Best Budget Spa Event 2008 | Spa Week | Shopping & Services | Phoenix
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Best Budget Spa Event

Spa Week

Forget Disney World. The first thing we'll do after we win the lottery is head straight to the spa. The unequaled bliss of a day of pampering, fortified by a chorus of angels trilling "aaaaahhhhhhh" in the background, beats standing in line for the Pirates of the Caribbean any day. Unfortunately, the cost of that kind of pampering heads straight up to the stratosphere and could, quite possibly, rival a mortgage payment (or a Park Pass). That's why we're in a lather over Spa Week. Launched in 2004, this annual event aims to bring resort day spa pampering to us regular folks at a budget-friendly price: $49 for nearly hourlong treatments at 22 of this year's participating spas. How about facials at the Arizona Biltmore, Swedish massages at the Mondrian, pedicures at the Valley Ho? We've only two regrets — that it happens once a year, and only for a week. But tick tock, we're already counting the days 'til next year, and you can, too, by checking the Web site.

Best Boutique Pedicure

Sundrops Nailspot

Don't get us wrong: We're all about the cheap mani/pedi. We've scoured the city for low-end (but not dirty!) spots to get our toes polished for under $20. But sometimes, a girl's just gotta have a little primping, and that's when we head to Sundrops.

Not in the hoity-toity spa category, this pretty little spot has a cute "nail bar" and comfy spa chairs (that aren't falling apart!) and sparkly pink touches everywhere, from the clothing and accessories available up front to the shiny-tiled bathroom in the back. Your feet will sparkle right up to your heels with our favorite, the "Down and Dirty," $55 for an extra-long foot massage and the only method in town (something about walnut shells and seaweed) we've found that actually softens our calluses.

Cheaper options are available, like a mini-pedi for $26. But we like to splurge so we can stay as long as possible.

Best Alternative to Sending Flowers

Nothing Bundt Cakes

We'd sent brownies and iced cookies to just about everyone we know, which is why we were so happy to find a sweet new alternative to flowers. The folks at Nothing Bundt Cakes have turned the humble bundt into a work of art, starting with a moist, rich cake in your choice of flavors, and pouring on a sinfully thick cream cheese icing, then festooning the whole thing with a huge sunflower or another equally adorable theme.

With Nothing Bundt Cakes, you can have your flower and eat your cake, too. Tasty!

Best Trophy Shop

Award Mart

We've used this mom-and-pop shop just off the McDowell exit of the 51 for years — and never once experienced a bad attitude, a missed deadline, or even a typo. And we know we're not alone in appreciating Award Mart's charms: Just about every time we're in there, we run into a cop or a politically connected attorney picking up a plaque or trophy. They clearly enjoy the place's friendly vibe and professional work just as much as we do.

Best Wedding Supplies

Wedding Accessory Superstore

Shopping for a wedding is the worst. Especially if the wedding isn't yours. Sure, shopping for your dress is kind of fun — getting to feel like a princess and having tons of attention lavished upon you always is — but the rest just sucks. You can burn a lot of gas driving from shop to shop looking for what you need, or you can just get it all at the Wedding Accessory Superstore. We were skeptical at first, too. The name sounds a little Wal-Mart-y. But this place is great. You bridesmaids will love it because of the surprisingly good selection of hip, re-wearable and affordable dresses. You'll love it because you can buy everything but the flowers and the cake here. For your dress, you might want to look elsewhere, but for all those other random little things you just have to have to tie the knot, this is your spot.

Best Resource for the Home Chef

Sweet Basil Gourmetware and Cooking School Inc.

