Best of Detroit 2023 (2024)

Multiple locations; shophod.com

facebook.com/mountainsandrainbows

Mountains and Rainbows are many locals' favorite band, but they've only self-released a dodgy-sounding cassette tape despite being together for a few years. Their music is big, intense, and hard to define. Herky-jerky rhythms and occasionally quaking vocals might have you thinking New Wave, but if anything, they act as a stellar update to the art-punk of mid '70s Midwestern bands like the Mirrors, X-X, or the Electric Eels. Seriously, they're that great.

555 E. Lafayette Ave., Detroit; 313-223-2999; greektowncasino.com

Expect scads of plasma TVs, free snacks and drinks, and a dozen poker tables featuring such games as Limit Texas Hold 'Em, No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, Pot Limit Round X Round Half Omaha/Half, and more.

26242 Van Dyke Ave., Center Line; 586-758-5620; centerlinevet.com

Dr. Gary, Dr. Duchan, and Dr. Koss are there to make sure the family pet is happy and healthy with a well-stocked pharmacy, in-hospital surgery suite, in-house X-ray capabilities, a closely supervised hospitalization area, and indoor boarding kennels with outdoor walking areas. Center Line Vet also offers HomeAgain, a microchip pet recovery service.

Best Record Store — East Side
Melodies and Memories
23013 S. Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480

OK, there ain't a store like this in the whole country. Even Hollywood's mighty Amoeba Records doesn't have a thing on Melodies because, well, besides sporting the country's largest lunch box collection, the Motown history here is sick: Martha Reeves, Eminem, Ron Banks and countless others have sung the store's praises (every so often the Melodies folks keep the store open late so Em and his bodyguards can shop). Then there's the personalized memorabilia on its walls, featuring Marvin Gaye and many more. The store has the Midwest's largest selection of box sets, from country to rock to jazz to blues to avant-garde, and it takes whole rooms to house its selections — a couple for its dance titles, another for its classic and pop rock, one for its jazz and R&B, one for its Krautrock, punk, techno and used, and another room for its blues and soundtracks. It often has three stereos going at once, playing different music in different rooms. The place is huge, a lovely crammed-but-organized mess of pop culture and music, which sees more than 50,000 different titles. Melodies is Beatle-freak heaven too (try stumping Bob or Dan on any Fab Four trivia — dudes are faster than Google), and it's a bin-diver's dream (you actually have to get on your knees to hunt through the vinyl).

Best Record Store — West Side
Dearborn Music
22000 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000

You'd never know the sales of physical music are down and that the record biz is in the toilet when you step into this glorious record emporium. It's like walking into late last century, a time when record stores hummed fiscally and were crammed full of new and obscure music you couldn't wait to sift through. There are tens of thousands of titles here (more than $1,000,000 worth), including up-to-the-minute and rare imports from Italy, Europe and Japan, and a whole room of just blues and jazz, used and new, plus DVDs, pop culture trinkets and assorted ephemera. You can find hi-res titles too, Alice Cooper gold CDs, box sets and tons of vinyl. This well-run, organized shop has lasted more than 50 years (!) for good reason.

Best Place to See a Local Rock Star Workin' a Day Gig
Car City Records
21918 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-775-4770

It'd be a tall order to list all the local rock stars who've passed behind the counter at this beautifully shambolic and hallowed record store, but if we'd tried we'd cough up such names as Ben Blackwell (Dirtbombs), punk superstar Heath, John Nash (Electric Six, Witches, Volebeats, etc.), Chad Gilchrist (ex-Outrageous Cherry, Blades of Grass, etc.), Mike Alonso (Electric Six, Aquarius Void), DJ Head (Eminem, D12), DJ Daddy Riff (12-Tech Mob), Ralph Valdez (ex-DJ, THTX, Algebra Mothers, Retro, etc.), Liz Copeland (violinist, DJ), Larry Rosa, Bootsey X (Lovemasters, Rocket 455, Coldco*ck, etc.) Melissa Elliott (Dirt Eaters, the Jills, His Name is Alive), Geoff Walker (Gravitar), Tom Potter (Bantam Rooster, Detroit City Council, Dirtbombs), Len Bukowski (avant-jazz saxophonist), DJ Houseshoes and Tom Lynch. These days you'll sometimes find the ever-genial producer-songwriter Matthew Smith (Andre Williams, THTX, Volebeats, Outrageous Cherry, blah, blah, blah) manning the register along with ex-Go and current F'ke Blood dude Dion Fischer (who also helps run the UFO Factory). And while trolling here you might bump into local star poet M.L. Liebler, dapper journalist-rock stars Mike Hurtt (the Party Stompers) and Ricky Rat, or DJ and Magic Bag talent buyer Willy Wilson, all jawing away while flipping through the expansive bins.

Best Strictly Used Record Store
Record Collector
327 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-548-9888

Its dusty, lived-in interior has the look of an old film screened on a large piece of cardboard splashed with some faded color. In other words, and even on first glance, you know it's a real record store, like one of those that existed a few decades ago in lower Manhattan. And if you're there at precisely the right time, you might catch owner Warren Westfall's witty and self-deprecating monologue whose topics within five minutes could include Buck Owens, Ezra Pound and idiot politics. (Factoid: It was Westfall who gave Metro Times its name all those years ago). The Record Collector's stock is both underground and mainstream, and often great, because you can score many out-of-print titles in jazz, R&B and rock — from 45s to CD box sets — some of which end up on the store's eBay page. The selection stays fairly fresh because there's a heavy turnover of music here, which weighs heavily on the area's musical tastes.

Best Cultural One-Two Punch
Book Beat and Street Corner Music
26010 & 26020 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park

Strange but true fact: Way back in the halcyon days of the 1990s, people often had to actually leave their homes to purchase media, where they had interactions with actual humans. Thankfully you can re-create those thrilling analog days gone by thanks to a happy new commercial real estate coincidence that's as welcome as the first time the proverbial schmuck dropped chocolate in his peanut butter. Book Beat and Street Corner Music are now neighbors. This delightful mash-up was created when soul, rock and blues specialists Street Corner Music split their longtime Southfield location for a new home directly next door to the legendary Book Beat in Oak Park. Now the cream of the printed word and the funkiest of vinyl and CD grooves are just footsteps away, with nary a nametag, apron or cappuccino machine in sight.

Best High-End Audio
David Michael Audio
4300 Delemere Blvd., Suite #201, Royal Oak; 866-961-4423

Shop owner David Kasab is no audio snob, he's just a guy who loves music so much that he has figured out a way to get it to sound the best that it can, and then he turned that into a growing local business. It's no wonder this is the third straight Best Of that DMA has won, because the stereos they sell are the absolute best in the world; including Harbeth handmade speakers, Luxman electronics and Rega turntables. He also has the new Soloos 10 music server, which can change how you listen to music in one elegant — if pricey — swoop. This guy David can help you piece together a killer system, even on a limited budget, and you'll never have to feel intimidated. If you love music, why not hear it the way it was meant to be heard? To hear and see what's in his showroom, call first.

Best Video/DVD Store
Thomas Video & DVD
4732 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-280-2833; thomasvideo.com

Especially in this era of Netflix and Red Box kiosks at your local market, there's still something to be said for a store with that personal touch ... especially, in this case, one that caters to the film heads (whether your choice is "art" or "trash") among us. They may have relocated in the last year — but Thomas still has the finest collection for rent or sale in town, including Criterion Collection treasures, out-of-print movies, cult classics, anime features and shorts, laser discs, even vintage "adult" fare. And if they don't have it in stock, chances are very good they can find it for you. What's more, the friendly workers know their sh*t, and they even made their own feature-length film.

Best Place for Used DVDs
Hot Hits
29207 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-777-3640

A movie lover's paradise, Hot Hits is jammed to the rafters with an almost overwhelming selection of used DVDs — they're literally stacked from floor to ceiling in some spots. Most have been alphabetized and grouped by genre, but don't be surprised if you find a copy of National Velvet next to a copy of National Treasure. The rummage sale atmo makes having a list of flicks you're looking for a good idea. Don't have one? Never fear, the staff is helpful and doesn't mind crawling around on hands and knees to find your cinematic must-have. Hot Hits also has used video games, action figures, CDs and electronics. Oh, and while you're there why not pick yourself up a new set of wheels — they sell bicycles too.

Best Place to Reinvent Your Wardrobe on the Cheap
Regeneration
23700 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-414-7440

A vintage sundress, a designer polo, a fedora and a pair of skinny jeans. These are a few cool items you'll discover at Regeneration. Inside this amiable, eclectic boutique, you'll find 2,500 square feet of hand-picked fashion inspiration. Four days a week the store buys clothing, jewelry, shoes and accessories from the public, ranging from 1940s classics to new and gently used designer labels. This keeps the inventory fresh — and keeps creative customers returning. When co-owners Nicole Freund and Melanie Williams opened Regeneration in 2007, their goal was to appeal to everyone. So you never know what you'll find.

Best Clothing Store to Help You Dress Like a Pin-Up
V-Male Detroit Vintage
23902 Van Born Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313-299-8899

Polka-dot petty coats. Ruffle-bottomed panties. Thigh-high stockings. Black-lace corsets. Leopard print peep-toe pumps. Whatever garment or accoutrement you need to strike yer pose is sure to be hanging on the racks of V-Male Detroit Vintage. Specializing in deadstock vintage clothing from the '50s through the '70s, the store's a hot spot for lingerie and burlesque gear too, and is a fave shopping stop for burlesque bombshells. Hey, when Lucious LaMoan graced the cover our own Lust Issue, it was in a V-Male dress — what further proof do you need? Along with the flirty and feminine, the recently expanded shop also carries costume jewelry, vintage sunglasses, hair tonics and pomades, fedoras and, in case you need inspiration for your look, pin-up books and paintings.

Best Place for Clothes for Time Travel to 1960s Paris
Chi Chi and the Greek
3543 Elizabeth Lake Rd. Waterford; 248-255-5039; chichiandthegreek.com

This cozy vintage resale store that's tucked in a strip next to a bicycle shop is really like a fashion museum. But Chi Chi and the Greek is a real store — one that'll feel like you're a little girl playing dress-up in mom's closet — whose collection of designer clothes, French fashions and frolicsome vintage wear makes it worth the trip, though you can shop online. The place may make you wish you'd kept some works from the era of Dianne von Furstenberg wrap dresses and long patchwork skirts, though at Chi Chi's (or is it the Greek's?) we know that they've never gone out of style.

Best Place to Buy a Dress to Wear with Tights and Boots
Flo Boutique
404 W. Willis St., Detroit; 313 831-4901; flowingfava.com

This lovely boutique in the Cass Corridor next to Avalon Breads is filled with fetching pieces of clothing and accessories. And its affable owner, Felicia Patrick, will offer some choice phrase should you emerge from the dressing room with an actual dress on: "Throw on some tights and boots and mmmmm, ggiiiiiirl!" Sometimes she'll stretch her fashion boundaries and suggest strappy, chunky sandals — but point is, if you're looking for a dress that no one else will have on, this is the place to shop. Check out her hats, jeans and, of course, tights too.

Best Unexpected Place for Men's "Couture"
Sears
Multiple locations in metro Detroit; sears.com.

Some of us were practically raised on catalogs, and all paled in comparison to Sears' monument-sized publication. It was the encyclopedia of retail nirvana, and a deadly weapon. But Sears ain't what it used to be, especially in the men's clothing department, where the fashionable and stylish now outweigh the stodgy and dated. It's where you can find a killer selection of Levi's jeans alongside former mall cornerstone Structure (the brand name "Structure" was bought by Sears in 2003 from the Limited); where American essential Land's End hangs from racks next to urban gear by South Pole and LL Cool J. There's also R. Vintage (hip retro styles), Carhartt (industrial work essentials) and NordicTrack (workout wear). Sears is also a bargain hunter's paradise, with clearance racks stuffed to maximum density. No, it's not your grandpa's clothing store.

Best Surprise Stash of Clip-on Earrings
Thicke Madam Boutique
250 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 248-298-2785

A clothing store that caters to "the modern voluptuous woman" with sizes starting at 12, this Ferndale fashion station also carries a healthy stock of clip-on earrings. And for the rare woman with nary a hole in her ear, that's worth a cross-town trip. But don't expect subdued simple silver hoops, that is, unless they're attached to dangling beads. The selection here is full of color, texture and sparkle.

