. Finally don't miss out on snacks and meals for the pets. Wild Oats is one of the few places in Florida to purchase Spot's Stew, a canned food for both dogs and cats that can tempt the pickiest pup or most toothless old cat into a good, and healthy, repast.
Jeffrey and Christie Wolfe opened their boutique wine store in January 2001, bringing to the enterprise substantial experience. Christie had been marketing manager for Augustan Wine Imports while Jeffrey had worked as sommelier and general manager at Norman's restaurant. But experience alone does not guarantee survival for new business ventures. Furthermore, when you want to sell wine and nothing but wine, and you refuse to stock supermarket brands, relying instead on small, family-owned wineries, you need a lot more than experience -- you probably need to have your head examined. But the Wolfes have beaten the odds. Not only was their store anointed last year as America's Best New Wine Shop by Food & Wine magazine, the husband-and-wife team have managed to attract a loyal and growing clientele that includes everyone from novices to collectors. In their postindustrial-cool store you won't find Kendall-Jackson or Beringer or Yellow Tail. You will, however, find expert assistance guiding you to new discoveries in your price range. Bargain bottles from $10 to $20 crowd the floor while pricier labels are stacked floor-to-ceiling along one wall. With an active e-mail list and regular, affordable tastings that draw crowds, the Wolfes can raise a glass to that most elusive of business goals: success.
Jeffrey and Christie Wolfe opened their boutique wine store in January 2001, bringing to the enterprise substantial experience. Christie had been marketing manager for Augustan Wine Imports while Jeffrey had worked as sommelier and general manager at Norman's restaurant. But experience alone does not guarantee survival for new business ventures. Furthermore, when you want to sell wine and nothing but wine, and you refuse to stock supermarket brands, relying instead on small, family-owned wineries, you need a lot more than experience -- you probably need to have your head examined. But the Wolfes have beaten the odds. Not only was their store anointed last year as America's Best New Wine Shop by Food & Wine magazine, the husband-and-wife team have managed to attract a loyal and growing clientele that includes everyone from novices to collectors. In their postindustrial-cool store you won't find Kendall-Jackson or Beringer or Yellow Tail. You will, however, find expert assistance guiding you to new discoveries in your price range. Bargain bottles from $10 to $20 crowd the floor while pricier labels are stacked floor-to-ceiling along one wall. With an active e-mail list and regular, affordable tastings that draw crowds, the Wolfes can raise a glass to that most elusive of business goals: success.
Though Play It Again Sports is a chain, the stores are also franchised, so this particular PIAS, owned and operated by Rich Tere, has the Miamian in mind. The store operates on the principle that after you take the first few checks to the upper lip on the rough grass in the field hockey tournament or sprain your wrist breaking a Rollerblading fall, you'll rethink those weekend passions for something along the lines of speed walking ... and you'll want to unload that gear. At Play It Again, you can buy, sell, or trade everything from boxing gloves to tennis rackets to golf clubs and even luge helmets. The prices are right, so by the time the summer heat drives you to reconsider the walking path, you can pick up a gently used bowling ball -- cheap.
Though Play It Again Sports is a chain, the stores are also franchised, so this particular PIAS, owned and operated by Rich Tere, has the Miamian in mind. The store operates on the principle that after you take the first few checks to the upper lip on the rough grass in the field hockey tournament or sprain your wrist breaking a Rollerblading fall, you'll rethink those weekend passions for something along the lines of speed walking ... and you'll want to unload that gear. At Play It Again, you can buy, sell, or trade everything from boxing gloves to tennis rackets to golf clubs and even luge helmets. The prices are right, so by the time the summer heat drives you to reconsider the walking path, you can pick up a gently used bowling ball -- cheap.
Comic book shops used to have a certain smell to them. It was the oft stale but always pleasant odor of hundreds of thousands of newsprint blotter pages, colorfully inked and full of imagination. But that is seldom the case these days as comic shops have gone to the toys, lining their stores with more heroic and villainous action figures than the comics that inspired their creation in the first place. Except for one: A & M Comic Books in West Miami. It's a treasure chest of comics ranging from popular Golden Age Marvel and DC titles to current, avant-garde series from alternative publishers such as Dark Horse. And the guys who work there can always bring you up to speed on the state of the X-Men or the Green Lantern, in case you haven't picked up a copy since just after your discovery that girls don't dig superheroes as much as you do. But when delving into the rows and rows of back issues, take heed: The big guy with the goatee who's always behind the register will explain that "little fairies don't come in here at night and put everything back in order." Hey, we never said it was the most polite comic book shop.
Comic book shops used to have a certain smell to them. It was the oft stale but always pleasant odor of hundreds of thousands of newsprint blotter pages, colorfully inked and full of imagination. But that is seldom the case these days as comic shops have gone to the toys, lining their stores with more heroic and villainous action figures than the comics that inspired their creation in the first place. Except for one: A & M Comic Books in West Miami. It's a treasure chest of comics ranging from popular Golden Age Marvel and DC titles to current, avant-garde series from alternative publishers such as Dark Horse. And the guys who work there can always bring you up to speed on the state of the X-Men or the Green Lantern, in case you haven't picked up a copy since just after your discovery that girls don't dig superheroes as much as you do. But when delving into the rows and rows of back issues, take heed: The big guy with the goatee who's always behind the register will explain that "little fairies don't come in here at night and put everything back in order." Hey, we never said it was the most polite comic book shop.
During the Eighties, Miami was littered with record shops. There were no fewer than six independent and a couple of chain stores along North Miami Beach Boulevard alone. Maybe it was the changeover to the higher wholesale prices of CDs or the explosion of the Internet, but now there's just one real player in North Miami-Dade. Not that Blue Note is a bad record store. It's great by any standard, and what would've been at a half-dozen locations is now conveniently collected at two spots. (Though some audiophiles legitimately complain about the ghettoization of jazz -- which was Blue Note's raison d'être in the golden Eighties -- to a warehouse a mile away from the main store.)
During the Eighties, Miami was littered with record shops. There were no fewer than six independent and a couple of chain stores along North Miami Beach Boulevard alone. Maybe it was the changeover to the higher wholesale prices of CDs or the explosion of the Internet, but now there's just one real player in North Miami-Dade. Not that Blue Note is a bad record store. It's great by any standard, and what would've been at a half-dozen locations is now conveniently collected at two spots. (Though some audiophiles legitimately complain about the ghettoization of jazz -- which was Blue Note's raison d'être in the golden Eighties -- to a warehouse a mile away from the main store.)
A bizarre bazaar -- structurally Middle Eastern, culturally Latin American -- this supersize movable market in the greyhound track's parking lot smacks of Toffler: a futuristic mall that appears each Saturday and each Sunday, then vanishes. The dealers (Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Costa Ricans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, you name it) arrive at the break of day and, within an hour, erect pipe-rope-canvas kiosks stocked with clothes, sundries such as toothpaste and perfume, jewelry, party favors, shoes, hats, tools, pet supplies, xylography, statuary, paintings, seafood, produce, hubcaps, plants both potted and in hanging baskets, toilet seats, batteries, furniture, even electronics such as stereo and computer components. Buyers who need only, say, five T-shirts (cost: ten dollars, total) can still enjoy eight or nine hours of browsing by pondering unusual items or by overhearing a young couple -- studying gilt necklaces priced at five dollars -- ask, "Sir, is this real gold?" With food and drink, merchandise unbound, and bargains unbeatable, pop-up malls might be the way of retail for Generation Z, or whatever tomorrow's children become. Future schlock? Not if you have only five bucks and need a watch or a bottle of new cologne.
A bizarre bazaar -- structurally Middle Eastern, culturally Latin American -- this supersize movable market in the greyhound track's parking lot smacks of Toffler: a futuristic mall that appears each Saturday and each Sunday, then vanishes. The dealers (Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Costa Ricans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, you name it) arrive at the break of day and, within an hour, erect pipe-rope-canvas kiosks stocked with clothes, sundries such as toothpaste and perfume, jewelry, party favors, shoes, hats, tools, pet supplies, xylography, statuary, paintings, seafood, produce, hubcaps, plants both potted and in hanging baskets, toilet seats, batteries, furniture, even electronics such as stereo and computer components. Buyers who need only, say, five T-shirts (cost: ten dollars, total) can still enjoy eight or nine hours of browsing by pondering unusual items or by overhearing a young couple -- studying gilt necklaces priced at five dollars -- ask, "Sir, is this real gold?" With food and drink, merchandise unbound, and bargains unbeatable, pop-up malls might be the way of retail for Generation Z, or whatever tomorrow's children become. Future schlock? Not if you have only five bucks and need a watch or a bottle of new cologne.
