BEST REMAINDER TABLE AT A CHAIN BOOKSTORE 2003 | Borders Books & Music | Goods & Services | Phoenix
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The heck with sightseeing! When we're out of town, wherever we happen to be, we always drop in at Borders Books & Music to check out the remainder table. That's because this chain always offers the best recently-out-of-print hardcovers and remaindered books on its bargain tables, which are wisely scattered throughout its large stores.

But our all-time favorite remainder table is the one at Borders' Biltmore store on East Camelback. Don't ask us to meet you for lunch anywhere near this particular bookshop if you mind that we'll arrive late, dragging along a bagful of cool finds. Just last week we scored a leather-bound Martin Chuzzlewit, a pop-up Book of Job, and a first-edition hardcover of John Irving's last novel, the version with the alternate cover art. Yeah, okay. So we're word nerds. And as long as Borders keeps plying us with gorgeous page-turners at rock-bottom prices, we'll stay that way.

We love to shake our booty -- and our belly. But where to find the goods to make our booty beautiful? Welcome to Belly Dancers Boutique. Everything we could ever need is in this store. There are belly dancing costumes (custom, Egyptian, Turkish and India imports, tribal and cabaret). There are beads, swords, music and jewelry. We can even sign up for classes to improve our style, from beginning belly dancing to choreographed belly dancing, to belly dance shimmy specialties. When we get really good, we graduate to classes on sensual dance, and dancing with swords. We've got to say it -- these are some great shakes!

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR CAR FIXED WHILE EATING LUNCH

Mercedes-Benz of Chandler

Oh, it used to be such a hassle when we needed to get the Benz tuned up. We'd have to cancel lunch with our friends, miss a round of golf at the Club, even set the VCR to tape our favorite soap opera. It was such a stress, we always had to make sure the maid set us up with a spa appointment immediately after the ordeal. So what a relief it was to find Mercedes-Benz of Chandler, where we can schedule an appointment (they guarantee no waiting), or simply show up whenever it's convenient. Not only does the dealership have the best factory-trained and certified technicians, but it has a spacious guest lounge that's almost as pampering as our Club. It starts with shaded portico valet service. Then, we can dine in the Silver Star Cafe, selecting from fresh-made-daily sandwiches and light fare like salads, vegetarian food, croissants, homemade English muffins with Canadian bacon and Gruyère, yogurt and granola, panini, fresh-brewed coffee and iced tea. There's a small putting green should we want to get in a little practice. And we can keep up with As the World Turns watching the lounge's digital satellite televisions. Civilization, we salute you.

Readers' Choice for Best Auto Repair Shop: Sun Devil Auto

It's not called "animal attraction" for nothing. Creatures great and small (humans included) secrete pheromones, chemical substances that oh-so-subtly stimulate whoever happens to catch a whiff -- it was only a matter of time 'til somebody bottled it. At Unique on Central, N10Z -- "Undetectable . . . undeniable . . . the world's first gay pheromone product" -- can be had, two ounces for a mere $39.95. What makes it gay? Apparently, scientists at California's Human Pheromone Science Institute have discovered the chemical makeup of pheromones that cause attraction between men. And as long as we're "enhancing," why stop with scent? Up the, uh, ante with the California Muscle thong swimsuit ("Look larger than life while at the beach or catching the sun"). Prefer to do your enhancing in private? The shop's online store is open 24/7.

Okay, so we don't actually get to stomp the grapes here, but this is the closest experience we can imagine (and frankly, we're not averse to lying to our friends by saying we did). Because at Sorelli's, we can make our own wine, complete with our own label. It's true! This mini-winery provides kits with all the ingredients we need to fashion our favorite beverage -- juices, concentrates, and the helpful knowledge to guide us through the complexities of perfectly balanced pH, acid and tannin levels, and recommended aging. More than 100 different recipes are available in reds and whites, from dry to sweet. Each kit yields 28 to 30 bottles, and Sorelli's lets us create a custom label for our batch (a terrific wedding memento, we think). The staff even helps us select the perfect wine for our purposes -- perhaps a lively Chilean Chardonnay, a bright berry Spanish rioja, or a charming ice wine for dessert. Now that's something worth toasting!

Domestic Bliss is just that for any aficionado of the rusty, flea-market, faded floral look coveted by the shabby chic crowd. The store even carries the hard-to-find fabric marketed through Rachel Ashwell, the woman who popularized the decorating trend in the 1990s. Alongside the poppy and rose-strewn linens, you'll find picture frames, flower pots, furniture -- even jewelry and body products, all in the shabby chic spirit.

The youngest among us can get in on the trend. At the back of the store is Baby Bliss, featuring baby linens, as well as a large selection of Baby Lulu clothing (the choice of any self-respecting shabby chic mom) and quaint toys and iron cribs that look like they came from a yard sale, but without the lead paint.

Who would have thought that inside a small storefront in drab downtown Mesa, of all places, we could find such style? Maybe someone should hire Domestic Bliss to decorate the town! Mesa could use a little chic to go with the shabby.

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