Best General Store for the 21st Century
Acme Mercantile
111 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-213-3722; acmemercantile.com

Take a short turn off Ann Arbor's bustling Main Street and travel half a block until you reach a stately brownstone with display windows crammed with an odd assortment of products, from cleaning supplies to novelty gifts and do-it-yourself guide books. This crowded little store is Acme Mercantile, the self-described "world's smallest department store," which packs into 900 square feet many goods traditionally found at old school hardware stores, office supply stores and drugstores. Acme Mercantile opened in 2002 in order to fill gaps left in downtown Ann Arbor with the closing of those other indie businesses, and the resulting store, despite its size, is easy to get lost in. Products range from organic pet food and natural body washes to tiki mugs and co*cktail napkins, T-shirts and shower curtains to kitchen clocks and cannabis cookbooks, as well as a plethora of other fanciful goodies that pop with practical whimsy.

Best Bookstore for Bibliophiles
Leopold's Books
15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-875-4677

Despite economic woes, Detroit's Midtown quietly flourishes with whiz-kid entrepreneurs opening storefronts, challenging the tanked economy head-on. Leopold's Books recently opened in the Park Shelton next to Good Girls Go to Paris Crêpes. More of a book boutique than a traditional bookstore, Leopold's carries a small, somewhat quirky selection of publications with an emphasis on graphic novels, comic books, local authors, indie efforts and art mags. A selection of classics and some contemporary fiction, including a hearty dose of McSweeney's, as well as unusual nonfiction and a smattering of children's books, also populate the store. It's a sweet spot for book lovers who live to peruse that which is rare to chain stores. And if you're looking for something specific, owner Greg Lenhoff (he's the dude sitting behind the desk) will be more than happy to order it for you.

Best Salon with a Conscience
Curl Up & Dye
4215 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-833-5006; curlupanddyedetroit.com

When this swanky salon with the cheeky name opened last year, it became an instant success — at least with MT readers, who named it best hair salon and best nail salon. A year later, Curl Up & Dye continues to be a reader fave, and it's no wonder, because the salon's indie chic decor — purple walls, sparkling concrete floor, mod chandeliers — creates an atmo that's posh yet free of pretension, and the gracious and professional staff works beauty magic. The salon boasts products too — including its own Cass Corridor brand — that aren't tested on animals, are almost always natural, organic and fairly priced. Whether you've been massaged, coifed, manicured or shaved, you'll stroll out feeling brand-f*cking-new.

Best Deal on a Pedicure
Douglas J Aveda Institute
409 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-336-5500; douglasj.com

The warm weather is here, and it's time to expose your toes in sandals and flip-flops. But before you do, you might want to make an appointment at Douglas J Aveda Institute in Royal Oak for an Express Pedicure. Under the supervision of a certified instructor, an Aveda student will get your toenails summer-ready for less than $30. That includes filing, shaping and applying nail color. And you get to keep the bottle of polish. This spacious spa, school and salon offers a full menu of luxury services — haircuts and color, facials, body treatments, professional makeup application and more — at reduced prices. And it's all done in an elegant Zenlike setting that captures Aveda's Earth-friendly spirit.

Best Affordable Acupuncture
Community Health Acupuncture
801 Livernois St., Ferndale; 248-246-7289; communityacucenter.com

This Chinese practice works wonders for a variety of ailments — including joint pain, asthma, migraines, even infertility and anxiety. One MT editor was told to seek a different career when a carpel tunnel syndrome problem became too severe ... until those tiny Oriental needles eased the pain. In America, though, acupuncture has become a treatment for rich folks, with a single session running anywhere from $80 to $300. God bless Michigan native Darlene Berger for her group treatment facility (which is the way it's done in China) in Ferndale, which operates on a $15-$35 per session sliding scale. CHAC is part of a national network, which includes two other metro area centers with the same payment scale — in downtown Detroit and Livonia. Berger, who recently added a second acupuncturist, Carol Soborowski, to her practice, says, "This isn't charity. The objective is to provide treatment to as many people as possible by making it as affordable as possible." If Western medicine isn't working for you, this is worth a shot. The first Friday of each month, treatments for first-time patients are free.

Best Indie Craft Fair
Shadow Art Fair
shadowartfair.com

This DIY craft fest of "stuff that people make" has run since 2005, and now draws thousands of visitors twice a year. It was founded by a group of friends that included Ypsilanti zinesters Linette and Mark Maynard, and Mark says they "started it for all the reasons we got into zining ... to bring together a lot of people doing creative stuff who had dead-end jobs." But the fair is no small beer, and it has grown into a large, juried and fun event allowing local artists to exhibit and sell works within a "comfortable, friendly, and supportive setting." Twice a year, the 12-hour mini-fest takes over Ypsi's Corner Brewery, keeping shopping local and spirited, with live music, craft beer and unusual special activities.

Best Place to Shop with Civil War Re-Enactors
Detroit Historical Society Guild Flea Market
historicfortwaynecoalition.com

This twice-yearly flea market at Historic Fort Wayne occupies one of the fort's many large buildings and splays out onto the surrounding lawn. The market is a treasure trove of the delightful, the curious, the collectible and the strange, with vendors hawking antiques, arts and crafts, vintage memorabilia, costume jewelry, records, paintings, retro sports equipment ... the list goes on and on. But the best part is the location — after buying your bow and arrows, you can wander the fort grounds, stumbling upon military drills being performed by soldiers from all eras, Civil War to present. Official, guided tours are offered both days for only $3, where a knowledgeable volunteer will fill you in on the minutiae of its history.

Best Store to Lose an Hour or Two
Paris Antiques
112 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-542-9594; parisofroyaloak.com

If you can afford jetting to Paris for a weekend of leisurely strolls through street markets cluttered with beautiful things, good for you. For us, there's the Royal Oak's Paris Antiques. In business since 1999, Paris sells a continuously evolving set of merchandise that includes clothing, jewelry, accessories and furniture, both new and vintage. And while the prices may still be out of many budgets — three-digit figures are the norm — an hour or two browsing the beautiful array of objects, trying on a spectacular 1950s vintage prom dress and imagining that antique art deco mirror hanging in your bedroom, are still the absolutely best way of wasting two hours.

Best Place to Find Anything Old
Global Village Collectibles
51 Harper Ave., Detroit

There are scads of old houses in Detroit with lots of old things in their attics, and much of that stuff seems to wind up at Global Village Collectibles. Housed in an old building with a narrow storefront, the store looks like someone's long-neglected basem*nt, stuffed with beautifully aged trash and treasures. Everything is piled 5 feet high in a massive, unsorted heap that runs the store's length, spilling into side rooms. The upstairs is equally crammed with stacks of furniture, glassware, memorabilia and collectibles, and all colors of buried gems. Its odd, seemingly unfinished motto, "The corner stone of your antique," which is written on the sign out front, is a fitting description for this store's unpredictable, haphazard offerings. Open seven days. The door is usually locked; knock to get in.

Best Bike Shop
Eastside Bike Shop
26210 Van Dyke Ave., Center Line; 586-756-2001

In a nondescript little corner building on Van Dyke, Eastside Bike has everything you could ask for from a bike store, whether you're an experienced peddler or new to the two-wheeled bandwagon. The shop not only offers a wide selection of new rides — including low-riders, choppers and BMXs — but also an unparalleled inventory of used, classic and unusual hard-to-find bikes, as well as a full-line of accessories and supplies, both new and used. But what sets Eastside Bike Shop apart is the service. Family-owned and -operated since 1982, the owner brings with him more than 45 years experience in the bike biz and, if the raves of loyal customers are to be believed, can repair anything, including antiques and classics, usually within one day.

Best Unusual Wine Shop
MotorCity Wine
Second Floor, 608 Woodward Ave., Detroit; motorcitywine.com

This little wine shop may never have the huge selection common to suburban outlets, but what it does have are two passionate wine lovers whose mission is to help busy Detroiters expand their horizons. In that regard, expect expert tastings, knowledgeable suggestions and beaucoup personal service from two folks who know their wine (one of them's from Quebec, after all), and it's all at competitive prices. The downtown location allows working commuters to order their wine online and pick it up later, and they also offer a limited delivery service. Don't see what you like? They'll order it. Don't know what you like? You're just a private consultation away from finding what you do. Want to buy one for tippling on premises? Their $5 corkage fee is much cheaper than any restaurant markup.

Best Locally Made Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Garden Fresh
1505 Bonner, Ferndale; 248-336-8486; gardenfreshsalsa.com

Jack and Annette Aronson started their business in the back of a little restaurant in Ferndale, where their handmade salsa became such a hit with customers they began selling it in jars. Their secret? High-quality natural ingredients and attention to detail went into every batch. Today the Aronsons run a gourmet food factory in Ferndale where they also make a variety of chips to go with their famous salsa. Garden Fresh kettle-style tortilla chips reflect the same passion and artistry that goes into all the company's products. And because they're steadfastly local, the chips are fresh — and arguably the best available — and come in a variety of flavors: original, blue corn, toasted sesame and unsalted. Garden Fresh supports several charities. Each month a portion of its profits are donated to the Children's Hospital of Michigan Foundation.

Best Place to Buy Ice Cream
Hamtramck

Hamtramck's ragtag fleet of motley ice cream trucks is so large, you'll likely always have "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" in earshot. Throughout a summer day, what seem to be several hundred ice cream trucks ply the streets of this 2.1-square-mile city, which means they are absolutely everywhere. If you get up close, you might even appreciate their hand-painted charm. No two are alike, and there are even a few old New York City-area Mr. Softee trucks in the bunch, all creatively decorated and patched up like it's Havana. Watch long enough and you may even see an unusual ice cream motorcycle putter along — complete with sidecar and rear-mounted freezer case. When they get close enough, sometimes they'll drown out their own prerecorded ditty, as all of the trucks seem to use the very latest in loud-engine technology to keep the ice cream cool. And they're absolutely everywhere. As one friend observed, "Hasn't that ice cream truck been by here three times in five minutes? And there's an ice cream stand on the corner!" Welcome to Hamtown, pal.

Best Southeast Asian Shopping Destination
13 Mile Rd & Dequindre, Madison Heights

This little strip mall corner of Madison Heights has it all. Grab lunch, dinner or take home a classic Vietnamese sandwich from Pho Hang. Next door, Kim Nhung Super Foods sells everything you need to make an authentic meal in your own kitchen. Further down, QQ Bakery is a little gem that offers everything from bubble tea to curry pastries, but really shines with a simple sponge cake so light and airy you'll think you're eating sweet vapors. Finally, for a quick, hot portion of pork or duck to go, visit Liang's Oriental BBQ.

Best Grocery Store Wine Selection
Western Market
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288; westernmarket.net

Wine is an agricultural product and belongs in grocery stores. Unfortunately, the typical selection in these establishments is bleak, full of corporate labels. But Ferndale's Western Market brings fine wine to the people. Shelves are loaded with everything from bargain table wines to obscure, small production, natural wines that tastemakers in New York and San Francisco have been gushing over for the past couple of years.

Best Meat Market
Western Fruit & Meat Market
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288; westernmarket.net

No, we're not talking about the best place for singles to hook up ... though we could and do recommend a few of those elsewhere in this issue. With all due apologies to our vegetarian friends, this terrific little boutique market in the heart of downtown Ferndale arguably has the best meat counter in the metro area. People always standing in front of it, waiting for their number to be called; the ground round seems especially popular. Personally, we dig the marinated meats — particularly those of the kebab variety ... and the roasted garlic ones are simply scrumptious. All you really need after a visit to the store is a fired-up grill.

Best Local Coffee
The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company
389 Enterprise Court, Bloomfield Hills; 800-645-6077; greatlakescoffee.com

Coffee beans aren't local but coffee roasters can be. Located in Bloomfield Hills, the Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company is a small-batch micro-roaster of certified, specialty grade coffees with an emphasis on Fair Trade Organic coffees. What makes their java so good is that they roast each individual type of bean to best develop its particular flavor characteristics. Find their excellent single bean varieties and blends at gourmet markets throughout Detroit.

Best Non-Health Food Store Salad Bar
Westborn Markets
27659 Woodward Ave., Berkley; 248-547-1000;
additional locations in Dearborn and Livonia; westbornmarket.com

It's still not that easy to find a decent salad bar at a grocery store in the metro Detroit area — but we have to give this boutique market kudos for its consistency. Even Whole Foods Markets — which did well in our last two "Best of" issues — has disappointed us at times of late for inconsistency. For instance, they often don't have blue cheese at their bar ... and we're sorry, but a salad bar without blue cheese just ain't a proper salad bar. But Westborn always seems to have the exact same items — cheese, fruit, chicken and crabmeat (in addition to those healthy veggies) at their bar, seven days a week, 12 months a year. When it comes to salads, it's nice to know there's one place you can depend on in the area. Check out their nearby soup bar as well (the variety of soups for that day are listed on their website for each location). In a word: It's awesome.