Even if it were just another bombed-out shell of a strip center at an indeterminate point of the overused, Hummer-thronged dead leaves highway memorialized by the Allman Brothers, the Dadeland Mall would still win the battle of the big boxes for the singular virtue of housing Italianate design store and Miami original Arango. Owner and Arango Design Foundation founder Judith Arango Henderson died in the summer of 2003, but the store, a south county fixture since the Sixties, continues. At Arango you can purchase a $4000 bed with a hydraulically hoisted mattress under which to store your valuables, or a $5 napkin ring to make place settings sparkle, both, along with everything in between, splashed with the unmistakable élan of the Capitoline Wolf. Dadeland has lots of other reasons to shout Ciao Bella! The mall is easily accessed by bus and Metrorail (it has its own stop) and offers plenty of free parking. All the comforting chains -- the Gap, Forever XXI, Foot Locker, and Victoria's Secret -- are present, along with the more esoteric L'Occitane and Sephora. There are even touches of architectural whimsy (Burdines-Macy's is unavoidably a central thoroughfare) and cleverness (an alcoved food court prevents eau de Chick-fil-A from permeating your purchases).
Even if it were just another bombed-out shell of a strip center at an indeterminate point of the overused, Hummer-thronged dead leaves highway memorialized by the Allman Brothers, the Dadeland Mall would still win the battle of the big boxes for the singular virtue of housing Italianate design store and Miami original Arango. Owner and Arango Design Foundation founder Judith Arango Henderson died in the summer of 2003, but the store, a south county fixture since the Sixties, continues. At Arango you can purchase a $4000 bed with a hydraulically hoisted mattress under which to store your valuables, or a $5 napkin ring to make place settings sparkle, both, along with everything in between, splashed with the unmistakable élan of the Capitoline Wolf. Dadeland has lots of other reasons to shout Ciao Bella! The mall is easily accessed by bus and Metrorail (it has its own stop) and offers plenty of free parking. All the comforting chains -- the Gap, Forever XXI, Foot Locker, and Victoria's Secret -- are present, along with the more esoteric L'Occitane and Sephora. There are even touches of architectural whimsy (Burdines-Macy's is unavoidably a central thoroughfare) and cleverness (an alcoved food court prevents eau de Chick-fil-A from permeating your purchases).
The decision to put down beloved pets who are suffering is hard enough without having to remove your fuzzy buddies from their home to spend their last moments traumatized on an examining table. When the time comes for Fang or Fido to pass on, Aussie's compassionate all-female medical staff makes house calls. They are equally compassionate when dealing with less dire crises or with routine checkups. Personnel have been known to stay up all night with injured animals. They open up the office on vacation days for clients who've run out of dog food. This past year one staffer answered the after-hours phone in the middle of running the Toyota Half Marathon, and had the problem solved before crossing the finish line. And in addition to usual services, they can provide at-home pet sitting for concerned vacationers as well as homeopathic treatments or acupuncture if Fido has arthritis or needs to lose a few pounds. What if Fido is a turtle? No prob. Along with dogs and cats, Aussie handles exotics, including "hamsters, ferrets, even the odd wallaby," according to manager Cathy Schliefret. "We're totally client service-oriented." And they truly care.
The decision to put down beloved pets who are suffering is hard enough without having to remove your fuzzy buddies from their home to spend their last moments traumatized on an examining table. When the time comes for Fang or Fido to pass on, Aussie's compassionate all-female medical staff makes house calls. They are equally compassionate when dealing with less dire crises or with routine checkups. Personnel have been known to stay up all night with injured animals. They open up the office on vacation days for clients who've run out of dog food. This past year one staffer answered the after-hours phone in the middle of running the Toyota Half Marathon, and had the problem solved before crossing the finish line. And in addition to usual services, they can provide at-home pet sitting for concerned vacationers as well as homeopathic treatments or acupuncture if Fido has arthritis or needs to lose a few pounds. What if Fido is a turtle? No prob. Along with dogs and cats, Aussie handles exotics, including "hamsters, ferrets, even the odd wallaby," according to manager Cathy Schliefret. "We're totally client service-oriented." And they truly care.
Welcome to South Florida's premier weapon world, where you can find killer toys to fit your bang-bang needs that will also match with brown or black Timberlands. For more than fifteen years, Pantera has provided infinite infantry, space-age banana clips, intelligent laser beams (for direction, distance, information), Velcro holsters that clasp on your hips, STI Trojan .40s, small-ammo semiautomatics (when the little .223 caliber bullets fire, they sound like Pop Rocks candy), night vision goggles (you can see them), camouflaged apparel (but they can't see you), titanium strikers, aluminum mag-wells, reduced trigger pull systems, and Vihtavuori reloading powder to anybody who qualifies for a firearm license, which they can assist in acquiring. There are also loads of manuals and applications for classes for beginners. And if you happen to come from a country in political upheaval, they can export arms home within 30-60 days; coincidentally Pantera focuses on Latin business. Now if you're wondering whether this gun shop is politically inclined, well, aren't they all? But it's worth noting that this shop's Website has links to the National Rifle Association, Rush Limbaugh, the Republican Party of Florida, and of course Fox News.
Welcome to South Florida's premier weapon world, where you can find killer toys to fit your bang-bang needs that will also match with brown or black Timberlands. For more than fifteen years, Pantera has provided infinite infantry, space-age banana clips, intelligent laser beams (for direction, distance, information), Velcro holsters that clasp on your hips, STI Trojan .40s, small-ammo semiautomatics (when the little .223 caliber bullets fire, they sound like Pop Rocks candy), night vision goggles (you can see them), camouflaged apparel (but they can't see you), titanium strikers, aluminum mag-wells, reduced trigger pull systems, and Vihtavuori reloading powder to anybody who qualifies for a firearm license, which they can assist in acquiring. There are also loads of manuals and applications for classes for beginners. And if you happen to come from a country in political upheaval, they can export arms home within 30-60 days; coincidentally Pantera focuses on Latin business. Now if you're wondering whether this gun shop is politically inclined, well, aren't they all? But it's worth noting that this shop's Website has links to the National Rifle Association, Rush Limbaugh, the Republican Party of Florida, and of course Fox News.
Tucked away behind a nondescript storefront in North Beach is a gem of a bike store. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable. From outside, the store appears tiny, but walk in and it's much larger than expected. It's well stocked with not only bicycles but parts, accessories, and even a small array of clothing for the enthusiast. If your bicycle is ailing, there's an excellent repair shop in the back. Tired of pedaling? You can ditch your bike for one of their motor scooters or skateboards.
Tucked away behind a nondescript storefront in North Beach is a gem of a bike store. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable. From outside, the store appears tiny, but walk in and it's much larger than expected. It's well stocked with not only bicycles but parts, accessories, and even a small array of clothing for the enthusiast. If your bicycle is ailing, there's an excellent repair shop in the back. Tired of pedaling? You can ditch your bike for one of their motor scooters or skateboards.
Rows and rows of carnal knowledge line the biggest adult video chain in South Florida. Pleasure Emporium is a one-stop sex shop for all your horny needs. Not only does it carry a vast array of straight, gay, bisexual, lesbian, and midget porn, it also sells an assortment of dildos, penis pumps, lubricants, strap-ons, clamps, cock rings, dolls, and just about every other kind of sex object you can think of (except live human ones). But the best thing about the Emporium is its cleanliness and friendly, often cheerful atmosphere, making it perfect for couples to visit together. There aren't any creepy, leering men hovering around like in most other porn shops. Pleasure Emporium is nice and neat, brightly lit, and doesn't smell like rotten semen since the jack-off peep booths are regularly wiped down, so you can even take your grandmother if she's into those kinds of things.
Rows and rows of carnal knowledge line the biggest adult video chain in South Florida. Pleasure Emporium is a one-stop sex shop for all your horny needs. Not only does it carry a vast array of straight, gay, bisexual, lesbian, and midget porn, it also sells an assortment of dildos, penis pumps, lubricants, strap-ons, clamps, cock rings, dolls, and just about every other kind of sex object you can think of (except live human ones). But the best thing about the Emporium is its cleanliness and friendly, often cheerful atmosphere, making it perfect for couples to visit together. There aren't any creepy, leering men hovering around like in most other porn shops. Pleasure Emporium is nice and neat, brightly lit, and doesn't smell like rotten semen since the jack-off peep booths are regularly wiped down, so you can even take your grandmother if she's into those kinds of things.
BEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE
Libreria Distribuidora Universal
Known both on its signage and among Spanish-language readers simply as La Universal, this pale, rounded-corner building that seems etched out of a block of mighty stone contains something more resembling a library than a bookstore. But Carlos didn't care about the gritty architecture or sweet comfort outside and inside this multifaceted operation (publishing and distributing are part of the Salvat family's decades-old book biz). After real estate school (he lost interest shortly before his final test), after "punch-out" work finalizing new houses led him to decline to become a contractor -- then Carlos went to a school for translation. Having come from Cuba at age eight, gifted with a poet-crushing knack for twisting the English language into art, Carlos ran into trouble because the class itself wasn't enough. He wanted to study the subject on his own, but a key book could not be found. Not until he went to the old gray building on the corner. "Of course they had it," he says. "Would I tell you it was the best bookstore if they wrote me off like a dime debt done gone a decade by?" No, he wouldn't.
BEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE BOOKSTORE
Libreria Distribuidora Universal
Known both on its signage and among Spanish-language readers simply as La Universal, this pale, rounded-corner building that seems etched out of a block of mighty stone contains something more resembling a library than a bookstore. But Carlos didn't care about the gritty architecture or sweet comfort outside and inside this multifaceted operation (publishing and distributing are part of the Salvat family's decades-old book biz). After real estate school (he lost interest shortly before his final test), after "punch-out" work finalizing new houses led him to decline to become a contractor -- then Carlos went to a school for translation. Having come from Cuba at age eight, gifted with a poet-crushing knack for twisting the English language into art, Carlos ran into trouble because the class itself wasn't enough. He wanted to study the subject on his own, but a key book could not be found. Not until he went to the old gray building on the corner. "Of course they had it," he says. "Would I tell you it was the best bookstore if they wrote me off like a dime debt done gone a decade by?" No, he wouldn't.
Toys "R" Us this R not. But somehow this B way more fun than stores 100 times as big. Also, A to Z Toys seems like it has more toys even though it's only the size of your average Dunkin' Donuts. That's impossible? Nuh, uh. Because stuff iz piled up to the ceiling. Anyway, A to Z has about everything, from the Mighty Beanz to the Mercedes Benz (seats one two-year-old). Even metal detectors. And that's just the M's. There R walls of dolls and piles of trucks. Take three steps, turn around, and C racks with remote-control Seahawk boats, spy goggles, undercover girl motion trackers, a ministage with puppets on sticks, and, for the musical tot, little accordions and guitars. The store R open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Toys "R" Us this R not. But somehow this B way more fun than stores 100 times as big. Also, A to Z Toys seems like it has more toys even though it's only the size of your average Dunkin' Donuts. That's impossible? Nuh, uh. Because stuff iz piled up to the ceiling. Anyway, A to Z has about everything, from the Mighty Beanz to the Mercedes Benz (seats one two-year-old). Even metal detectors. And that's just the M's. There R walls of dolls and piles of trucks. Take three steps, turn around, and C racks with remote-control Seahawk boats, spy goggles, undercover girl motion trackers, a ministage with puppets on sticks, and, for the musical tot, little accordions and guitars. The store R open from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The racks, boxes, bags, and fabric sacks stacked to the doors and ceilings are your shoes that need to be picked up from their refurbishment with new heels, toe guards, or polish. This Gables fixture gets the work done so quickly and inexpensively that it's hard to believe a retail transaction can go so smoothly -- hence the accumulation of goods that stunned clients can't believe are ready to go. This place will get your Joan & Davids back on the Miracle Mile stroll fast, cheap, and with Claus von Bulow-like faux Euro courtliness.
The racks, boxes, bags, and fabric sacks stacked to the doors and ceilings are your shoes that need to be picked up from their refurbishment with new heels, toe guards, or polish. This Gables fixture gets the work done so quickly and inexpensively that it's hard to believe a retail transaction can go so smoothly -- hence the accumulation of goods that stunned clients can't believe are ready to go. This place will get your Joan & Davids back on the Miracle Mile stroll fast, cheap, and with Claus von Bulow-like faux Euro courtliness.
Washington Avenue has its share of DJ shops, but there's only one where you'll find the latest from Bpitch, Schematic, and Chocolate Industries. Forget the cheesy trance and tribal tracks; Osiel sells the kind of acclaimed, low-selling music championed by critics and New Times. There's also a growing back catalog of albums and twelve-inch singles by artists such as David Bowie and Run-DMC, along with a small selection of CDs. Credit Osiel "Ozzy" Rojas, former owner of a distribution company, Safe, that specialized in weird electronic sounds, who is also the namesake for this IDM fan's oasis.
Washington Avenue has its share of DJ shops, but there's only one where you'll find the latest from Bpitch, Schematic, and Chocolate Industries. Forget the cheesy trance and tribal tracks; Osiel sells the kind of acclaimed, low-selling music championed by critics and New Times. There's also a growing back catalog of albums and twelve-inch singles by artists such as David Bowie and Run-DMC, along with a small selection of CDs. Credit Osiel "Ozzy" Rojas, former owner of a distribution company, Safe, that specialized in weird electronic sounds, who is also the namesake for this IDM fan's oasis.
Do you know what the worst part about buying anal beads is? No, it's not trying them on. It's the walk to the register. Just when you find the right size, color, and shape, inevitably someone you recognize comes in, and any hope of making it to the counter with your new goodies is as dead as the batteries in your vibrator. For overcoming this challenge, we were giving mad props to the Pleasure Emporium, which came up with a delivery service (every day 5:00 p.m.-midnight) for bashful buyers. Customers could call or place orders online for same-day delivery. Sadly, as of press time this service had been "temporarily suspended until further notice." Let's hope "temporarily" means just that. After all, how else will all the little freaks out there be able to buy, from the comfort of their own homes, dildos, beads, leather goods, nipple clamps, costumes, or whatever else they may need to get their rocks off? In the meantime, try sneaking into the store at 4:30 a.m.; some locations are open 24 hours.
Do you know what the worst part about buying anal beads is? No, it's not trying them on. It's the walk to the register. Just when you find the right size, color, and shape, inevitably someone you recognize comes in, and any hope of making it to the counter with your new goodies is as dead as the batteries in your vibrator. For overcoming this challenge, we were giving mad props to the Pleasure Emporium, which came up with a delivery service (every day 5:00 p.m.-midnight) for bashful buyers. Customers could call or place orders online for same-day delivery. Sadly, as of press time this service had been "temporarily suspended until further notice." Let's hope "temporarily" means just that. After all, how else will all the little freaks out there be able to buy, from the comfort of their own homes, dildos, beads, leather goods, nipple clamps, costumes, or whatever else they may need to get their rocks off? In the meantime, try sneaking into the store at 4:30 a.m.; some locations are open 24 hours.
BEST ASIAN GROCERY FOR ONE-STOP SHOPPING
Lucky Oriental Mart
Grocery list: Grass Jelly Drink, soursop juice, dried whole head-on anchovies, dried headless sardines, fruit of wolfberry, salted duck eggs and fish eggs, salted mackerel (the kind from Thailand), jar of pigs' blood, quail (Golden Jumbo brand), goat meat, frozen shark fin, foxglove root, dodder seed, schisandra fruit, and a bunch of cong bong bu shen war or other fresh produce (herbs, leafy vegetables, tubers). Also a money tree and one of those nice tea sets and a few exotic teas for when the Johnsons come over Saturday. Oh, and a sculpture: dragon, dancing fish, a fat or skinny Buddha. Get one of those beige fruits that look like the offspring of a pineapple and a football, durian monthong it's called. Shumai dumplings, peanut balls, red bean balls (the paste is fine), giant bag of rice, mung, some single green peas for garnish. Oh, let's do the shrimp on sugar cane skewers. Some of that vegan "ham" from Taiwan. Brrrinnng. "Honey? What type of dumplings: chicken and cabbage? Pork and leek? Sure. And grab some noodles from the aisle stocked fully and solely by pasta products? Right, Sun Shun Fuk. Seaweed, squid, haw cakes -- goes without saying. Bye." You know, it's the Year of the Monkey, so let's go to town: whole fresh water chestnuts, banana flowers, yam cakes. "Honey? Yeah. Listen, about the fish: live tilapia, rex sole, or golden pompano?" Duck. Hmmm. Gizzards, legs, wings, or feet? Seahorses, dried roundscad (Galunggong), pickled young-tamarind rind, sadao flower, lotus rootlet, rhizome strips. Great. Got something from San Fran, Taiwan, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and, uh, oh yeah, China. Damn, forgot dessert. Chibikko makes those great thumbnail-size vanilla wafers.
BEST ASIAN GROCERY FOR ONE-STOP SHOPPING
Lucky Oriental Mart
Grocery list: Grass Jelly Drink, soursop juice, dried whole head-on anchovies, dried headless sardines, fruit of wolfberry, salted duck eggs and fish eggs, salted mackerel (the kind from Thailand), jar of pigs' blood, quail (Golden Jumbo brand), goat meat, frozen shark fin, foxglove root, dodder seed, schisandra fruit, and a bunch of cong bong bu shen war or other fresh produce (herbs, leafy vegetables, tubers). Also a money tree and one of those nice tea sets and a few exotic teas for when the Johnsons come over Saturday. Oh, and a sculpture: dragon, dancing fish, a fat or skinny Buddha. Get one of those beige fruits that look like the offspring of a pineapple and a football, durian monthong it's called. Shumai dumplings, peanut balls, red bean balls (the paste is fine), giant bag of rice, mung, some single green peas for garnish. Oh, let's do the shrimp on sugar cane skewers. Some of that vegan "ham" from Taiwan. Brrrinnng. "Honey? What type of dumplings: chicken and cabbage? Pork and leek? Sure. And grab some noodles from the aisle stocked fully and solely by pasta products? Right, Sun Shun Fuk. Seaweed, squid, haw cakes -- goes without saying. Bye." You know, it's the Year of the Monkey, so let's go to town: whole fresh water chestnuts, banana flowers, yam cakes. "Honey? Yeah. Listen, about the fish: live tilapia, rex sole, or golden pompano?" Duck. Hmmm. Gizzards, legs, wings, or feet? Seahorses, dried roundscad (Galunggong), pickled young-tamarind rind, sadao flower, lotus rootlet, rhizome strips. Great. Got something from San Fran, Taiwan, Thailand, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and, uh, oh yeah, China. Damn, forgot dessert. Chibikko makes those great thumbnail-size vanilla wafers.