We went for a 14-inch pizza pan and ended up hauling home a giant bagful of other stuff and signing up for a cooking class, as well. Once you've been to Sweet Basil, you'll understand why. There's too much temptation in this shop, which is clearly run by people who love hanging out in the kitchen as much as we do. We've looked around, so we know that there are few (if any) other places in these parts where one can find a good pair of pizza shears and a decent-size Parmesan cheese shaker. We love Sweet Basil's unique selection of serving pieces, cookbooks, paper goods, cookware, linens, barware, and gadgets. And don't get us started on this swanky shop's gourmet food and coffees; we'll never shut up. Suffice it to say we can't stop eating their grilled vegetable sauce, which we discovered when we took Sweet Basil's pizza-making class, one of a dozen or so different on-site cooking tutorials the shop offers for a mere 50 bucks apiece. We can't decide which to sign up for next, "Creative Chicken" or "Foods of Chile." While we decide, we'll continue to cruise the aisles of this, the best cook's corner in town.

Best Resource for the Professional Chef

Phoenix Knife House

It's no wonder people call Phoenix Knife House the barbershop for chefs. This inconspicuous little shop is not only a treasure trove for folks who need serious gear for the kitchen, it's a place for chefs to hang out and talk knives, food, and life with owner Eytan Zias, himself a former chef whose résumé includes stints at Kai, Circa 1900, and Fiamma, as well as New York culinary hot spots like Aureole, La Côte Basque, and Craft.

As the shop's name implies, Zias is serious about knives, carrying 12 different lines of high-end cutlery, mostly Japanese. In fact, he claims to be the only person in the U.S. to carry prestigious Sugimoto cutlery, whose roots are in swordmaking. You can have Zias hand-sharpen your blades, or he'll give you a free sharpening lesson so you can do it yourself at home. Along with knife rolls and sharpening stones, Phoenix Knife House is also the place to stock up on chef jackets, houndstooth pants, and clogs, books on culinary topics, and an assortment of utensils, from spatulas to rolling pins. Yep, there really is everything but the kitchen sink.

Best Baking Supplies

ABC Baking Cake Decorating & Party Supplies

We've always loved ABC Baking, but recently we took our favorite 7-year-old there, and experienced the place anew. The kid was awestruck by the rows of old cardboard boxes of treasure in the form of plastic cupcake toppers — bearing everything from the brand-new Kung Fu Panda to old-school bowling pins/balls. We bought a pile of the latter, along with a bag of Yummiland doll rings (if you have to ask, consider yourself lucky), plates, napkins, the makings of icing and a pile of pink bakery boxes (you can never have too many). We can't wait to go back — and neither can the 7-year-old.

Best Art Supplies

Arizona Art Supply

Oh, sure. You can get paintbrushes at any art supply store. But how about airbrushes? Or grease pencils imported from Latvia? Or one of those clever, little wooden guys with all the movable joints?

There are art-supply stores, and then there's Arizona Art Supply, where the help treats you like a favorite houseguest and you can buy stuff you didn't know existed, like a handmade pine easel that collapses into a tiny box for easy transport. We wanted to make a lampshade but didn't know where to start, so we headed over to Arizona Art Supply and, after conferring with the friendly staff, came away with handmade paper from London, a pair of pinking shears, and a lot of suggestions about where to start. We also couldn't resist a calligraphy set, a sale-priced packet of oil paints, and a canvas. We know that once we're ready to tackle the art world — or the vagaries of hand-lettering — all we need do is drop back by our favorite art-supply house for a little friendly instruction.

Best Graffiti Art Supplies

Just Blazed Hip-Hop Smoke Shop & Gallery

Graffiti artists of the Valley, we feel your pain, yo. Sucka politicians are constantly trying to put the smackdown on your creative efforts with their anti-graffiti programs and by handing out some pretty wack penalties if you're caught doing your thing (including up to $150,000 in fines and more than three years in the clink). Luckily, the hustlas behind Just Blazed are on your side, as their McDowell Road shop is a hyped-up haven for taggers such as yourself. They've got glass display cases filled with more than 300 different colors of spray paint, including such brands as Belton Molotow and Montana, as well as a hundred different kinds of permanent paint pens available. The owners will also let you test out your designs on the cinder-block fence of the joint's courtyard or on the walls of several closet-size booths, far from the prying eyes of John Q. Law. If you need some additional inspiration, they also sell CDs from local hip-hop artists like MC Bener One and Willy Northpole.

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