Best New Detroit Export
McClure's Pickles
mcclurespickles.com

There's been a ton of talk over the last few years about the Detroit-Brooklyn connection, mainly as it pertains to music, fashion and such websites as latfh.com — but here's a link you can really bite into: McClure's Pickles. It's the brainchild of the McClure family, spearheaded (bam!) by brothers Joe and Bob, the latter being the Brooklyn-based half of the operation, an actor who plays Jed on The Burg. Using their great-grandmother Lala's recipe, the boys started the company after years of making pickles in their tiny Michigan kitchen. But it's not just pickles —relish, mustard and other McClure's products are now made just outside of Detroit, and in Brooklyn too, using as much local produce as possible. Every jar is hand-packed, the cucumbers hand-sliced, and the labels, printed by Rolling Press, use soy and vegetable inks with chemical-free plating and are created with wind-powered electricity.

Best Product of a Second Career
Deadline! — Second Block, by Paula Tutman
295 pp., $15.95, Dailey Swan Publishing, available at local bookstores, including Little Professor and Book Beat; deadlinethebook.com

You've seen her perky self on WDIV-TV4 for years but she's also a writer and has been a grizzled police reporter in her successful career. And that stint on the streets with Detroit's finest — along with a vivid imagination — gave Paula Tutman at least some of the inspiration for her second novel, released this spring. Picking up where her first book left off (Deadline! published in 2008), Second Block brings fictional Detroit TV reporter P.S. Garrett back on the job of murder and mayhem. As she's covering grizzly murders, she's unaware — at least early in the book — that the killer is committing crimes so that she'll cover them. His obsession with her and her obsession with her job brings plot twists, pretzels, really, until her work as a journalist nearly kills her and saves her life. Part thriller plus part mystery equals fun read. And with a twist at the end, book three is all but guaranteed. Write on, Tutman.

Best Idea for Detroit's Creative Capitalists
Design District

In recent years, Detroit's fashion scene has built up some steam — we hear of a new designer or fashion event on a bi-monthly basis, these days. But there's a speed bump in the road. From our perspective, the only thing getting in the way of an all-out movement is some kind of real organization. So here it is, fashionistas: Find a neighborhood in Detroit and move there, all of you, within a short span of time. Call it the Detroit Fashion District, and start marketing it. This is basically organized gentrification. We know gentrification is still a dirty word for many of you, but for the city to rise from the ashes, what's in a name? Looking at Detroit fashion is to look at a cluster of islands spread across at least three counties. Think of the empowerment in geography. If you got together for an organized relocation, you'd demand places to pick up morning coffee and after-work co*cktails, you'd require fabric stores, you'd need designers, pattern makers, photographers, modeling agencies and seamstresses within close proximity. You could open up boutique storefronts too. And wouldn't you want to live near where you work? Just an idea.

Best Cleaning Service
Rejoice Cleaning
27042 Sprucewood Dr., Wixom; 313-285-79191; 313-414-7428 or 313-285-7191; [emailprotected]

You never realize how hard it is to find a decent house cleaner until you look for one. You probably never heard of Rejoice Cleaning before (they maintain a low profile) — so how do we know the work of the hubby-wife team of Chris & Toni Blaylock (plus, their co-workers) is superb? Well, for years, the crew cleaned Metro Times' offices, and some of us had them clean our homes. Take our word: The place, no matter the condition, will be immaculate when they're done, and they never fail to go beyond the call of duty. We call them true "artists" when it comes to the art of cleaning. And they're as trustworthy as they come. Rejoice is available for both businesses (including entire buildings) and private residences alike.

Best Home Air Vent/Duct Cleaning Service
Ventcorp Enterprises Incorporated
773 Argentine Rd., Howell; 248-347-9300; ventcorp.net

There are a ton of vent/duct cleaning services in the area — they're all over those mailbox advertising circulars. Some are better than others, of course — there are many scams out there — and never trust those who quote a ridiculously low price. If it doesn't cost at least $300 for an average-sized house, it's probably not a reliable or legitimate service. But we'll tell you exactly why we prefer Ventcorp over the others. Mainly because the owner, Dave Saunders, is such a professional, up-front and courteous dude. He's friendly, upbeat and answered every damn question, explaining every single detail. Plus, recently, when one of us had an indoor air quality problem and phoned him, he answered questions, gave advice ... and didn't receive a penny for his knowledge and time. Dude takes pride in his work. How rare is that?

BEST LOCAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

Metro Times' Hamtramck Blowout
You came, you partied, we conquered. In the dead of winter in (the supposed dead of) Detroit, and in the shadow of South by Southwest, Blowout for the first time this year got some love beyond our corner of the Mitten, including nice airtime on National Public Radio's Day to Day and some ink in The New York Times. But winning the Best of Detroit — now that's affirmation.

BEST PLACE TO SEE A MAINSTREAM FILM

Uptown Palladium 12
250 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-723-6240; palladium12.com
Offering shape-shifting seats that contour to every bone and bump in your body always puts a movie theater ahead of the herd. Add in the classy dinner-and-a-movie package — which puts you in oversized leather lounging seats, gazing up at a pristine screen while waves of sound move through you with every bang and burst — and you're really on to something. When there's a blockbuster release, metro Detroiters flock to the Birmingham Palladium; where else can you get Starbucks coffee and Little Caesars pizza? And is there another local cinema that delivers the shock and awe that today's high-tech movies require? Every generation worships celluloid in its own manner. This is the megachurch for today.

BEST PLACE TO SEE AN INDEPENDENT FILM

Main Art Theatre
118 N. Main St., Royal Oak, 248-263-2111; landmarktheaters.com
Where we go for many of the biggest alt-Hollywood releases in the midst of that funky vibe of repertory houses that (mostly) no longer exist. And as downtown Royal Oak has evolved around it, the Main has remained. It's not a relic frozen in the past, but, thankfully, it has a sense of memory. Which is conducive to the small cinematic "eye" flicks that it specializes in.

BEST LOCAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Fest has seen its peaks and valleys, but show us an institution that's approaching the half-century mark — 2009's fest was the 47th — that hasn't faced the task of reinvention. Thanks to its new director, Christen McArdle, responsible for the latest revitalization, we love it again. This past festival notably included Brett Gaylor's RiP: A Remix Manifesto, which was just that, inviting an assault on copyright and intellectual property as the corporations know it, and pointing to a new kind of creatively mashed-up culture for the rest of us. The fest built on that idea with additional guests and activities. Which is to say, this year's festival may have tapped into the zeitgeist. If the programmers didn't point to the future of the culture, they at least got us excited about the future of the fest.

BEST LOCAL THEATER

Performance Network Theatre
120 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-0681; peformancenetwork.org
For more than 27 years now, Ann Arbor-based Performance Network Theatre has been a haven for theater in Michigan. Responsible for fine-tuning a slew of talented actors, playwrights and stage-crafters in our region — and presenting both established works and challenging new material — PerfNet has maintained an impressive professional consistency. Like many a cultural institution in the area right now, the company is going through financial woes, but this is another one we just can't stand to lose. August Wilson's classic Fences runs through May 24, an example of what PNT is all about.

BEST HANGOUT FOR GAMERS

Pinball Pete's
1214 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-213-2502
The first time many of you first encountered Guitar Hero — before we were Eddie Van Halen-ing off the couch, sliding across the wood floors while shredding behind our heads — was at Pinball Pete's. The same could be true about DDR, BA Jam, Street Fighter or just about any video game phenomenon of the past couple decades. But a good part of what makes Pete's so particularly sweet is the array of vintage arcade games. And though the actual pinball machines could use a bit of a tune-up, we still keep coming back to Pete's gaming basem*nt for more.

BEST BELLE ISLE ATTRACTION

Scott Fountain
After $5.5 million was spent on the restoration of Belle Isle's marvelous Scott Fountain, thieves caused nearly $100,000 in damage last year when they stole copper and other metals from the landmark's base, putting it temporarily out of commission. But repairs were soon made, and, after being mothballed for the winter, this white marble gem is ready to start spouting again as soon as the weather warms. Somewhere, James Scott — described as a "gambler" and "rascal" who left his fortune to the city along with the demand a fountain be built in his honor — must be smiling.

BEST BEACH

Metro Beach
31300 Metropolitan Parkway, Harrison Twp.; 586-463-4581
With a mile of shoreline and more than a quarter-mile of boardwalk on Lake St. Clair, it's a recreational magnet. In addition to the beach proper, the park boasts a swimming pool, spray park, marinas, nature center, a par-3 golf course, adventure golf, picnic areas and two miles of paved trail connecting to the path along Metro Parkway. The beach is a haven for people — a dazzling cross-section of humanity — and therefore a magnet for people-watching. As for the nature, we note that it's a top state site for birders, and, if you're into frogs, an evening frog walk leaves from the nature center at 8 p.m. this Friday, April 24; $2 fee; pre-register at 586-463-4332.

BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC

Kensington Metro Park
2240 W. Buno Rd., Milford; 248-685-1561
Picnic areas are spread throughout the 4,500-acre recreational facility, and there are 15 reservable picnic shelters, playgrounds and ball diamonds for that group outing the committee picked you to organize. And if you'd rather not arrange the potluck, there's catering available on the site. Other attractions in the hilly area around Kent Lake include 18 holes of golf, disc golf, beaches, hiking trails and an extensive paved hike-bike trail.

BEST EASTERN MARKET VENDOR

R. Hirt Jr.
2468 Market St., Detroit; 313-567-1173
Like many of the longtime establishments in Eastern Market, R. Hirt Jr. — not R.J. Hirt as so many are prone to rendering the name — has evolved with a rather odd bundle of offerings, which is part of what makes it an interesting place to browse. Cheeses, cheeses and cheese are the anchor, with more than 300 varieties; a big draw for us are four or so discount specials that change every week, from run-of-the-mill varieties to more exotic offerings. In addition, Hirt has extensive to at-least-interesting selections in prepared meats, coffees, teas, cooking utensils, Michigan goods, cooking oils, crackers, chocolates, etc., and that's just the first floor. The second and third floors offer knickknacks, an enormous room of wicker baskets, wind chimes (up to $300), gift cards and even an oddball selection of toys. For that last-minute gift, this place can be a godsend.

BEST FARMER'S MARKET OTHER THAN EASTERN

Royal Oak Farmers' Market
316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276
If you're not grabbin' your grocery goods in Eastern Market, there's a pretty good chance we could find you near the corner of 11 Mile Road and Troy Street in Royal Oak for their weekly Saturday morning farmer's market. For all you locovores, the locally grown fare comes by the bushel, and you can rest assured that you'll leave with more than you bargained for. What makes Royal Oak's farmers' market even more convenient is that Superior Seafood is situated just across the street.

BEST GOLF COURSE

Oakland Hills Country Club
3951 W. Maple Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 248-433-0671
Last year's PGA championship brought worldwide attention again to the club's South Course, a staging ground for the U.S. Open and other high-profile events back into the 1920s. The PGA championship was the third at the club, which also hosted a Ryder Cup competition in 2004. The architect of Oakland, Scotsman Donald Ross, was a Johnny Appleseed golf designer, responsible for more than 400 U.S. courses. The area's Rackham, Rogell and Warren Valley also bear Ross' trademarks of small, undulating greens plus mounds and sand traps that are well-placed for bad shots.

BEST RADIO MUSIC SHOW

Ann Delisi's Essential Music
WDET-FM (101.9), Saturday and Sunday, noon-4 p.m.
We'll note that Ann Delisi's Essential Music had been on the air for all of two weeks when the voting opened for this year's Best of Detroit competition. How to explain the quick ascension? Pent-up demand theory No. 1: Remember how upset listeners were when WDET began slashing its music programming in 2005? Remember protest meetings and talk of a class-action suit? Four years on, there's still an audience for the kind of music variety programs that were once the station's bedrock. Pent-up demand theory No. 2: But the ebullient and musically savvy Delisi herself has been off the air for some time, and her last on-air shift, at WRCJ, was as a classical music host, not the pop-oriented format that she's built her career on (starting back at WDET from 1983 to 1995). Counter-hom*ogenization theory: As commercial stations lean to more syndicated programming, WDET looks doubly good by hyping both a local host and the prominent role for local music in her show.

BEST RADIO MORNING SHOW
BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

Mojo in the Morning
WKQI-FM (95.5), Monday-Friday, 5 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Here's a tip: When you buy your 2010 calendar, immediately put a big red-alert circle around the entire month of February. That's when Tom "Mojo" Caraballo marks his tenth anniversary on Detroit airwaves. The exact date of his anniversary at 95.5, Feb. 21, falls on a Sunday, so maybe we'll be safe on that day from the Monday-Friday morning man who's made his mark by yanking the chains of unsuspecting folks with high profiles, low profiles and no profiles. But as a precaution, we're extending an alert to the entire month. In last year's Best of Detroit, we hailed him and his crew for guerrilla theater during the final hours of the Kilpatrick administration: sending that moving van to the Manoogian and conning the local press corps. What else does Mojo have going? How about regular helpings of gossip, the newest tracks from hot artists and features like "War of the Roses," wherein the host who can't tell us enough about himself as a family man (on the station website) entraps two-timers with nothing more than a "free" bouquet. Sort of like Cheaters on the cheap.