Okay, so this place is part of a gargantuan franchise and the CDs are just one facet of the things you'll find (F.Y.E. sells everything related to entertainment units). Still the range of Latin music is extensive. From the Kumbia Kings to David Bisbal, contemporary sounds, sugar factor notwithstanding, are prominently displayed and available for sampling. More obscure acts from Cuba are also available as well as a healthy section of Brazilian sounds. To top it off F.Y.E. is located in one of the most Latin-flavored malls in Miami. If you don't have the Latin Miami look, as seen on Sabado Gigante, when you walk into the Dolphin Mall, you can buy it in a short stroll through the Ramblas section.
Okay, so this place is part of a gargantuan franchise and the CDs are just one facet of the things you'll find (F.Y.E. sells everything related to entertainment units). Still the range of Latin music is extensive. From the Kumbia Kings to David Bisbal, contemporary sounds, sugar factor notwithstanding, are prominently displayed and available for sampling. More obscure acts from Cuba are also available as well as a healthy section of Brazilian sounds. To top it off F.Y.E. is located in one of the most Latin-flavored malls in Miami. If you don't have the Latin Miami look, as seen on Sabado Gigante, when you walk into the Dolphin Mall, you can buy it in a short stroll through the Ramblas section.
Dubbed the patron saint of brewers and maltsters by Charles IV in 1357, Saint Wenceslas is also the patron saint of the Czech Republic. Maybe that's why the quality of a Czech beer, such as Lev or Knight -- which have been around since the Fifteenth Century -- is unquestioned. And even though it's possible to find a good imported beer at other stores, at Sunset Corners they have over 300 variations of the heavenly brew, and each comes with its own backstory. That's not all their 50 years of peddling booze will get you. The store is so cluttered that cases of alcohol litter the aisles, and as customers make their way through the maze of racks, they will find a dizzying display of the finest bottled grapes from across the world; no doubt they will finally understand what those bourgeois wine-tasting parties were all about.
Dubbed the patron saint of brewers and maltsters by Charles IV in 1357, Saint Wenceslas is also the patron saint of the Czech Republic. Maybe that's why the quality of a Czech beer, such as Lev or Knight -- which have been around since the Fifteenth Century -- is unquestioned. And even though it's possible to find a good imported beer at other stores, at Sunset Corners they have over 300 variations of the heavenly brew, and each comes with its own backstory. That's not all their 50 years of peddling booze will get you. The store is so cluttered that cases of alcohol litter the aisles, and as customers make their way through the maze of racks, they will find a dizzying display of the finest bottled grapes from across the world; no doubt they will finally understand what those bourgeois wine-tasting parties were all about.
Robert Novigrod is nothing less than a hero. America's most grotesque social failure is its healthcare system, among the worst in the industrialized world, especially for those suffering chronic pain. The federal government, with its "war on drugs," has created a nation of spineless physicians and impotent pharmacists terrified to provide effective, safe controlled substances subject to abuse. Not the friendly folks at one of the few "mom-and-pop" drugstores left. While the chains might be fine for those who need to choose from eight different types of nail clippers, Novigrod and his smiling staff deliver what equally courageous doctors prescribe, including strong medicine needed by victims of severe pain. A family business passed along to the incredibly gracious and skilled Novigrod, Midtown deserves more than awards or accolades. It deserves your business.
Robert Novigrod is nothing less than a hero. America's most grotesque social failure is its healthcare system, among the worst in the industrialized world, especially for those suffering chronic pain. The federal government, with its "war on drugs," has created a nation of spineless physicians and impotent pharmacists terrified to provide effective, safe controlled substances subject to abuse. Not the friendly folks at one of the few "mom-and-pop" drugstores left. While the chains might be fine for those who need to choose from eight different types of nail clippers, Novigrod and his smiling staff deliver what equally courageous doctors prescribe, including strong medicine needed by victims of severe pain. A family business passed along to the incredibly gracious and skilled Novigrod, Midtown deserves more than awards or accolades. It deserves your business.
A stroll through the packed aisles of Uncle Sam's used-CD bins gives weight to that old adage of one man's trash being another man's treasure. Surely that stack of Steely Dan titles wasn't sold off by the same person who divested himself of a half-dozen Tupac Shakur CDs? No matter. Don't waste time pondering the sociology behind the Beach's musical tribes as their respective tastes flow back and forth at $7.99 a pop -- just get a' hunting. There's something here for everyone, from the latest hip-hop releases to the freshest trance straight off the boat from Europe to old-fashioned rock and roll, complete with big hair. And best of all -- in a marked departure from most area music shops -- every CD can be previewed to your heart's content. But please remember as you strap on a pair of headphones: Leave the singing along for your home shower routine. The staff at Uncle Sam's may be friendly and helpful, but they still have limits.
A stroll through the packed aisles of Uncle Sam's used-CD bins gives weight to that old adage of one man's trash being another man's treasure. Surely that stack of Steely Dan titles wasn't sold off by the same person who divested himself of a half-dozen Tupac Shakur CDs? No matter. Don't waste time pondering the sociology behind the Beach's musical tribes as their respective tastes flow back and forth at $7.99 a pop -- just get a' hunting. There's something here for everyone, from the latest hip-hop releases to the freshest trance straight off the boat from Europe to old-fashioned rock and roll, complete with big hair. And best of all -- in a marked departure from most area music shops -- every CD can be previewed to your heart's content. But please remember as you strap on a pair of headphones: Leave the singing along for your home shower routine. The staff at Uncle Sam's may be friendly and helpful, but they still have limits.
Designed like a shoe store, the Barn features unvarnished wood shelves lining every available inch of wall space, stocked end-to-end with more books than some libraries. Simple ceiling-high shelves also divide the store into aisles for Detective (purchase: the unintentionally funny The Corpse Had a Familiar Face by Edna Buchanan), Novels (purchase: two brand-new reprints of The Catcher in the Rye), Science Fiction (purchase: a short-story collection by overlooked genius Alfred Bester called Starburst), Gothic, Children, Biography, Education, Historical Romance, and many others, including the unusual Math Crafts section. There's other stuff: wishing stones, page marks, bookbags. You trade even -- say three of your books for three of theirs -- then pay a 25 percent charge on the value of the barter. A couple decades old and blessed with young, smart, polite clerks, the Barn doesn't need computers or any of that newfangled junk. Just an adding machine and a kazillion words published in book form, then offered to the world.
Designed like a shoe store, the Barn features unvarnished wood shelves lining every available inch of wall space, stocked end-to-end with more books than some libraries. Simple ceiling-high shelves also divide the store into aisles for Detective (purchase: the unintentionally funny The Corpse Had a Familiar Face by Edna Buchanan), Novels (purchase: two brand-new reprints of The Catcher in the Rye), Science Fiction (purchase: a short-story collection by overlooked genius Alfred Bester called Starburst), Gothic, Children, Biography, Education, Historical Romance, and many others, including the unusual Math Crafts section. There's other stuff: wishing stones, page marks, bookbags. You trade even -- say three of your books for three of theirs -- then pay a 25 percent charge on the value of the barter. A couple decades old and blessed with young, smart, polite clerks, the Barn doesn't need computers or any of that newfangled junk. Just an adding machine and a kazillion words published in book form, then offered to the world.
You are a spastic animal. You must bang on surfaces at all times. You drive your co-workers batty. You make people sweat by your demeanor. Like it or not, you are a drummer, and it sounds like you need something to bang. At Resurrection, located next to that temple of all things Miami, Bird Bowl, you'll find snares, bongos, congas, timbales, cow bells, and just about anything else to satiate your inner beat beast. Resurrection is well connected, so if you don't see the djembe drum of your dreams they can get it to you in a jiffy. What's more, they offer lessons and workshops for you to express yourself and make Art Blakey proud.
You are a spastic animal. You must bang on surfaces at all times. You drive your co-workers batty. You make people sweat by your demeanor. Like it or not, you are a drummer, and it sounds like you need something to bang. At Resurrection, located next to that temple of all things Miami, Bird Bowl, you'll find snares, bongos, congas, timbales, cow bells, and just about anything else to satiate your inner beat beast. Resurrection is well connected, so if you don't see the djembe drum of your dreams they can get it to you in a jiffy. What's more, they offer lessons and workshops for you to express yourself and make Art Blakey proud.
Bright blue or yellow leather purses, slim brown leather wallets, cavernous leather luggage, silver-tipped leather belts, and leathery ostrich-skin ashtrays: These and more can be purchased at Leather World. The colors and sleek shapes attract the eye first, but the divine smell draws you farther into the store. A cool professional sales staff and leathers from all over the world and prices that make you ask: Why are the insides of cattle so cheap and their outsides so expensive?