BEST RADIO NEWS

WWJ-AM (950)
More important than ever as daily local news becomes increasingly hard to find, America's oldest newsradio station will have every opportunity to shine in 2009. Joe Donovan, he of the glib segue and cavernous voice, and delightful morning partner Roberta Jasina have been together longer than most marriages you know. Vickie Thomas is an outstanding City Hall reporter, Jeff Gilbert is the nation's source authority on the auto industry, and Murray Feldman's FOX2 business reports translate seamlessly from sight to sound. Besides, any station that can maintain Sonny Eliot and Tim Skubick in the same stable has got to be extraordinary.

BEST TV NEWS

WDIV, Channel 4
Who says geography doesn't matter? As the only Detroit station actually located in Detroit, Channel 4 seems to capture the grit and spirit of the Motor Town consistently better than its chief rivals. It boasts some of the city's most recognizable media faces (Harlan, Walker, Scillian, Gaidica, Tutman, Smilovitz, "Ruth to the Rescue"), that Night Cam is still eerily cool, the market's sharpest media mind (Marla Drutz) is now running the joint, and for every major event from the Freedom Festival Fireworks to the Thanksgiving Day Parade, really now, who do you expect to see there covering the action?

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST

Steve Wilson
WXYZ, Channel 7
When we put out the "activist" question we were thinking more of a citizen or politico in the trenches. But the result shouldn't be a surprise. Every Detroit TV news operation worth its ratings boasts a stalwart investigative unit, but no reporter throws his weight around as dramatically at Channel 7 chief snoop Steve Wilson. Brazen, bombastic and perpetually in somebody's face, Wilson became the Clark Kent for suburban viewers after being bounced around like a Nerf ball by security thugs for Kwame Kilpatrick while trying to expose the former mayor's misdeeds. Remember him defiantly shaking a vehicle sales slip into the camera while standing next to a copy of the infamous red Navigator? Wilson has uncovered corporate corruption, questionable childhood vaccines and military mismanagement during his eight years here, but it's his one-man siege against a Detroit political fortress that will forever cement his local renown.

BEST CANDIDATE FOR DETROIT MAYOR

Ken co*ckrel Jr.
At the time of our last Best of Detroit balloting, Kwame Kilpatrick was only recently out of office, and Dave Bing was poised as the Knight in a Pistons Jersey to rescue the city, slam-dunking his victory. Or at least he seemed like the guy from the burbs in a three-piece suit ready to bring a businessman's savvy to the 13th Floor of City Hall. That's what our 2008 poll told us. This time around, the victory went decisively to the acting Mayor Ken co*ckrel Jr., though not nearly by the margin of Bing's previous trouncing of co*ckrel and others back before the campaigning had begun in earnest for the remainder of Kilpatrick's term.

BEST DEMOCRAT FOR GOVERNOR

Dennis Archer
Apparently readers didn't get the memo last November announcing that, after flirting with the notion, the former Detroit mayor had decided against this. When we asked Archer whether he'd reconsider in light of our Best of Detroit poll, he responded with a one-word e-mail: "Smile."

BEST REPUBLICAN FOR GOVERNOR

L. Brooks Patterson
One of the things we'll miss in L. Brooks Patterson's absence from the gubernatorial contest is his ability to put tongue in cheek. At news of this victory, he quipped: "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I've recovered from the temporary effects of that blow to the head I suffered when I fell, and have taken myself out of contention in the 2010 governor's race." Turning serious, he added: "It was a tough decision, but I hope people will understand I have a full plate back in Oakland County."

BEST USE FOR COBO IF EXPANSION FIZZLES

Suggestions from A-Z (Except for Q and X)
Here's a sampling: aquarium, blow it up, City Council hat museum, demolition derby, expo center, film studio, greenhouse, homeless shelter, indoor theme park, jail for all crooked city pols, KISS reunion, landfill, mall, new home for City Council, outlet stores, paintball park, roller derby rink, Synagro sludge tank, tourist trap, urban exploration, vacant lot, water park, youth center, zoo.

BEST LOCAL ATHLETE
BEST TIGER

Curtis Granderson
With his unshakable poise, kind demeanor and mad skills, center fielder Granderson is an exceptional representative of a team, a sport and a city. His infectious likability even landed him an invite as part of an MLB goodwill mission to China. (We can just see Chinese kids swarming the affable Granderson and coming away with huge smiles and big wads of chewing gum stuffed into their cheeks.) A left-handed batter and a right-handed thrower, his most memorable moment (so far) would have to be in 2007, when he became the third player in the history of baseball to have 20 or more doubles, triples, home runs and stolen bases in one season. Although a fourth player joined that exclusive club within the month, it's just one of his entries in the record book.

BEST RED WING

Pavel Datsyuk
Yah, his English ain't so good, but this Russian Red Wing center has carved out a spot in ice hockey history with his now-famous, goalie-humbling "Datsyuk move." From humble beginnings and a very late draft pick (171st overall), Datsyuk powered past the naysayers and is now one of the greatest Red Wings of all time. Like elite Wings of yore Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman, he's led his team in scoring in three consecutive seasons.

BEST PISTON

Rip Hamilton
Rip refers to his trademark mask as his "Superman cape," and since donning the plastic prosthesis he has saved the Pistons' world on many an occasion. Sidelined after the acquisition of Allen Iverson, the masked avenger scored 38 off-the-bench points in one night, a franchise record.

BEST DETROIT LION

Variations on "none of them"
Kicker Jason Hanson and wide receiver Calvin Johnson did well in the polling, but collectively most votes went to mystery players. We've been searching Lion and NFL rosters in general trying to understand the results. Is there a lineman out there named They Suck who perhaps has a brother named Theyall Suck? Could there be a quarterback named Are You Kidding? A tight end who goes by f*cktha Lions? A safety named Ha Ha?

BEST DETROIT SHOCK

Cheryl Ford
With the departure of Swin Cash, she became the face of the Shock, the team captain and the MVP. And that was before becoming part of the biggest thing (unfortunate, but big) to happen to the attention-hungry WBNA: the Detroit Shock-Los Angeles Sparks brawl last July that's amassed 500,000 views threshold at YouTube. The brawl left Ford with a torn ACL for her efforts to subdue an enraged teammate. But she was on the side of ending the mahem, not advancing it. Classy. And even with her sidelined, the team won its third WNBA title.

BEST LOCAL MUSIC BLOG

Eatthiscity.com
We're afraid that anything we write is going to be taken as an attack or criticism; they even took offense when we tried to help publicize one of their recent events and when no offense was intended. The bag-headed Jasper and backward-baseball-cap-wearing JRC combined their respective webvomit.com and fivethreediatone.com sites into one blog last year. ETC also regularly promotes local music shows, featuring the bands they write about on the site, and recently launched a vanity record label, Five Three Dial Tone Records, with the first release a single by local, um, band of the future, Deastro. They also have the "power to make or break a show" at the Majestic Theatre Complex. The reason we know that is because they told us so on the site. ...

BEST POP CULTURE BLOG

Supergaydetroit.blogspot.com
You really don't have to be super or gay to enjoy this site; you only have to have an appreciation for humor, all things Detroit and popular culture. The proprietor of the site posts a lot of autobiographical detail but always with a non-smarmy attitude and a great sense of humor. It also helps if you appreciate "queen" humor ... which we, of course, do. Not only that, but like several other blogs/sites in the city, Supergay also promotes its own seasonal (it ends with the beginning of Tigers baseball) weekly event, "Tuesday Nights Doggy Style," at the Park Bar. We also realize that the dude campaigned for Best of Detroit votes on his site. That doesn't mean that Supergaydetroit's celebration of Detroit shouldn't have won or didn't deserve to win. In fact, it's always a super-fun read.

BEST LOCAL WEBSITE

metrotimes.com
Apparently our redesign works. And we're packing it with more unique content and features all the time, including the Best of Detroit winners displayed on an interactive map. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome at [emailprotected].

BEST LOCAL COLLEGE

University of Michigan/University of Michigan-Dearborn
A Grizzly, a Titan, a Spartan, a Warrior and a Wolverine walk into a bar. We started the joke for you. There's a pair of tickets to our Best Of party to the best punch line mailed to [emailprotected] by Thursday at 5 p.m. Write "local college punch line" in the subject field. Oh, yeah. About your punch line: The Wolverine has to win.

BEST PLACE TO SHOOT A FILM SHOOT
BEST ABANDONED BUILDING

Near Michigan Avenue between 14th and 16th streets; no phone
The City Council's move to tear down Michigan Central Station and bill kazillionaire owner Matty Moroun may have been more about posturing than advancing public policy, but it did get us to thinking: What would life be like without that 13-story hulk looming over Detroit? It's stood there since 1913, vacant since 1988. Frankly, without "the depot," Detroit would be without an internationally recognized icon of urban decay. Who wouldn't like to see it returned to productive use. But even after two decades of failed revival efforts, we're sure that any serious moves to bring it down will trigger a "Save Our Eyesore" movement claiming for its unique urban beauty, our answer to the Acropolis. The filmmaking teams behind The Island and Transformers both saw the potential for the site and our voters seem to think its possibilities are far from exhausted. On the other hand, from downtown Royal Oak to the Ann Arbor Law Quad to Belle Isle to the Russell Industrial Complex, readers have lots of other places where they can envision setting a film. (And maybe making the depot a "limited time offer" would spur a rush for filmmakers to use it before it's leveled.)

BEST EGG AND SPERM DONORS

Madonna and Kid Rock
We asked, you told us. What more can we say? What more need we say?

BEST WAY TO SHOP FOR SEX TOYS AND AVOID BEING SEEN

Private House Party
You might be shy, so you don't want to be seen publicly trying to discern the difference between a bullet and other buzzing buddies. You might just need an excuse to get your girlfriends together for drinks and dinner. Either way, a private shopping party for sex toys fits the bill, so to speak. Sales reps and consultants join the party guests and provide expertise about their products, which range from the innocent and necessary massage oils and lubricants to the more exotic massagers and battery-powered magic wands. And if you and your friends are still a little, well, restrained, Jackie Dahn, for instance, who works with Pure Romance (prpink.com), has a few tricks for making the crowd relax. She and other consultants are part sex educators, part confidantes, part engineers, part comedians at the events, helping women get more comfortable with the idea of playing with plastic. And no, you don't get to take a test drive.

BEST GIRLFRIEND-SAFE COMIC BOOK STORE

Detroit Comics
23333 Woodward Ave. Ferndale; 248-548-COMX
Oh sure, it's still a great place to get your Green Lantern on, but the incongruously named Detroit Comics (it's actually in Ferndale) has none of the creepy mega-nerd vibe of your average android dungeon. Credit married owners Brian and Lori Kelly for creating a bright, hip and uncluttered storefront, stocked with all the graphic novels you'd expect, but also neat-o urban vinyl toys, clothing, accessories, yummy goodies from Bellyache candy and records, and the irresistible Art-O-Matic vending machine. Plus, Brian holds court with a jovial, geeky rock 'n' roll dad charm that's truly rare in a trade better known for surly clannishness.

BEST LOCAL HEAD SHOP

B.D.T. Pipe and Tobacco Shop
27419 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-776-5238; 21640 John R. Rd., Hazel Park; 248-542-6110
Do some research and you'll find everyone has a fave head shop. A few might mention Ann Arbor's Foggy Bottom Bayou, a beautiful spot best known for its deluxe handmade glass pipes; others will mention Purple Haze in Birmingham (wait, B'ham has a head shop?) or In Flight, the Station, the Grove Shop and Stairway to Heaven. But when it comes to local, Detroit-area places, B.D.T. — the moniker is taken from the original owners' initials — appears to be the place. In business since 1973, it's one of the oldest such establishments still running, featuring every kind of pipe and accessory one could need. They offer body piercing ... which they probably weren't doing in 1973. On the other hand, aside from black-light rooms featuring posters of Disney characters smoking huge hookahs, not much has changed about head shops over the decades ... well, aside from "pee test" kits and gadgets. B.D.T. has most everything the happy, um, tobacco camper may be seeking.

BEST WAY TO GET HIGH

Aerial Yoga at the Detroit Flyhouse
The FD Loft Building, 3434 Russell St., #302, Detroit; 313-674-6424; detroitflyhouse.com
A growing fitness trend, aerial yoga replaces the downward facing dog with mid-air acrobatics performed using silk curtains hanging from a high ceiling. Think Cirque du Soleil and you've got the picture at the most advanced level. Founder of the Detroit Flyhouse, Micha Adams, teaches aerial yoga in her Eastern Market loft, where classes cater to both newbies seeking a workout thrill and the more experienced looking to advance their gravity-defying moves. But don't be fooled by the circus-like aspect of the whole thing — it's still a workout! Maintaining your balance using nothing but curtains will strengthen your core, improve flexibility, increase muscle tone and make you very, very sore the first few times around. Eight classes at 90 minutes each costs $140, while dropping in for a trial run (fly?) is $25.

BEST FLEA MARKET

Royal Oak Flea Market
316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276
You never know what you'll discover in this wild array of cool sh*t. Royal Oak's indoor-outdoor flea market fills up and spills onto the porch of the Farmers Market every Sunday morning (except major holidays). Inside, the dealer tables are crammed with vintage and antique jewelry, home decor, collectibles, books, records, watches, glass, art and a variety of alluring oddities. By eight in the morning, the gourmet coffee stand is hoppin' and mirthful shoppers are streaming in. Most Sundays, the market offers live music. Normally it's this dude with a guitar — who sounds kinda like what would happen if you mixed Jeff Buckley with James Taylor (?!) — who serenades you as you spend your last finster on that rare Engelbert Humperdink LP. Easy come, easy go.

BEST WOMEN'S CONSIGNMENT ACCESSORIES & CLOTHING

Consignment Clothiers
42945 Seven Mile Rd., Northville; 248-347-4570
Consignment Clothiers is coming up on its 20th anniversary in May. And in two decades they've learned how to do fashion resale right. Loads of newer in-season clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories turn over weekly in this busy mid-sized shop. Pick up some mint condition, brand-name jeans and a pair of barely worn designer flats at a fraction of retail prices. You'll find names like Lucky, Liz Claiborne, Chico's, Levi's and more. Then explore their generous display cases that sparkle with gently used costume, silver and fine jewelry. There's always some treasure to be found on one of their sale racks of markdown items. They also offer coupons and weekly specials.

BEST USED HAUTE COUTURE

Bloomfield-Keego Resale Shop
3425 Orchard Lake Rd., Keego Harbor; 248-681-5424
A Dior dress for a third of the retail cost? C'mon. A pair of Donald J. Pliner pumps for 20 bucks? Yes, you heard right. Just head up Orchard Lake Road till you see the little red-and-white brick building next to the diner. One of northern Oakland County's best kept thrifty fashion secrets, Bloomfield-Keego Resale is the best place around to get unheard-of deals on previously owned high-end designer label clothing, shoes, jewelry and accessories. It's the small shop with all the big names. They say this is where the rich folks bring the expensive outfits they wore once then pulled from their wardrobes. Their loss is your gain. Watch for tag sales and markdowns to save even more on clothing you're gonna love. Bloomfield-Keego also gets a limited selection of used household items, authentic designer purses, and even some brand-new clothing from closed boutiques and exclusive stores. Look for Armani, St. John, Versace and more.

BEST HAUTE TEES

DSE @ Grand
202 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-963-0533; dsedetroit.com
The strip of Grand River that runs through Harmonie Park is becoming something of an independent retail haven, a small but sweet walkable shopping district of boutiques selling clothing, shoes and accessories (not to mention the upscale furnishings available at Mezzanine). The brainchild of Detroiter James Morris (a designer and entrepreneur only in his mid-20s), DSE @ Grand features T-shirts from designers located throughout the country, such as Chillers Clothing, Destroy, Exact Science, King Poetic — many brands that can't be found anywhere else in the state — as well as DSE Lifestyle, Morris' own line. Many of his shirts are Detroit-centric (he even designed a limited edition T-shirt when the Final Four was in town), popular picks include a simple black shirt emblazoned with the words "Support Detroit" and another that says "A Detroit Thing," inspired by the movie Do the Right Thing. The diverse selection is sure to appeal to the urban fashionista. Online shopping is available, and dig Morris' blog for sneak peaks at new arrivals and designs.

BEST COLLECTIBLES

The Town Peddler Craft and Antique Mall
35323 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 734-513-2577
From Victorian lampshades to vintage baseball cards, the Town Peddler offers 24,000 square feet of reasons to spend your hard-earned dough on some dusty treasure you must have but never knew you needed. With hundreds of partner dealers, this mammoth mall takes much more than an afternoon to fully explore. Some of the booths are literally packed to the ceiling with antiques and rarities that will fascinate even the quirkiest collectors. The staff's amiable, and they also offer estate appraisal services. And don't worry — if you find that perfect oversized art deco dresser, the Town Peddler will even help you get it home.

BEST PLACE TO FAKE & BAKE

European Tanning Club
15228 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-945-9220
A fresh towel, complimentary sanitized goggles and a pillow on every tanning bed. European Tanning Club is a posh place to get a summer glow. They've been in the bronzing biz for more than ten years. The Club has 23 beds and stand-up booths, including a few fancy high-pressure machines for fast tanning with reduced risks of getting burned. They stock the latest lotions and bronzers including trendy lines like Ed Hardy and Swedish Beauty. Tanning "advisors" are on hand to help seekers of bronze skin choose the right products and programs for optimum results. Best part is their hours: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. till 11 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. And if you want to show off some dance moves with your new tan, the Club also sells a variety of DJ, techno and house music. Their beauty salon, European Hair Design, is on the premises with a full range of services from haircuts to body waxing.

BEST BOOKSTORE TO EXPLORE

Book Beat
26010 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-968-1190
The underrated Book Beat has a magical feel. You step inside and feel like you're in another world, one that you could go exploring forever, lost in the written word. The eclectic shop is a longtime fave among writers, poets and artists. Its shelves are packed with everything from new fiction to out of print art books and obscure periodicals. Tribal art, photography and Mexican folk art give even more character to this space, which feels haunted by ghosts who are probably just as curious as we are about how owner Cary Loren amassed such a beautiful collection of stuff to read in one little storefront. The Book Beat carries plenty of local lit, and it's also a great place to catch a reading or an art exhibit. They keep a schedule and blog of happenings on their website, thebookbeat.com.

BEST INDY VIDEO

Thomas Video & DVD
4732 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-280-2833
A few film freaks have been dismayed recently by the sight of an abandoned husk where the area's greatest shrine to movie mania had been. But fear not cinephiles, Thomas Video is alive and well, and still serving up the big hits, indie gems and cult classics they're famous for, just in a spiffy new spot less than a mile from their old haunt. After more than 30 years in the business, 20-plus of it in Clawson, owners Jim Olenski and Gary Reichel decided to shuffle down 14 Mile to slightly smaller, more affordable digs. The new joint's decked in warm orange and greens hues, sports a huge portrait of John Waters, and is still the best place ever to find obscure titles and rap about flicks with a hyper smart and witty staff whose motto remains "Our rudeness means we care."

BEST VINTAGE VINYL

TIE
Peoples Records
3161 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-0864
The Record Graveyard
2926 Caniff, Hamtramck; 313-870-9647
Back in the vinyl heyday, Detroit had much more going for it than just Motown. Thousands of tiny labels sprang up in the '50s, '60s and '70s pressing small runs of soul, R&B, jazz, gospel, country, blues and rock 'n' roll records that are now the stuff of legend. Don't bother looking for them on the Internet; some of these discs are so rare that the only place you'll find them is in this pair of one-of-a-kind used record shops. And have no fear: the prices are often not only reasonable, but at times are rock-bottom, assuring a steady clientele who travel from as far away as Japan and Europe to find those long lost classics. But these wax museums have more in common than the obscure aural artifacts they unearth on a daily basis: both have recently expanded their operations into brand-new locations, and in both cases, the moves have been for the better. Peoples, run by renowned soul DJ Brad Hales, was forced out of its original Forest Arms location when the building burned down. The new storefront on Woodward Avenue boasts more square footage for vinyl treasure hunting. Likewise, the Graveyard, run by longtime local wax hound Jeffrey Garbus, used its move to fully organize its once-scattered stock for optimum browsing and buying. Start digging!

BEST OVERALL RECORD STORE

Melodies and Memories
23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480
Detroit's lucky because it's a city whose cultural heritage rests on shoulders of music giants, from McKinney's Cotton Pickers to Jack Scott to Marvin Gaye to Iggy Pop to Eminem. So of course there are many, many, many lovely musical things about this town, and one of them is its high number of good record stores, whose doors remain open in a crap music economy. Aside those mentioned in this issue, we offer up some lip service to Dearborn Music, Stormy Records in Dearborn, the Record Collector in Ferndale, Solo Records & Tapes in Royal Oak, Buy-Rite in Detroit, Rock of Ages in Garden City, Rock-a-Billy's in Utica, Flipside in Clawson, Encore in Ann Arbor and so on. Some of us here at MT spend gobs of paycheck coin in each of those stores.

But the best store, overall, under the umbrella of most titles stocked and range of genres, Melodies and Memories cannot be topped. It's too big, too ingrained in the city, to bin-diver friendly and too important of a music institution (Em was in there recently reminiscing about how he'd come in and hang show fliers back in the day) to be topped. The stock inside this building of foxhole-like rooms is worth millions, literally, and its crammed wall-to-wall and on ceilings. Ask Dan, Bob or Gary for those albums that can make our hearts skip beats, those songs that we use for our own personal definitions and to summon memories. Just ask those guys and see what they say because it's all here.

BEST HIGH-END AUDIO DEALER

David Michael Audio
4300 Delemere Blvd., Suite 201, Royal Oak; 248-259-7017; davidmichaelaudio.com
For the second year straight, David Michael Audio snags an MT Best of Detroit, and for good reason. In a time when audio is getting worse because of poorly mastered CDs and crap-sounding downloads (but TVs look great!), and when the economy's tanking, David Michael Audio is actually growing by selling what are often considered luxury items. But they're not luxury items for those who really love music, keen to hear it as it was intended by the artist. Sure, high-end audio stuff ain't cheap, but if you're spending more time at home, what price can you put on getting the most from your prized music collections? DMA owner David Kasab is a considerate guy who'll help you cobble together a cost-effective and mind-blowing stereo, even if you've no idea what you want, or what you're looking at. He carries aesthetically and aurally pleasing hi-fi products from such vaunted manufacturers as Luxman, Bryston, Martin Logan, Rega, and the jaw-dropping UK-made Harbeth loudspeakers (considered by many to be the world's finest) in an non-elitist environment.

BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN NYC

TIE
323 East Gallery & Boutique
323 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248- 246-954; 323east.com
Bureau of Urban Living
460 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-833-9336; bureauliving.com
A little Lower East Side and definitely a bit of Brooklyn, both 323 East and the Bureau share an uncanny transformative quality — there just aren't two shops like these anywhere near Detroit. The Bureau's historic Canfield setting, with old brick and exposed ceiling, makes for a funky foundation, and the constant play of owner Claire Nelson's iPod makes it easy to stay a while, but what really makes the place so crucially cool is the stuff on the shelves. City Bird products (soaps, lamps, pins, etc.) and other Detroit-centric home goods are found alongside clean and contemporary wares (porcelain plates, chrome pepper grinders, etc.) that can give anyone's digs more to dig. Stroll into 323 East, (the narrow, green building that looks like it belongs somewhere south of Eight Mile) on a Saturday, anytime after 4 p.m., and you'll notice a DJ spinning funk, hip-hop and techno cuts from the back of the room. The walls and shelves are chock-full of art — paintings, prints, sculpture, clothes, jewelry, books. Most of it leans toward the pop variety, and all of it is for sale. Better yet, it's all made in Detroit by Detroit artists.

BEST TRASH CULTURE TREASURE CHEST

American POP
175 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-837-2127
Stepping in American Pop is kind of like discovering the coolest garage sale that ever was, minus the chipped Hummels and smelly stacks of baby clothes. The walls of this funky little shop are packed to the rafters with all manner of kitschy memorabilia — movie posters and board games, Pee-Wee Herman toys and wind-up robots, co*cktail shakers and Monster finger puppets, Hula dancer lamps and more tacky coolness than the human eye can absorb in one visit. Proprietor Wyll Lewis has been at it for years, accumulating plunder to display in his fashionable Ferndale location — now including a basem*nt full of lovely vintage furniture — and it's only growing.

BEST MEAT COUNTER

Western Fruit & Meat Market
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288; westernmarket.net
We apologize in advance to all the vegans and vegetarians among us — and truth be told, we don't consume a lot of red meat ourselves. But damn if this terrific little market in the heart of downtown Ferndale doesn't make all kinds of meats look tasty and succulent in its display case, even in its raw form. We especially like the various marinated meats one can purchase there, many in kabob form — and we hate to give away the "secret," thereby making it a rarity in the future, but the roasted garlic chicken kabobs are delicious and to die for. We also like the turkey (or beef, if you eat it) meatloaf that's already prepared; all you have to do is take it home and put it in the oven. The meat-cutting staff is professional and friendly. And the fact that there is almost always a long line waiting with numbers in hand (we recently spotted Chris Handyside buying some ground round there) speaks to its popularity.