Bright blue or yellow leather purses, slim brown leather wallets, cavernous leather luggage, silver-tipped leather belts, and leathery ostrich-skin ashtrays: These and more can be purchased at Leather World. The colors and sleek shapes attract the eye first, but the divine smell draws you farther into the store. A cool professional sales staff and leathers from all over the world and prices that make you ask: Why are the insides of cattle so cheap and their outsides so expensive?
Yes, you've heard it before: Worldwide News is the best newspaper and magazine shop in the county. But before you cover your eyes, consider this: Where else are you going to get Sunday editions of the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle on a Wednesday? What other store is bold enough to offer National Geographic, the Advocate, and Taboo? What place can both educate you with the Nation (or, for the conservatively inclined, the National Review), feed you with a selection of ice cream novelties, then help you get rich with an impressive offering of scratch-off lottery and Lotto tickets? Worldwide News has got it all, man.
Yes, you've heard it before: Worldwide News is the best newspaper and magazine shop in the county. But before you cover your eyes, consider this: Where else are you going to get Sunday editions of the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle on a Wednesday? What other store is bold enough to offer National Geographic, the Advocate, and Taboo? What place can both educate you with the Nation (or, for the conservatively inclined, the National Review), feed you with a selection of ice cream novelties, then help you get rich with an impressive offering of scratch-off lottery and Lotto tickets? Worldwide News has got it all, man.
You never know what you'll find at the back of this thrift store on Washington Avenue in the heart of South Beach. One day it's a well-worn 24-inch Huffy, the next it's a vintage model so solid it looks like it came straight from the set of The Bicycle Thief, complete with leather satchel under the seat. And the store's resident mechanic tweaks each bike to make sure tires, brakes, and gears all run just so. From classic Schwinns to road bikes to balloon tire beach cruisers, the stock is varied but never large (only a few on hand at a time); if you pass on a bike today it won't be there tomorrow.
You never know what you'll find at the back of this thrift store on Washington Avenue in the heart of South Beach. One day it's a well-worn 24-inch Huffy, the next it's a vintage model so solid it looks like it came straight from the set of The Bicycle Thief, complete with leather satchel under the seat. And the store's resident mechanic tweaks each bike to make sure tires, brakes, and gears all run just so. From classic Schwinns to road bikes to balloon tire beach cruisers, the stock is varied but never large (only a few on hand at a time); if you pass on a bike today it won't be there tomorrow.
Mojónes is Spanish slang for "little shits." Who are the mojónes? They are those little underage turds who litter the streets of the Mayfair and crowd the sidewalk by Wet Willie's, trying and failing to get in. They plant themselves on the fountain trying to inhale the Russian spray-paint artist's fumes, their only hope of intoxication, sans fake ID. They are a plague, so pheromone-sick with teenage love they keep that guy with the bowtie selling roses in business. Poor little hornballs, damned to ride the rickshaws with no place to go till they turn 21 (except for Club Life's all-ages Sunday night).
Mojónes is Spanish slang for "little shits." Who are the mojónes? They are those little underage turds who litter the streets of the Mayfair and crowd the sidewalk by Wet Willie's, trying and failing to get in. They plant themselves on the fountain trying to inhale the Russian spray-paint artist's fumes, their only hope of intoxication, sans fake ID. They are a plague, so pheromone-sick with teenage love they keep that guy with the bowtie selling roses in business. Poor little hornballs, damned to ride the rickshaws with no place to go till they turn 21 (except for Club Life's all-ages Sunday night).
The attitude of the owners of Aquaknots toward their dive classes is indicative of why they do so well: They just want everybody to join them and get wet. They run their scuba certification classes at cost; $200 buys you the two-week course (two nights a week), including equipment use and two open water dives. "We don't consider the classes as a source of revenue," says co-owner Mario Ginoris, who has been working for the company since he was twelve years old. "We just look at it as a way of making new customers." Instructors at his shop come highly recommended. Ginoris and staff trained Latin crooner Marc Anthony and wife in Tommy Mottola's Miami Beach mansion pool. In addition to carrying a full range of scuba gear, the shop specializes in custom-made spearfishing equipment. Aquaknots is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The attitude of the owners of Aquaknots toward their dive classes is indicative of why they do so well: They just want everybody to join them and get wet. They run their scuba certification classes at cost; $200 buys you the two-week course (two nights a week), including equipment use and two open water dives. "We don't consider the classes as a source of revenue," says co-owner Mario Ginoris, who has been working for the company since he was twelve years old. "We just look at it as a way of making new customers." Instructors at his shop come highly recommended. Ginoris and staff trained Latin crooner Marc Anthony and wife in Tommy Mottola's Miami Beach mansion pool. In addition to carrying a full range of scuba gear, the shop specializes in custom-made spearfishing equipment. Aquaknots is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
This is one of those old washes in Westchester where your car changes hands between rag-wielding immigrants stationed on either side of a tunnel, where the lathering takes place. The quality of the wash is top-notch, as it should be for a business that's been operating continuously for 30 years. The basic scrub plus a thorough vacuum is just $8.95; a full-throttle wash, wax, and interior deodorizing is a steal at $17. But Sun Glo's real value is the entertainment. It's neat to watch your ride pushed along a track through what seems a menacing, dark vortex. But if the mysterious mechanisms of a car wash don't hold your interest, those wacky wash guys also spend the day ragging on each other with hilarious jokes. If you understand Spanish, listen for the ones about Argentines. The last couple of years has seen an unprecedented number of them hired at Sun Glo, to the smirking amusement of the other Latin employees.
This is one of those old washes in Westchester where your car changes hands between rag-wielding immigrants stationed on either side of a tunnel, where the lathering takes place. The quality of the wash is top-notch, as it should be for a business that's been operating continuously for 30 years. The basic scrub plus a thorough vacuum is just $8.95; a full-throttle wash, wax, and interior deodorizing is a steal at $17. But Sun Glo's real value is the entertainment. It's neat to watch your ride pushed along a track through what seems a menacing, dark vortex. But if the mysterious mechanisms of a car wash don't hold your interest, those wacky wash guys also spend the day ragging on each other with hilarious jokes. If you understand Spanish, listen for the ones about Argentines. The last couple of years has seen an unprecedented number of them hired at Sun Glo, to the smirking amusement of the other Latin employees.
Unaffected, in every way, by retro hype, Shoppie Seconds prices its wares, displayed in jumbled, Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse-scene infinity, as if it realizes that some of this stuff is actually not very valuable. You can, nonetheless, snag authentic Atomic Age plastics, mad housewife shifts from the Fifties, and nearly-new mod furniture at u-carry bargain basement prices. A recent expedition yielded four minimalist-yet-chunky dining room chairs for $105, an authentic Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tour T-shirt for $5, and a vintage orange chiffon maxi cocktail dress of indeterminate (Forties? Sixties?) decade origin for $15. And the proprietors -- fun to visit with even if you're not in the buying mood and always generous to the neighborhood's many ne'er-do-wells -- are decent, honest, and willing to make a deal.
Unaffected, in every way, by retro hype, Shoppie Seconds prices its wares, displayed in jumbled, Raiders of the Lost Ark warehouse-scene infinity, as if it realizes that some of this stuff is actually not very valuable. You can, nonetheless, snag authentic Atomic Age plastics, mad housewife shifts from the Fifties, and nearly-new mod furniture at u-carry bargain basement prices. A recent expedition yielded four minimalist-yet-chunky dining room chairs for $105, an authentic Joan Jett and the Blackhearts tour T-shirt for $5, and a vintage orange chiffon maxi cocktail dress of indeterminate (Forties? Sixties?) decade origin for $15. And the proprietors -- fun to visit with even if you're not in the buying mood and always generous to the neighborhood's many ne'er-do-wells -- are decent, honest, and willing to make a deal.
Special bookstores are few and far between. If you merely wanted an infinite selection of books or endless browsing you could just go online or to the library, but then you'd miss out on what continues to make Books & Books the literary draw in South Florida: There's a sense of community -- of belonging to Miami and its own internal neighborhood of book lovers. The seemingly endless parade of special events and readings has produced cherished memories for patrons. Most important, the warm, knowledgeable staff makes the shops feel more like personal libraries chock-full of friends. Here, you get a lot more than just books and books.
Special bookstores are few and far between. If you merely wanted an infinite selection of books or endless browsing you could just go online or to the library, but then you'd miss out on what continues to make Books & Books the literary draw in South Florida: There's a sense of community -- of belonging to Miami and its own internal neighborhood of book lovers. The seemingly endless parade of special events and readings has produced cherished memories for patrons. Most important, the warm, knowledgeable staff makes the shops feel more like personal libraries chock-full of friends. Here, you get a lot more than just books and books.
In 1984 Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson hypothesized the existence of biophilia, an "innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms." Parks and wilderness areas make people happy because of the abundance of life, according to Wilson's theory, and this holds true of a trip to Santa Barbara Nursery as well. Joe Oves's nursery is home to seven sprawling acres of every type of plant South Florida has to offer, and some it doesn't. Oves has owned this gem for five years, and if you're looking for bargains along with the scenery ($3.50 anthuriums for instance) take a stroll around the nursery. "We don't really specialize in any one thing," Oves says. "But we have a little bit of everything."