BEST CHEAP MOVIE MATINEE

TIE
Birmingham 8
211 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-644-FILM; uptownbirmingham8.com
Birmingham Palladium 12
250 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-644-FILM; uptownpalladium12.com
Time was that a "cheap" movie theater often meant a "crummy" movie theater, with sticky floors, torn-up seats, foul odors and, perhaps worst of all, second-run movies. This is true of any major city (one MT editor remembers going to see Total Recall at a "cheap" theater in Los Angeles and having to get an usher to remove the passed-out bum on the floor so his party could sit down) — and that's why Birmingham's two premier theaters are such a matinee treat. Most first-run theaters only have the first screening of the day (which can be as early as pre-noon) discounted on weekends and holidays — but the B'ham theaters feature what they term "Movie Madness," whereby every screening is $5 before 6 p.m., seven days a week. And, of course, it's all first-run flicks. And as that first great Depression proved in the '30s, people want to see movies for escape in times of economic turmoil. This, ladies and gentlemen, is not a bad deal at all, especially with as many as 20 different flicks to choose from on any given day.

BEST NEW VINTAGE SHOP

TJ's Sweet Repeats
1600 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-542-7767
The eponymous T.J. has been selling vintage clothing around town since 1999, a consistent presence at vintage shows and festivals such as Dally in the Alley. But it wasn't until December that she acquired a permanent location, celebrating the grand opening of TJ's Sweet Repeats just in time for the New Year. The store is small and jam-packed, but the racks of men and women's clothing are organized by size (from petite to a healthy selection of plus sizes, a rarity at most vintage shops), making it easier to dig out that perfect '70s jumpsuit, and the stock is continually replenished by a seemingly endless backroom supply. Thanks to frequent sales, the prices can be damn near unbelievable, especially considering the quality — on a recent shopping trip we walked out with three Jackie O.-type dresses for less than $30. The shop also features men and women's shoes, jewelry and a cabinet of lingerie, and on the first and third Saturday of every month hosts a Vintage Bazaar, with various vendors selling assorted goods in a side room.

BEST COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE

Recycled Treasures
12101 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck; 313-330-7076; recycledtreasureshamtramck.org
Started in January 2007, Recycled Treasures sells the usual mélange of goods — from the barely used to the slightly abused — found at any thrift store: coffee mugs, paperback novels, pots and pans, furniture, knickknacks and the ephemera of closets cleaned out and attics emptied. But the store also takes a larger role by helping the environment and directly servicing the local community. Donated items that, at first glance, seem unusable are rehabbed and sold. The store also provides emergency assistance to individuals who are referred by local social service organizations; gives away all beds, stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers; and offers discounts to residents of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park on purchases over $10. Recycled Treasures also features the "redo studio" an area where volunteers can restore donated items or use crafty skills to turn discarded junk into something lovely and new. Info on all programs can be found at the website.

BEST RECORD STORE FOR CHEAP VINYL

Street Corner Music Unlimited
17620 W. 13 Mile Rd., Beverly Hills; 248-644-4777
Detroit's a crate-digger's nirvana. On any day of the week you can count the British and Japanese vinyl heads — and expat Detroit DJs — scouring racks in shops around the Motor City. Short of vinyl hunting in rough, south-side Chicago hoods, there isn't a cheaper place in the country to dig through scads of classic soul, funk, hip hop, jazz and rock than here. The former arsenal of democracy had enough well-paid factory workers to turn Detroit into the arsenal of soul and classic vinyl.

Of all the sweet places for vinyl in these parts (including the spanking-new Hello Records at Bagley and Trumbull) the best place for cheap platters is Street Corner Music. On top of their extremely reasonable vinyl prices, their dollar bin is also always full with great finds. (Note: At the beginning of July, 2009 they'll be moving next door to Book Beat in Oak Park, so all that money you save on vinyl you can blow at one of Detroit's coolest book stores.

BEST BITCHIN RECORD STORE EMPLOYEES

Record Time
27360 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-775-1550
Have you ever stepped into a Best Buy and asked a staffer for Funkadelic on CD only to get a co*ckeyed return gaze followed by the word, "Who?" Well, we've made that mistake — one time. Never again. Indie record stores may appear to be dying, but they are truly vital, not only for the welfare of the city but also to pull you from the toxic blue glow of your computer screen and into some damn social intercourse about music. On Record Time's well-stocked floor you can query or verbally spar with a host of knowledgeable workers, including a schlock-music apologist, a metal deconstructionist, an up-to-the-moment hip-hop nerd, an alt-country ally, and a guy who knows more than you do about the Pretty Things and Carl Craig. Sometimes you can find all that stuff in the same person. Try that out, Mr. Big Box.

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR VINYL RECORD PRESSED

Archer Record Pressing
7401 E. Davison, Detroit; 313-965-9545; archerrecordpressing.com
With so much negative talk in the media about Detroit lately, one wonders if the naysayers ever consider the fact that we possess at least one thriving business that many cities don't: our own record-pressing plant. One of nine left in the world, the experience of walking past the presses to deliver your master tape to Mike Archer — Senior or Junior — is a veritable rite of passage for renegade musicians in Detroit. And while the industrial neighborhood that Archer is located in tells the sad and graphic story of our country's downward manufacturing spiral, this east side institution tells another one: that quality workmanship and an unwavering commitment to community pay off. With more potential clients than they can take on and no plans for expansion, Archer is still the quickest, best and friendliest pressing plant in the world. That's pretty good for an industry that many people may not know even still exists! But they've been at it since '65, and, thanks to a steady stream of techno 12-inches, rock 'n' roll 45s and albums of all kind, they're staying right here, where they belong, in Detroit.

BEST GIFT SHOP

Shine
621 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-414-5277; shopshine.net
This Royal Oak boutique achieves a charmingly modern eclecticism, where disparate items find harmony on adjacent shelves, and the cognitive dissonance that many overwhelmingly overstocked gift shops can produce is avoided entirely. Goods for sale include high-end candles and beauty products, stylish housewares, swanky jewelry, contemporary home decor — even retro pajamas can fall into the mix. And while many of the items are high on the trend factor (read: will this polka-dot platter look stupid in one year?), just as many appeal to the aesthetic of the timelessly fashionable. It's one of the few places that makes shopping for gifts easy and enjoyable, and the kind staff's more than happy to help you find the perfect gift, whether its an $8 bar of luxurious soap or a $125 tote bag. Limited shopping is available online, but a trip to the shop shouldn't be skipped.

BEST IDEA — WORST EXECUTION (AND TIMING)

Zaccaro's Market
Formerly located at 3100 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-3400; zacarrosmarket.com
It's going to take a whole hell of a lot more than fine wines, imported cheeses, garlic-infused olive oil and other gourmet oddities to kick start any real revitalization, especially in this "new economy." But it was a valiant effort. Cindy Warner, the proprietor of Zaccaro's (which you can still visit in Traverse City) should be commended for her bravery. But we have to be honest. Though Zaccaro's was a beacon of progress, there are steps that could've been taken that would've, at the very least, delayed the inevitable. The location was just OK. And keeping the quaint, Up North-y vibe didn't really feel like Detroit. And who are the Zaccaro's? One of the things we've always liked about places like Sweet Loraine's, Hiller's Market and Christine's Cuisine is that Loraine, Christine and Jim Hiller are people you see out and about in the community. All we need are the basics; a decent deli counter and a small flower department would be nice. Bring in baked goods from Avalon, stock Detroit-made products, talk to some vendors at Eastern Market. We can learn from this. Next time will be better.

BEST WAY TO SPICE UP YOUR LIFE

Penzeys Spices
17712 W. 13 Mile Rd., Beverly Hills; 248-647-6177; penzeys.com
Mark Bittman, one of our culinary go-to authorities, recommends dumping all your spices for a fresh lot once a year. That's extreme for our pocketbooks, but we heed his sniff test: if you open a jar and whiff more dust and must than savory, it's time to replace. For a generation, your best bet for intoxicating variety and low prices was Eastern Market's Rafal Spice. But, alas, Rafal is kaput. Rocky Peanut down the street has boosted its spice offerings significantly, but spice connoisseurs will want to check out Penzeys in Beverly Hills, one of the national chain's two Michigan stores. What constitutes variety here? Well, 13 varieties of chili peppers, six chili powders, eight cinnamons, nine curries, etc., etc. Compared to the old Rafal, Penzeys feels more like a boutique and less like funky bulk goods store; the prices are a notch higher, but your celery seed comes in a jar instead of a baggy. And there are all sorts of spice samplers that are handy gifts and a means to spread appreciation for the finer spices of life. Hours, we should mention, are somewhat limited: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

BEST LOCAL NON-CHAIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE

Western Fruit & Meat Market
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288; westernmarket.net
If you're not near one of the local Whole Food Markets, this family-owned and -managed establishment just might fulfill your needs and wants when it comes to food. They have a great produce and fruit section, all reasonably priced; great wine selections and microbrews; and a large assortment of organic foods, among other things. In business for 25 years, Western is hardly a supermarket; in fact, it's quite small for a grocery store. We might label it a boutique market, and yet, considering its smallness, it stocks a great and wide array of foods in that space. We're especially fond of the prepared foods — great place to go if you're in the mood for a fresh salad (a nice variety on display) or soup. They have five types of the latter on sale every day. We're big fans of the white bean chicken chili — but we're also pleased they have fresh Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup (it's a patented recipe and zero points for the weight-conscious calorie-counter keeping score) on sale every day of the week. And one may need it to counter those boxes of delicious brownies they try to tempt you with near the checkout lane.

BEST PLACE FOR AN ACHING BACK OR NECK

Dynamic Rehabilitation
1800 W. Big Beaver Rd.; Troy; 888-396-2642; for more locations, see dynamicrehab.com
We featured this place in our last Best of Detroit issue. But when a place actually works, we believe it can't be mentioned enough, especially given that chronic back and neck pain are one of the nation's biggest health problems. You've probably seen the ads for Dynamic on TV, the ones that argue all physical therapy isn't created equally. And they have a point. Dynamic — which is helmed by a team of doctors, physical therapists and trainers — doesn't adhere to the standard physical therapy modalities, including things like ultrasound, whirlpools, etc. Instead, they have their patients work strenuously on strengthening the muscles in their problem areas via the McKenzie Method of stretches and, most importantly, the patented Med-X machine that isolates and then builds said muscles. Sometimes you will hurt more immediately afterwards than you did when you first got there … but this is one of those cases of "hurting so good." Dynamic doesn't promise to "cure" the patient but their ratio for making you feel "better" is very high (and anyone who suffers knows that "better" is often good enough).

BEST CHEAP GAS

Costco
Various locations, see costco.com
OK, you do have to pay for an annual membership — but won't that come in handy should you need new tires, a case of vino or smokes, or simply more mac 'n' cheese than you could ever down in a lifetime? Anyway, many on-lot Costco gas stations will always have gasoline that's significantly less expensive than the other regular stations. Not only that — but it's quality octane (one may not realize that even with gasoline, sometimes you get what you pay for; we know someone who once had an engine nearly destroyed by bad ethyl!). The day this item was written, our local Costco in Madison Heights was charging $1.88 a gallon, when most other stations were charging anywhere between $1.99 and $2.20. P.S. — If your budget doesn't include a Costco membership for 2009, you can also check out the website detroitgasprices.com to find the best fuel prices in your hood.

BEST LOCAL POP

Meijer Generic Brands
Various locations throughout Michigan
With all due respect to Faygo, which is forever associated with Michigan as a local institution and a brand recognized world wide (and only partly thanks to Insane Clown Posse), here's a little secret: You might like Meijer's brand better. In fact, every flavor we've tried so far (with the possible exception of orange), be it their version of Red Pop or 7-Up/Sprite, has been way better than the pop it's supposedly mimicking. The flavor is just … well, brighter, and stronger. In fact, we no longer can live without the Diet Grape soda ... and Meijer's Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. M is so far superior to the Dr. Pepper original that we can no longer settle for the original ... which is why the latter soda — which, like all Meijer pop varieties, is bottled and canned in Grand Rapids — is sometimes so disappointingly hard to find in stock, especially on busy weekends. Great stuff! No kidding!

BEST PLACE TO SHOP GREEN IN THE CITY
Bureau of Urban Living
460 W. Canfield, Detroit; 313-833-9336; bureauliving.com
Husband and wife team Claire Nelson and Francis Grunow opened the cosmopolitan, hip shopping destination Bureau of Urban Living to fill a need for Detroit residents — a place to purchase home accessories and necessities. But what the duo also did was provide a spot where the ever-increasing numbers of environmentally conscious Detroiters could spend green on going green. Earth-friendly products include Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day cleaning supplies, Twist biodegradable sponges and Euro-clothes, eco-friendly bamboo bowls and kitchenware, and even organic cotton bibs and onsies by Coyuchi. And, sure, while even drug stores are jumping on the eco bandwagon, no other store in the city offers such a mix of fun and practical shopping — laundry detergent side-by-side with handcrafted goods from local artists, clever greeting cards and books by local authors. An added bonus is supporting a business owned by a duo that (besides being some of the most affable shopkeepers around) works hard to encourage growth and entrepreneurship in Detroit. Nelson co-founded Open City, a support network for aspiring and fledgling business owners in the city, and Grunow co-founded Detroit Synergy, an organization promoting the places and happenings in the D. So whether you're a seasoned Detroiter or an urbanite neophyte, shopping here can help you help the world while helping the city. Make sense?

BEST NEW PLACE FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Russell Bazaar
1600 Clay St., Detroit; russellbazaar.com
In a city that's consistently faulted by regional naysayers for its lack of shopping, any addition to commerce is hailed as an event on par with the Second Coming. And if that hyperbole is due, then it should be due triple-fold to the newly opened Russell Bazaar located in the Russell Industrial Complex. An ambitious $1.5 million project, the Bazaar is intended as a space where commerce exists as lively exchange in a diverse atmosphere, modeled after the street markets of Europe. Nearly 200 vendors offering a diverse grab-bag of goods and services have set up shop, selling everything from clothing and fine art to imported Asian crafts and kitchenware — even two salons and a food court! And while the bazaar offers the same advantages of the mall — one-stop shopping in a convenient location — it also gives frazzled holiday shoppers what no mall can: a chance to find a truly one-of-a-kind gift.

BEST HIGH-END AUDIO DEALER
David Michael Audio
4300 Delemere Blvd., Suite 201, Royal Oak; 248-259-7017; davidmichaelaudio.com
At David Michael Audio there's pure audio p*rn readymade for those whose attention spans and hearing allow for reach-out-and-touch-the-artist sensations, meditation-like listening and detailing the infinite nuances of recordings. Sure, high-end audio stuff ain't cheap, but what price aural pleasure, attendant goosebumps and getting the most from your valued music collections? DMA owner David Kasab is a kind and gracious young gent who'll help you piece together a cost-effective and mind-blowing system, whether you're into tubes or solid-state, analog or digital, or even if you've no idea what the hell you're looking at. His shop carries myriad of aesthetically and aurally pleasing products from such manufacturers as Rega, Quicksilver, Cayin, Creek and the jaw-dropping UK-made Harbeth loudspeakers (considered by many to be the world's finest) in an atmo that's unintimidating, somewhat geek-free and empty of high-end elitist 'tude.

BEST LOW-END AUDIO DEALS
Salvation Army
28982 Ford, Garden City; 734-261-7175
For less coin than a couple frothy pitchers at your local watering hole, you can cobble together a fine little disposable stereo ready for use wherever tunage is required. Shelved chaotically among ancient curling irons, coffee pots and clock radios you'll find antiquated stereo components (the kind pimped in Playboy ads circa 1974) and more recently made ghetto blasters with detachable speakers, CD spinner and a cassette apparatus that's standing by for that Wang Chung tape that's been lost in a box of middle-school memories in some dark recess of your basem*nt. At this particular Salvation Army, you can exhume some cheap low-fi heaven, to be sure, but don't look for them fangled USB iPod inputs — this is all about the 8-track, Jack.

BEST MUSICALLY OVEREDUCATED STAFF AT A RECORD STORE
Record Time
27360 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-775-1550
Yeah, it's a cliché all right — you know, the obsessive music geeks who're so passionate about music that arguments flare as long as at least two employees are within earshot of one another. Yeah, yeah, we all saw High Fidelity. Be that as it may, the young and affable Record Time recruits often engage in verbal sparring which, on a single visit, can run the gamut from dissecting the undersung merits of rapper Esham to the relevance of rock 'n' roll classicists the Black Crowes to the indie cred of Jenny Lewis to the death of techno and so on and so forth. But it all makes sense because that's how record stores are supposed to be. Record shops may appear to be a dying tradition, but they are truly vital for community, for musical unearthing, for tips and suggestions from an actual human being whose head is crammed with pop knowledge — just like those musically literate chicks and dudes manning the well-stocked floor at Record Time in Roseville.

BEST SELECTION OF NEW IMPORTS
Dearborn Music
22000 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000
The beautifully packaged Japanese mini-LP reissues of the Band? They're here. So are those hard-to-find and lovely Slade U.K. reissues on Salvo records. The imported deluxe edition of John Mayall Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton or that killer Nina Simone two-disc set from France? All here, as are the latest Mobile Fidelity releases that you won't find anywhere else in the greater Detroit area. In fact, you can't find any of this stuff in the greater Detroit area. So it's good to know that a local, family-run shop can still invest large amounts of money in thousands of hard-to-find imported titles, from jazz and blues to country, soul and rock 'n' roll. True believers in sonic joy who count on music that can be held in their hands should thank their lucky stars that they don't have to donate their hard-earned dough to community-dissolving giants such as Amazon and iTunes.

BEST RECORD SHOP FOR REAL RECORDS
People's Records
3161 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-0864
Mister, you don't know how f*ckin' good you've got it here. You don't. See, this old dilapidated town is a crate-digger's paradise, and unlike bigger burgs like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco, you can discover tons of amazing vinyl, all had on the cheap. No sh*t. Among the great places to go digging in Detroit (Stormy Records, Record Collector, Street Corner Music, Car City Records, Record Graveyard, Melodies and Memories, Record Time, Dearborn Music, Encore Recordings, Solo Records and Detroit Threads), Brad Hales' People's Records is arguably the greatest. It's definitely the greatest place to go for shopping for 45s; or, perhaps, soul, funk, electro, disco, hip hop and soul-jazz vinyl. And like Melodies and Memories, you can bump into great Detroit or expat Detroit DJs, you can spot Northern-soul-loving Brits on holiday, you can hear Detroit legends chirping, "Yeah, I played on that record," and you can even bump knuckles with Motor City legend Hermon Weems, who sometimes paints signs and 45 boxes here. Neat!

BEST OVERALL RECORD STORE
Melodies and Memories
23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480
With its cavernous and ant farm-like layout, its mind-boggling number titles in every genre and format, including 8-track (all of which number in the hundreds of thousands) and three separate stereo systems going at once but never interfering with each other, it's no wonder you can get lost in this lovely, musty place. If there's a title you can't find, you might not be looking hard enough — and sometimes the hunt can last hours and hours. M&M is Detroit's answer to Cali's mighty Amoeba Records, only set in a veritable pop-culture museum crammed with keepsakes. The shop is, in other words, scary-amazing. (Starf*cker alert: Eminem still shops at M&M!)

BEST ROCK 'N' ROLL ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY
Melodies and Memories
23103 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480
Don't have time to drive to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? (And why would you want to, anyway?) Check out the great rock 'n' roll and pop cultural artifacts on display at this groovy mom-and-pop record shop, one of the last of a dying breed. No, you won't find anything like, say, Eric Clapton's guitar on display (you can see that sorta stuff at the generic Hard Rock Café anyhow) ... but you will find autographed photos and albums, classic posters and other remnants from rock's golden eras, all the property of the store's owners, pop culture mavens all. None of the treasures is for sale — there are plenty of CD's and vinyl for that — just on display for the entertainment of the customers ... although maybe the more persuasive out there can make a strong case to the owners for purchase. Who knows?

BEST PLACE TO TAKE MUSIC LESSONS
Royal Oak Music
512 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-548-4894; royalmusic.us
Well, if you're not enrolled at one of the two new (but totally unassociated) schools of rock in the metro Detroit area — and especially if your ambition goes far beyond rock, into areas including jazz and classical or show music — this is probably your place. Royal Oak Music features instruction — from novice to advanced — in brass and woodwind, piano and other keyboards, symphonic strings, drums and guitar. They boast many great teachers, including jazzbos as well as rockers (several of the Howling Diablos teach here). Legendary guitar virtuoso Jack Pitt, clarinetist Andy Mormile (from the old Condon's NYC scene) and some of the best show and pit musicians in the area teach here. It's also a regular hangout for jazzers, both local and visiting, featuring as it does a cool historic ambience, including photos of jazz greats and a sheet music collection that runs from the turn of the century to the present. The jazz playing continually from the sound system ain't too shabby either!

BEST PLACE TO GEEK OUT WITH DETROIT'S NEW MAYOR
Green Brain Comics
13210 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-9444; greenbrain.biz
Metro Times cartoons and commentaries to the contrary, there are actually no superheroes working in Detroit government (while a space alien from the planet Vandella, Martha Reeves is not super-powered, so she doesn't count). There is at least one avid comic book fan on the city payroll, though — Mayor Kenneth co*ckrel Jr., a guy so self-confessedly geeky that he quoted Terminator 2 in his inaugural address (the "no fate but what we make" line, not, thankfully, "come with me if you want to live"). This reporter has spotted Hizzonner at Green Brain on a few occasions, and owner Dan Merritt says co*ckrel is a regular customer who favors sci-fi and action-adventure titles. After years of the hip-hop mayor, is Detroit ready for the fanboy mayor? Will we soon hear rumors of the police rushing to the Manoogian Mansion to break up Moon Mist-fueled arguments over who'd win in a fight, Swamp Thing or the Hulk? Will the city motto change from "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus" to "Excelsior!"? Will the mayor replace his bodyguards with Imperial stormtroopers? And if so ... well, how cool would that be??

BEST SEQUENTIAL ART(S & CRAFTS) STORE
Detroit Comics
23333 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-COMX; detroitcomics.com
First of all, Detroit Comics looks nothing like the p*rn video emporiums that a lot of lesser comics shops resemble and more like an honest-to-God boutique that you wouldn't mind, you know, shopping in or being seen leaving. That and its decent selection of periodicals and graphic novels from across the genre spectrum would be enough to recommend it. What makes the place unique, though, is all the lovingly hand-crafted comics-related merch they have on sale. Where else can you get superhero-themed wallets made of duct tape or crimefighter action figures meticulously built out of construction paper? And check out the stools and foot lockers decoupaged with funnybook pages, and the bottle-cap magnets, clocks, necklaces, mouse pads, bibs and onesies all featuring your fave mutants and sidekicks. Aside from just being cool, this stuff gives the shop an air of happy, fannish enthusiasm. Add a selection of goodies from the Bellyache Candy Shop, an old cigarette machine modded to dispense small objets d'art, and a smattering of Dunnys and prints and you might not have to hit the craft fairs for holiday gifts this year.

BEST WAY TO CLOWN AROUND FOR HALLOWE'EN (AND SUPPORT A GOOD CAUSE)
Rent a Parade Company costume
Call the Parade Company at 313-432-7835 or visit theparade.org
No doubt you've watched on TV or from streetside as the 3,000 costumed characters of Detroit's annual Thanskgiving parade march by. We doubt you knew — well, it was news to us — that you can rent those costumes during the rest of the year from the Parade Company. Adult sizes only. From $35 to $65. Most popular rentals: pirates, bugs, Uncle Sam, Santa Claus, elves and the Easter Bunny.

BEST BICYCLE SHOP
Continental Bike Shop
24436 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-545-1225; continentalbikeshop.com
Up and running since 1937, this Hazel Park institution has as many as 11 people on staff to serve cyclists during the busy summer season. Their repair department can do everything from build custom bikes to refurbish vintage bikes, as well as basic repairs like tune-ups, flats and brake and derailleur adjustments. It's all here, whether you're shopping for a $300 get-it-and-go asphalt-ready Giant Cypress or Sedona, or want a fancy cargo bike like a $950 Kona Ute or a $1,200 frameset for a Surly Big Dummy. But even if you're not spending thousands of dollars for tandem cycles, high-end racing frames or custom jobs, the friendly staff will serve you just the same if you're looking for a new tube, without any intimidating professional hauteur. Sales associate Liz Szewczyk puts it this way: "We all love what we do. Anybody starts out not knowing anything about it. We did; we just try to hide that. The more we can teach people about cycling, the more likely they are to ride and come back." Online bonus: Their website has a handy calculator to show just how much cash you'll save by commuting to and from work by bicycle.

BEST CAMERA REPAIR
Midwest Camera Repair
318 Oak St., Wyandotte; 734-285-2220
Opines MT shutterbug Doug Coombe: Cameras thought to be goners — the one that got slammed by the slam dancer at the Afghan Whigs show, the one that got doused with a mixed drink at a Super Bowl party, etc. — have been brought back to life here. When your point-and-shoot seems shot, you're probably right to toss it. Anything else is probably worth the time for a look-see. One thing that makes Midwest Camera Repair great is the staff does most repairs on site instead of merely sending cameras off to the manufacturer. So if you do have a problem with a repair, you don't have to send it back to the factory and wait all over again. (Best advice for avoiding Midwest Camera Repair: Don't drop any camera equipment from more than 5 feet. Gravity usually wins.)