In 1984 Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson hypothesized the existence of biophilia, an "innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms." Parks and wilderness areas make people happy because of the abundance of life, according to Wilson's theory, and this holds true of a trip to Santa Barbara Nursery as well. Joe Oves's nursery is home to seven sprawling acres of every type of plant South Florida has to offer, and some it doesn't. Oves has owned this gem for five years, and if you're looking for bargains along with the scenery ($3.50 anthuriums for instance) take a stroll around the nursery. "We don't really specialize in any one thing," Oves says. "But we have a little bit of everything."
Ay, Shangó! The business card for this metaphysical shop says it all. It depicts a cute little sand-colored kitten with a red handkerchief around his neck accenting two innocent green eyes. In big, bold Spanish letters the card says the shop has all types of animals for religious services, and proclaims in even bigger print, "Free delivery with fifty dollar purchase." What better service for the on-the-go high priest? A stroll inside the store will make non-Santerós feel like they are in the dark parts of a Harry Potter book. Iguanas, rats, roosters, pigeons, and the like are stacked up in cages that fill most of the store. Incense, religious shrines, and other "tools of the saints" can be bought here, and what they lack in stellar stock the proprietors will be more than happy to find for their clients.
Ay, Shangó! The business card for this metaphysical shop says it all. It depicts a cute little sand-colored kitten with a red handkerchief around his neck accenting two innocent green eyes. In big, bold Spanish letters the card says the shop has all types of animals for religious services, and proclaims in even bigger print, "Free delivery with fifty dollar purchase." What better service for the on-the-go high priest? A stroll inside the store will make non-Santerós feel like they are in the dark parts of a Harry Potter book. Iguanas, rats, roosters, pigeons, and the like are stacked up in cages that fill most of the store. Incense, religious shrines, and other "tools of the saints" can be bought here, and what they lack in stellar stock the proprietors will be more than happy to find for their clients.
You can't miss Sinbad's when driving down Bird Road thanks to its colorful mural of a rain forest on the side wall, but if it's a squawking, feathered friend you're looking for, you'd probably find your way to Sinbad's anyway. It's simply the biggest and best bird shop around. Not only is almost every species of parrot for sale, but Sinbad's takes the time to educate and prepare each customer on the rewarding responsibility they'll undertake when adopting a bird. In the showroom, talkative blue and yellow macaws, green Amazons (those smart-aleck pirate parrots), red-collared African greys, fluffy Triton cockatoos, and the Rolls Royce of birds, the royal blue hyacinth, are on display, but you can't just have any one of them. See, store owner Alfredo Sinbad, an avid bird breeder for more than two decades, insists on matching suitable companions. Sinbad's only sells baby and young birds, housed in the bird house adjacent to the shop, so they can easily get acclimated to the people buying them. That's because a parrot is a finicky pet that requires plenty of care and attention. Parrot Jungle recently closed its bird shop in response to criticism over the kind of impulsive buying Sinbad's is careful to guard against. So when the customer and bird are finally ready to live together, they ride off into the sunset cheek to beak. And if the owner needs to leave town and has nobody to bird-sit? Leave it at Sinbad's bird hotel in back of the store for about five to twelve dollars a night, depending on the bird's size. There's cage service and everything. As for the appropriate parrot supplies, they're all at Sinbad's, truly a one-stop parrot shop with enough toys and bulk foods to satisfy even the most demanding bird.
You can't miss Sinbad's when driving down Bird Road thanks to its colorful mural of a rain forest on the side wall, but if it's a squawking, feathered friend you're looking for, you'd probably find your way to Sinbad's anyway. It's simply the biggest and best bird shop around. Not only is almost every species of parrot for sale, but Sinbad's takes the time to educate and prepare each customer on the rewarding responsibility they'll undertake when adopting a bird. In the showroom, talkative blue and yellow macaws, green Amazons (those smart-aleck pirate parrots), red-collared African greys, fluffy Triton cockatoos, and the Rolls Royce of birds, the royal blue hyacinth, are on display, but you can't just have any one of them. See, store owner Alfredo Sinbad, an avid bird breeder for more than two decades, insists on matching suitable companions. Sinbad's only sells baby and young birds, housed in the bird house adjacent to the shop, so they can easily get acclimated to the people buying them. That's because a parrot is a finicky pet that requires plenty of care and attention. Parrot Jungle recently closed its bird shop in response to criticism over the kind of impulsive buying Sinbad's is careful to guard against. So when the customer and bird are finally ready to live together, they ride off into the sunset cheek to beak. And if the owner needs to leave town and has nobody to bird-sit? Leave it at Sinbad's bird hotel in back of the store for about five to twelve dollars a night, depending on the bird's size. There's cage service and everything. As for the appropriate parrot supplies, they're all at Sinbad's, truly a one-stop parrot shop with enough toys and bulk foods to satisfy even the most demanding bird.
Old designers sure knew how to make clothes. Even 50 or 60 years later, dresses drape as if scientifically created to make women beautiful. Halston, Pucci, Gucci, and Gaultier are all philosophers of form. The only thing is, the women back then were a lot smaller. So a size 8 in vintage clothes is really more like a size 4 in this supersized era. But regardless, if you want to dress like you're living in black-and-white glamour, Sasparilla is the place. From the closets of rich old (or deceased) women come vintage and designer dresses, shirts, jackets, pants, shoes, bags, jewelry, and luggage, priced from about $25 to $500. The store also will buy your vintage duds. Hours noon to 10:00 p.m.
Old designers sure knew how to make clothes. Even 50 or 60 years later, dresses drape as if scientifically created to make women beautiful. Halston, Pucci, Gucci, and Gaultier are all philosophers of form. The only thing is, the women back then were a lot smaller. So a size 8 in vintage clothes is really more like a size 4 in this supersized era. But regardless, if you want to dress like you're living in black-and-white glamour, Sasparilla is the place. From the closets of rich old (or deceased) women come vintage and designer dresses, shirts, jackets, pants, shoes, bags, jewelry, and luggage, priced from about $25 to $500. The store also will buy your vintage duds. Hours noon to 10:00 p.m.
Queen Goddess, owner of the Happy 2 B Nappy Boutique, can fix the limpest white boy's tresses into a nappy dreadlocked crown worthy of a prophet. She uses her own secret concoction of shea butter, aloe, herbs, and oils to nurture the hair and scalps of her clients while forming the ragamuffin locks they dream of. With her intricate finger work, Queen revives veteran dreads' long-neglected tassels into fabulous works of art, enhanced with shells and beads. She says her objective in the heart of Liberty City's fast-redeveloping area is to uplift locals with a rasta blast of beauty straight from the heart of Africa.
Queen Goddess, owner of the Happy 2 B Nappy Boutique, can fix the limpest white boy's tresses into a nappy dreadlocked crown worthy of a prophet. She uses her own secret concoction of shea butter, aloe, herbs, and oils to nurture the hair and scalps of her clients while forming the ragamuffin locks they dream of. With her intricate finger work, Queen revives veteran dreads' long-neglected tassels into fabulous works of art, enhanced with shells and beads. She says her objective in the heart of Liberty City's fast-redeveloping area is to uplift locals with a rasta blast of beauty straight from the heart of Africa.
This particular outpost of the national chain is housed in the space formerly occupied by a Publix -- the giant, upside-down chevron sign still marks the entrance -- and its vast stock takes advantage of an uncluttered, well-lit ambiance not generally found in granola world. Organic produce and vegan proteins are available as well as desserts, free-range beef, wines without sulfites, and cheeses from around the world. Wild Oats has an ample, respectable produce aisle, bulk pastas, rices, spices and herbs, and icy cases filled with raw ahi tuna and scallops, so the discerning, health-minded cook will be pleased. But this store is at its most usefully mind-boggling for the kitchen-impaired who nonetheless eschew fast food: A deli is jammed with ready-to-eat meatless tamales, tofu salads, and curried turkey. Grab-and-go whole grain sandwiches are stacked high with romaine lettuce, sprouts, and marinated portobellos. Spinach lasagna is available for purchase by the pan or by the slice. Beyond the capacity to keep the larder from getting low, Wild Oats offers a cornucopia of cruelty-free (read: unlike Procter & Gamble, the eyes of rabbits are not used as test tubes for these products) cleaning and bathing lines, from Burt's Bees to Avalon Organics. Finally don't miss out on snacks and meals for the pets. Wild Oats is one of the few places in Florida to purchase Spot's Stew, a canned food for both dogs and cats that can tempt the pickiest pup or most toothless old cat into a good, and healthy, repast.
For serious cinephiles looking to feed their home video jones, there have always been only two choices. Those living in the Coral Gables area flocked to Lion Video (thankfully resuscitated after some financial troubles), while Miami Beach-ers hit New Concept Video. For those residing somewhere between the two, New Concept gets our nod for remembering that in a world of satellite television, hundreds of new cable channels, and the flowering of video on demand, it's the hunt for obscurities and underground faves that makes us leave our homes. Looking for Lord of the Rings? Sure, Blockbuster has that as well, but just try finding the bulk of New Concept's sprawling collection of gay-themed flicks there. Likewise for this store's separate room of adult videos -- for both gay and straight tastes. We could go on: Wowed by Denys Arcand's scathing take on baby boomer intellectuals in The Barbarian Invasions when it played theaters this past winter? Try renting a copy of his 1986 film The Decline of the American Empire, featuring those same characters in their preening prime. It's out of print, and yet to hit DVD, but you can still find a VHS copy here. How about the hilarious BBC series The Office, or the wryly ahead-of-its-time HBO series The Larry Sanders Show? Both are at New Concept. But don't take our word for it -- Beach residents are clearly voting with their wallets. At a time when mom-and-pop video shops are increasingly beleaguered, New Concept has opened up a second DVD-only location on West Avenue. That's the kind of commercial expansion we'll gladly give a thumbs-up to.
For serious cinephiles looking to feed their home video jones, there have always been only two choices. Those living in the Coral Gables area flocked to Lion Video (thankfully resuscitated after some financial troubles), while Miami Beach-ers hit New Concept Video. For those residing somewhere between the two, New Concept gets our nod for remembering that in a world of satellite television, hundreds of new cable channels, and the flowering of video on demand, it's the hunt for obscurities and underground faves that makes us leave our homes. Looking for Lord of the Rings? Sure, Blockbuster has that as well, but just try finding the bulk of New Concept's sprawling collection of gay-themed flicks there. Likewise for this store's separate room of adult videos -- for both gay and straight tastes. We could go on: Wowed by Denys Arcand's scathing take on baby boomer intellectuals in The Barbarian Invasions when it played theaters this past winter? Try renting a copy of his 1986 film The Decline of the American Empire, featuring those same characters in their preening prime. It's out of print, and yet to hit DVD, but you can still find a VHS copy here. How about the hilarious BBC series The Office, or the wryly ahead-of-its-time HBO series The Larry Sanders Show? Both are at New Concept. But don't take our word for it -- Beach residents are clearly voting with their wallets. At a time when mom-and-pop video shops are increasingly beleaguered, New Concept has opened up a second DVD-only location on West Avenue. That's the kind of commercial expansion we'll gladly give a thumbs-up to.
Small and unassuming (and totally outdoors), Ruben's flower stand is a landmark in the rapidly changing blood frenzy known as Coconut Grove real estate development. A tranquil, colorful oasis on the corner of Bird Avenue and Indiana Street (and across diagonally and directly from two looming condo monstrosities), the gentlemen at Ruben's are friendly, even courtly. Beyond that, their selection of fresh blooms and exotic botanical wonders -- sprays of ginger from Ecuador, tulips bursting with color that seem to have been ripped from the beds of the Vondelpark -- is eye-popping. Daffodils in November? Violets in May? No problem. Plus, you can fill every room of your (modest, old-Grove bungalow-style) home with flowers from Ruben's for less than the price of a tank of gas. Bunches of tulips are six dollars, and a dozen roses will set you back only ten.
Small and unassuming (and totally outdoors), Ruben's flower stand is a landmark in the rapidly changing blood frenzy known as Coconut Grove real estate development. A tranquil, colorful oasis on the corner of Bird Avenue and Indiana Street (and across diagonally and directly from two looming condo monstrosities), the gentlemen at Ruben's are friendly, even courtly. Beyond that, their selection of fresh blooms and exotic botanical wonders -- sprays of ginger from Ecuador, tulips bursting with color that seem to have been ripped from the beds of the Vondelpark -- is eye-popping. Daffodils in November? Violets in May? No problem. Plus, you can fill every room of your (modest, old-Grove bungalow-style) home with flowers from Ruben's for less than the price of a tank of gas. Bunches of tulips are six dollars, and a dozen roses will set you back only ten.
Visiting film crews and local television commercial producers alike know Prop Central as their one-stop shop for period costumes. Every Halloween, however, Prop Central throws open its doors to the general public, outfitting a steady stream of firemen, marines, pirates, Twenties-styled flappers, dark-suited gangsters, bell bottom-clad hippies, and enough platform shoe-sporting, wide-lapel-wearing pimps to make you seriously question all the talk of South Beach's emerging "maturity." Indeed it's hard to tell who's having more fun dashing in and out of the dressing rooms here -- the straight-laced businessman who suddenly emerges as the imposing leatherman (sorry, make that "motorcycle enthusiast") or the enthused staff, whipping through their racks of clothing and accessories to help the newest member of the Village People realize his previously hidden dream.
Visiting film crews and local television commercial producers alike know Prop Central as their one-stop shop for period costumes. Every Halloween, however, Prop Central throws open its doors to the general public, outfitting a steady stream of firemen, marines, pirates, Twenties-styled flappers, dark-suited gangsters, bell bottom-clad hippies, and enough platform shoe-sporting, wide-lapel-wearing pimps to make you seriously question all the talk of South Beach's emerging "maturity." Indeed it's hard to tell who's having more fun dashing in and out of the dressing rooms here -- the straight-laced businessman who suddenly emerges as the imposing leatherman (sorry, make that "motorcycle enthusiast") or the enthused staff, whipping through their racks of clothing and accessories to help the newest member of the Village People realize his previously hidden dream.
Athens is a fructose-drenched local landmark. For 62 years the same family has been squeezing, chopping, and crushing the succulence out of local produce (for the most part) and serving it in a variety of healthy ways. Vegetable and fruit juices, smoothies, and luxurious fruit salads festooned with everything grown under a South Florida sun. Today Athens is owned by John Chavles, who is helped out by his brother George. They are the nephews of the two men who first opened Athens in 1942, brothers-in-law Peter Antonopoulos and Gus Siatis. John and George grew up working weekends for their uncles, scouring Miami Shores and Miami Beach neighborhoods for coconuts and mangoes they could collect and bring to the same Collins Avenue shop they now toil in. Such dedication has paid off. Six decades of doing business with Homestead and Florida City farms means Athens gets first pick of fruits and vegetables. They try to go with tree-ripened, locally grown produce. One of the big sellers is the coconut milk. While other fruit juice vendors sell coco frio, a coconut with a hole chopped in it, Athens mixes coconut water with its meat, creating a refreshing milky beverage. Athens is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Collins Avenue, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Washington Avenue, Monday through Saturday. Sundays the hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Collins and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Washington.
Athens is a fructose-drenched local landmark. For 62 years the same family has been squeezing, chopping, and crushing the succulence out of local produce (for the most part) and serving it in a variety of healthy ways. Vegetable and fruit juices, smoothies, and luxurious fruit salads festooned with everything grown under a South Florida sun. Today Athens is owned by John Chavles, who is helped out by his brother George. They are the nephews of the two men who first opened Athens in 1942, brothers-in-law Peter Antonopoulos and Gus Siatis. John and George grew up working weekends for their uncles, scouring Miami Shores and Miami Beach neighborhoods for coconuts and mangoes they could collect and bring to the same Collins Avenue shop they now toil in. Such dedication has paid off. Six decades of doing business with Homestead and Florida City farms means Athens gets first pick of fruits and vegetables. They try to go with tree-ripened, locally grown produce. One of the big sellers is the coconut milk. While other fruit juice vendors sell coco frio, a coconut with a hole chopped in it, Athens mixes coconut water with its meat, creating a refreshing milky beverage. Athens is open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Collins Avenue, and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Washington Avenue, Monday through Saturday. Sundays the hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Collins and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Washington.
True story: Vacationing Miami Beach homeowner returns to find house ransacked. Not much missing except one thing -- valuable painting, lifted off the wall and hustled away. Chances of recovery approach zero. Weeks later, somewhere in California, man purchases laptop computer via eBay. Receives computer. Turns it on, discovers many files, some personal. Thinks: Uh-oh ... must be stolen. Snoops around hard drive, uncovers likely owner's name and phone number. Calls. Miami Beach resident answers, confirms it's his computer, stolen weeks earlier. Beach guy calls cops, who contact California buyer, who leads them to eBay, which provides identity of seller. Cops contact seller -- a Miami pawnshop. Pawn broker, following Florida law, has record of kid who pawned stolen computer. Cops nab kid. They have a nice little chat. Kid decides to cooperate. They go for a drive. Kid points out various places he's pawned stolen goods. Cops pay a visit to one of them, I-95 Pawn. Caged in by bulletproof glass and iron bars, pawn broker, a burly biker with Glock semiautomatic strapped to his bountiful waist, displays surprising proficiency on computer. Quickly pulls up items kid has pawned. Cops scan printout, match items to stolen-property list. Start making calls. Burglary detective and owner of ransacked Miami Beach home drop in on I-95 Pawn. Gun barely visible beneath prodigious belly, pawn broker fires up computer, strokes chin whiskers, disappears into office, returns with large framed object, asks: Is this it? Homeowner smiles. Detective smiles. Pawn broker smiles. Yes, that's it. One last thing. Homeowner by law must buy it back for same price pawn broker paid: $55. Homeowner does so happily. Value of (undamaged) painting: $5000.