BEST PLACE FOR CHEAP GAS
Highland Park (If You're Brave)
We have friends who watch gas prices like eagles. And here's what we're told: With rare exception, the only gas pumps in town cheaper than CostCo (members only, of course), and with never a line (for the reasons above) are found along Woodward Avenue in Highland Park. They're often as much as 25 cents cheaper than other stations within two miles. But, let's put it bluntly: Watch your back as well as the pump.

BEST PLACE TO OUTFIT YOUR KITCHEN AT BARGAIN PRICES
Restaurant Supply Shops
We probably don't need to tell you that the best deals on outfitting your kitchen are at thrift shops and garage sales. But absent the luck and diligence required to meet your needs at the former within any particular timeframe, your best deals will be at restaurant supply companies. The "open to the public" signs are, in our experience, sincere — no one will laugh at you if you're stocking a kitchenette that would easily fit in the restaurant freezers they sell. Depending on where you go, you may not find a fryer holding less than a gallon of oil, but, hey, when it comes to fry pans, woks, salad bowls, double-boilers, salt shakers, chairs, etc., you can use the same stuff as the commercial folks, and you'll be amazed at the prices. Two of our favorites are People's Restaurant Equipment Company, 2209 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-1944; and Advanced Restaurant Equipment, 13201 Prospect Rd., Dearborn; 313-945-5600; advancedrestaurantequipment.com.

BEST BEER AND WINE SELECTION IN A SMALL GROCERY STORE
Western Market
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288
While just about every small market offers beer and wine, most of them simply line the shelves with the same corporate swill you find in the big chains. It's remarkable what Western Market has been able to do with their limited space. From organic to obscure and in-between, the lone wine aisle is stocked with everyday drinking wine, mostly below $15, with a few real gems on the higher end. Square footage for beer is even less, yet Michigan microbreweries and other artisanal producers are soundly represented. There's usually even someone there to help you decide.

BEST FRUIT MARKET
Papa Joe's Gourmet Market and Catering
6900 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6263; 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-723-9400; papajoesmarket.com
Calling Papa Joe's Gourmetrion a fruit market is tantamount to calling a Ferrari dealer a car lot. But with 500 fruit and vegetable items, the title does ring true. But that's not all. Shoppers will find a breadsmith, a patisserie and an extensive "Gourmet to Go" department. Prime meats and fresh seafood are among the best anywhere. Numerous imported and domestic cheeses are available, as are meats and sausages in the deli department. Flowers and fine chocolates help to make home entertaining complete. The wine department offers choices to complement any meal. This is a chowhound's paradise.

BEST NEW DELIVERY SERVICE
Pink Elephant Cupcakes
Order by phone at 313-499-8353 or online at pinkelephantcupcakes.com
If you're like us (meaning if you have an insatiable sweet tooth), then the thought of cupcakes delivered straight to your doorstep seems, well, genius. Add to it the fact that these are no ordinary cupcakes, but scrumptious and decadent gourmet treats, and that's a feat damn near worthy of sainthood. This Grosse Pointe biz, which will turn a year old in November, offers curbside service throughout the metro area (for a fee outside of the Pointes), of 13 unusually flavored cupcakes, including tiramisu, PB&J, the cheekily labeled "stud muffin" (peanut butter and chocolate) and their signature pink elephant, a vanilla cake topped with hot-pink frosting. Along with delivery, they also offer individually boxed and gift-wrapped cupcakes and a kid-friendly DIY cupcake package. But the service that takes the cake is the year of cupcake delivery — for a mere $135, you can have a half dozen cupcakes delivered to someone (or yourself) once a month for an entire year. Screw flowers and gift baskets — cupcakes are the mail-order sign of affection, half-assed birthday gift and plea for forgiveness of the future.

BEST DAILY DEAL ON PASTRIES AND BAKED GOODS
Au Bon Pain
Renaissance Center, Tower 200, Ste. 2102, Detroit; 313-393-2271 and 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-226-7516; aubonpain.com
You've probably passed one of these if you've been in the center of downtown Detroit; maybe even eaten at one. Au Bon Pain, originally based in Boston, is known for its bread and pastries, though they can be somewhat pricey. The good news, however, is that the downtown stores have a special every day near closing, when customers can buy two of any baked good still on display for the price of one. The Renaissance Center deal starts after 3:30 p.m.; the Campus Martius store after 5. One of MT's editors got so addicted to having two of their chocolate chip cookies every day that his doctor just recently chastised him for his latest cholesterol count.

BEST SALAD BAR
Whole Foods Markets
2880 W. Maple Rd., Troy; 248-649-9600; three other locations; wholefoodsmarket.com
Let's face it: It's hard to find a decent salad bar — even a salad bar, period — in the metro Detroit area. That's why Whole Food Markets is a godsend for the salad aficionados among us. Each one — there are two more in the Detroit area, another in Ann Arbor — uniformly has an excellent bar with tons of great selections (in addition to the nearby soup and hot food bars) featuring the healthy and organic food available at this chain based in Austin, Texas. A bit pricey, yes — but well worth it for the salad connoisseurs among is, especially if you're sick of canned and frozen vegetables on a regular basis (especially during these upcoming winter months).

BEST FURNITURE STORE
Moss & Associates Furniture Distributors
1804 Miller Rd., Dearborn; 313-841-0460; mossfurniture.com
While IKEA has become the go-to place for budget-conscious furniture shoppers, the family-owned Moss & Associates has offered a less-overwhelming (not to mention less hom*ogenous) and still affordable alternative since 1960 — long before the first Ikea touched down in metro Detroit. While a large part of their business caters to commercial shoppers — from retail furniture stores to motels — residential dwellers shouldn't be deterred. The in-stock selection may seem minimal, but a large number of suppliers are just a mouse-click away — at wholesale prices. And the staff is more than happy to accommodate, having been known to slash prices for shoppers that spot must-have items or to strike deals with apartment-dwelling bargain hunters.

BEST RESALE SHOP
Regeneration
23700 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-414-7440
Maybe calling it a resale shop doesn't really do it justice, but no label seems to quite fit this Pleasant Ridge store, which has been outfitting metro Detroiters for more than a year. Unlike a typical resale shop where piles of moth-eaten sweaters outnumber sartorial gems, the fashions at Regeneration are actually, well, fashionable. On the store's well-organized racks, contemporary name brands hang comfortably beside '70s print dresses, and while much of the clothing is not new, it's basically as good as. Owners Nicole Freaund and Melissa Williams buy clothing with a discriminating eye, offering an inventory that ranges from the latest trends at a discounted price to standout vintage threads that may surpass the $100 mark.

BEST NEW STORE ON THE THRIFT SCENE
DAV Thrift Store
8050 N. Middlebelt Rd., Westland; 734-513-6020
If the thought of buying tight-fitting '80s T-shirts for $1 and cheesy knicknacks for the bargain price of 50 cents gets your pulse racing, than the opening of the first DAV thrift store in Michigan should be enough to bring on a massive coronary. The stores, which are located throughout the country, are owned by the Disabled American Veterans and the proceeds go to programs that help disabled veterans with transportation, and to VA hospitals. And like any good thrift store, there's not much that can't be found at the DAV — car seats, formal wear, kitchen appliances, golf clubs, books ... you get the idea.

BEST WAY TO DISPLAY DETROIT PRIDE
City Bird
At various metro Detroit locations and online at ilovecitybird.com
The hype surrounding these crafty siblings has been hard to miss — they've been lionized in a handful of local publications and even got a brief mention in The New York Times as an example of how the young, smart and creative can thrive in Detroit, despite the hordes of twentysomethings that throw off their caps and gowns only to head to the ostensibly greener pastures of cities like Chicago and New York. But Emily and Andy Linn don't just live in Detroit; they've made a business promoting the city they love. Since 2005, they've transformed a simple map of Detroit into a badge of local pride by sticking it on their handcrafted goodies, which include everything from soaps and clocks to plates and jewelry. Their handmade goods can even be purchased at shops in New York and Chicago where surviving while young and hip is not such a big deal, but where Detroit-refugees still want to show some absentee pride

BEST NEXT SOMETHING
Standard Oil building
Intersection of Beaconsfield and Kercheval, Grosse Pointe Park
Its off-white brick, tiled roof and general art-deconess just beg for this former service station to be something. But instead it sits, at a prime intersection in Grosse Pointe Park with a few cars squatting in the parking lot and a few more signs of neglect every day. It would make a great restaurant — the garage doors would allow indoor seating to spill outdoors in nice weather — or a combination sit-down, carry-out joint, something the neighborhood is lacking. Its location, location, location on one of the main arteries in and out of the Pointes and proximity to a dense neighborhood, thriving business district and schools promise a customer base. Someone, please, put something here

BEST PLACE TO SWEAT
Bikram Yoga
Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe Park, Plymouth; bikramyoga.com
Twenty-nine postures, two breathing exercises and about a gallon of your sweat dripping — no, pouring — off you in the 110-degree room might not sound like how you'd like to spend 90 minutes. But give it a try and see how you feel when it's over. Oddly refreshed, if dehydrated. Stretched and strengthened. Balanced. For those who think yoga is an easy peaceful time, the Bikram workouts — prescribed sequences of postures that start standing and end on the floor — will cure you of that misconception. And while the hot room is criticized as a marketing gimmick by some, it does provide a nice sanctuary as days get colder, if you can't think of another reason to get there.

BEST PLACE TO HELP A BAD BACK (OR NECK)
Dynamic Rehabilitation
1800 W. Big Beaver Rd., Ste 150, Troy; 1-888-DYNAMIC, ext. 114; dynamicrehab.com
You've probably seen their ads on local TV in which they boast that all physical therapy isn't the same. Sounds like a sales pitch ... but one of the problems with a lot of therapy is the notion of "one size fits all." Dynamic specializes in backs and necks only, and they design a unique regiment exclusive to each individual patient. Several medical doctors are on staff, right there in the office at all times, in addition to the physical therapists, licensed personal trainers and PT assistants. It's not the easiest of programs; they work you fairly hard. The key here is their unique Med-X machine, which strengthens and isolates the important muscles of the lower back. Dynamic has an 80 percent success ratio and while they may not "cure" you (we know of at least one totally "cured" patient, though), they will almost certainly improve your range of motion. Follow-ups for six months after completing the program are free. Headquarters is in Troy but they have four other locations in the metro area. The staff is nice and accommodating, even to those who are cranky (which most people in chronic pain can be). Only fly in the ointment is the lack of Friday and weekend hours ... but if you're in pain, you'll make it work!

BEST PLACE TO SPEND AN ENTIRE PAYCHECK ON SNEAKERS
Burn Rubber Sneakers Boutique
202 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-543-3000
Don't question the sneaker dedication of rapper Roland Coit (stage name Octane) and professional tap dancer Rick Williams: The pair of friends once drove 11 hours to New York to visit the flagship store of Japanese clothing company A Bathing Ape, and promptly drove back once they finished shopping. Coit would later wear the pink-and-gray kicks he purchased there with his wedding tuxedo. These days, Coit and Williams are the ones peddling multihued, hard-to-find shoes and streetwear out of Burn Rubber, the Royal Oak sneaker boutique they took over in February 2007. Along with selling items like the Nike (h)Air Questo 1 — the limited-edition shoe designed by the Roots drummer ?uestlove — Coit and Williams keep the store entrenched in the hip-hop community that supports it. They regularly host listening parties for upcoming album releases, and the likes of rapper-actor Mos Def (Monster's Ball, 16 Blocks) and Detroit staples like Black Milk, Slum Village and Kanye West signee Big Sean have been spotted at the store as well. This summer, the store released Burn Rubber: The Mixtape, a disc that featured exclusive music from Coit and other top Detroit hip-hop acts. Talk about the best of both worlds.

BEST STORE FOR NOSTALGIA SUFFERERS
Mantra
3401 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-657-0728
This Midtown shop is a veritable haven for retrophiles who believe that vintage (almost) always equals better and that no home is complete without an owl-shaped candle, circa 1970. But it's not all kitschy knicknacks — although those abound in all their tacky, nostalgic glory — but also vintage furniture, lamps, wall-hangings and even clothing, all priced so that even the most cash-strapped shoppers can deck out their pad in something other than mass-marketed chintz. And while the store moved from cramped quarters in the basem*nt of Eastern Market Antiques to its current roomier (by comparison, at least) confines, every nook and cranny still overflows in a treasure-trove of kitschy, hard-to-find goods organized in no way whatsoever. You may have to spend hours browsing, but when you come up with that Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox just like the one you owned when you were a kid — hell, it might even be the same one — it will be well worth the dig.