True story: Vacationing Miami Beach homeowner returns to find house ransacked. Not much missing except one thing -- valuable painting, lifted off the wall and hustled away. Chances of recovery approach zero. Weeks later, somewhere in California, man purchases laptop computer via eBay. Receives computer. Turns it on, discovers many files, some personal. Thinks: Uh-oh ... must be stolen. Snoops around hard drive, uncovers likely owner's name and phone number. Calls. Miami Beach resident answers, confirms it's his computer, stolen weeks earlier. Beach guy calls cops, who contact California buyer, who leads them to eBay, which provides identity of seller. Cops contact seller -- a Miami pawnshop. Pawn broker, following Florida law, has record of kid who pawned stolen computer. Cops nab kid. They have a nice little chat. Kid decides to cooperate. They go for a drive. Kid points out various places he's pawned stolen goods. Cops pay a visit to one of them, I-95 Pawn. Caged in by bulletproof glass and iron bars, pawn broker, a burly biker with Glock semiautomatic strapped to his bountiful waist, displays surprising proficiency on computer. Quickly pulls up items kid has pawned. Cops scan printout, match items to stolen-property list. Start making calls. Burglary detective and owner of ransacked Miami Beach home drop in on I-95 Pawn. Gun barely visible beneath prodigious belly, pawn broker fires up computer, strokes chin whiskers, disappears into office, returns with large framed object, asks: Is this it? Homeowner smiles. Detective smiles. Pawn broker smiles. Yes, that's it. One last thing. Homeowner by law must buy it back for same price pawn broker paid: $55. Homeowner does so happily. Value of (undamaged) painting: $5000.
A clean crop is very important among the increasingly metrosexualized male population. Even the ghetto-fabulous hip-hop sect is all about looking so fresh and so clean these days. But that doesn't mean you have to leave behind your gansta' flair for a fine fade. Cutz, located on Biscayne Boulevard on the Upper East Side and co-owned by ex-Heatster Alonzo Mourning, has the flavor of an urban hangout, but with the polished appearance of a high-end salon. Wood floors, old-style stools, and portraits of black icons adorn the place as BET and rap tunes entertain those waiting. And wait you will, because these guys take their time, making sure the cut is just right. But it's always worth it -- ask any player on the Miami Heat roster. On any given day you can catch Dwyane Wade, Loren Woods, or Rasual Butler getting a pregame buzz. This place is so popular that not even the gangland execution of a hip-hop label exec, XELA Entertainment's Alexander Bernard Harris, as he sat in a stool at Cutz one fateful night last summer, deterred its faithful clientele; in fact business increased. But the real reasons for Cutz's success is the quality of its barbers/stylists, especially Jason, a Cuban link from Jersey, and Claude, a Haitian Biggie Smalls look-alike with a bellowing laugh. Just make sure you tip them, or your next do might be uneven.
A clean crop is very important among the increasingly metrosexualized male population. Even the ghetto-fabulous hip-hop sect is all about looking so fresh and so clean these days. But that doesn't mean you have to leave behind your gansta' flair for a fine fade. Cutz, located on Biscayne Boulevard on the Upper East Side and co-owned by ex-Heatster Alonzo Mourning, has the flavor of an urban hangout, but with the polished appearance of a high-end salon. Wood floors, old-style stools, and portraits of black icons adorn the place as BET and rap tunes entertain those waiting. And wait you will, because these guys take their time, making sure the cut is just right. But it's always worth it -- ask any player on the Miami Heat roster. On any given day you can catch Dwyane Wade, Loren Woods, or Rasual Butler getting a pregame buzz. This place is so popular that not even the gangland execution of a hip-hop label exec, XELA Entertainment's Alexander Bernard Harris, as he sat in a stool at Cutz one fateful night last summer, deterred its faithful clientele; in fact business increased. But the real reasons for Cutz's success is the quality of its barbers/stylists, especially Jason, a Cuban link from Jersey, and Claude, a Haitian Biggie Smalls look-alike with a bellowing laugh. Just make sure you tip them, or your next do might be uneven.
Some people say the measure of a man is best assessed by the clothes he wears. In Miami, where physical appearance often outweighs substance, that sentiment rings true. But a well-dressed man doesn't have to break the bank to sport dapper duds. And you can forget the sales rack at Burdines. In Miami, National Apparel provides its male customers with a warehouse full of ensembles for the everyday banker to the part-time hip-hop DJ. You will find name-brand dress shirts from Calvin Klein and Geoffrey Beene for no more than $25 a pop. For the players, the warehouse features complete collections from Sean John, Phat Farm, and other hip-hop clothing labels at flea-market prices. And whether you're counting money or mixing records, no man can go wrong with underwear and socks at prices that beat Wal-Mart. The easiest route to National Apparel is to take I-95 to the 103rd Street exit, head west, then make an immediate right onto Seventh Avenue. After traveling one and a half blocks to 105th Street, make another right and head left to the brown warehouse at the end.
Some people say the measure of a man is best assessed by the clothes he wears. In Miami, where physical appearance often outweighs substance, that sentiment rings true. But a well-dressed man doesn't have to break the bank to sport dapper duds. And you can forget the sales rack at Burdines. In Miami, National Apparel provides its male customers with a warehouse full of ensembles for the everyday banker to the part-time hip-hop DJ. You will find name-brand dress shirts from Calvin Klein and Geoffrey Beene for no more than $25 a pop. For the players, the warehouse features complete collections from Sean John, Phat Farm, and other hip-hop clothing labels at flea-market prices. And whether you're counting money or mixing records, no man can go wrong with underwear and socks at prices that beat Wal-Mart. The easiest route to National Apparel is to take I-95 to the 103rd Street exit, head west, then make an immediate right onto Seventh Avenue. After traveling one and a half blocks to 105th Street, make another right and head left to the brown warehouse at the end.
Ask a soccer mom around these parts about the best place to get a pair of Mitre spikes, Umbro apparel, or Diadora soccer balls for any young, happy-footed athlete who hopes to be the next Pelé or Mia Hamm, and her answer will always be Soccer Locker. That's why the place continues to win best soccer shop year after year, aside from the fact that there is no other store in South Florida completely dedicated to the most popular sport in the world. The store in East Kendall not only has the most complete selection of soccer stuff, it's the place where you can get info on junior and adult leagues and purchase tickets to professional matches that come to town. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday it's open until 5:00 p.m.
Ask a soccer mom around these parts about the best place to get a pair of Mitre spikes, Umbro apparel, or Diadora soccer balls for any young, happy-footed athlete who hopes to be the next Pelé or Mia Hamm, and her answer will always be Soccer Locker. That's why the place continues to win best soccer shop year after year, aside from the fact that there is no other store in South Florida completely dedicated to the most popular sport in the world. The store in East Kendall not only has the most complete selection of soccer stuff, it's the place where you can get info on junior and adult leagues and purchase tickets to professional matches that come to town. Store hours are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday it's open until 5:00 p.m.
While references to scuba diving plus spearfishing equal cinematic half-hallucinations from Jaws and The Deep for many, truth is that diving, like its unrefined cousin swimming, is a skill that can be learned as well as taught. The teaching part is where Aquaknots comes in -- the dive shop has a loyal, three-decades-worth following of those who, like mermaids and mermen, would dwell if they could all the time beneath the waves. Mario Ginoris, with partner Manny Seoane, bought Aquaknots nearly fifteen years ago after working on the store's sales staff for some time beforehand.
Seoane and Ginoris maintain one of the largest inventories of dive supplies in town, along with the unique sideline of custom-made spears for the avid, and experienced, spearfisher.
For the beginner, Professional Association of Diving Instructors classes are offered. Don't worry about being an oceangoing fledgling, though. Even entry-level students get out of the tank and into the open water for a fair number of classes.
Best Local Landmark
The Freedom Tower
Best Sanctuary From the Fast Track
Scotty’s Landing in Coconut Grove
Best Month
August
Best Not-So-Cheap Thrill
Solid gold
Best Cheap Thrill
Walk South Beach on Friday night
Best Reason to Live in Miami
The best weather and the best people
While references to scuba diving plus spearfishing equal cinematic half-hallucinations from Jaws and The Deep for many, truth is that diving, like its unrefined cousin swimming, is a skill that can be learned as well as taught. The teaching part is where Aquaknots comes in -- the dive shop has a loyal, three-decades-worth following of those who, like mermaids and mermen, would dwell if they could all the time beneath the waves. Mario Ginoris, with partner Manny Seoane, bought Aquaknots nearly fifteen years ago after working on the store's sales staff for some time beforehand.
Seoane and Ginoris maintain one of the largest inventories of dive supplies in town, along with the unique sideline of custom-made spears for the avid, and experienced, spearfisher.
For the beginner, Professional Association of Diving Instructors classes are offered. Don't worry about being an oceangoing fledgling, though. Even entry-level students get out of the tank and into the open water for a fair number of classes.
Best Local Landmark
The Freedom Tower
Best Sanctuary From the Fast Track
Scotty’s Landing in Coconut Grove
Best Month
August
Best Not-So-Cheap Thrill
Solid gold
Best Cheap Thrill
Walk South Beach on Friday night
Best Reason to Live in Miami
The best weather and the best people
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