Los Gatos Weekly-Times Photograph by Scott Lechner Lisa Lischka's Pure Path salon took first-place honors for giving the best facials in town. Owner Lisa Lischka, above, is also the hands-on winner as the best hairdresser in town. Thanks to the use of aromatherapy and massage techniques, customers find the facial experience both cleansing and relaxing. The Best of Los Gatos 1998 Goods & Services The specialty in Los Gatos is the specialty shop. From Domus--sought out by visitors from around the world--to the ever-popular Antiquarium, this is the place to find those great shops that don't look like cookie-cutter mall stores. Small wonder that Los Gatans begin to fret whenever they hear rumors of nationwide chain stores coming to town. Not that these stores aren't nice; they just aren't unique and special in the way that so many Los Gatos shops are. It's part of the small-town atmosphere that's so important to those who live here--and to those who come to visit. Ask those who provide goods and services in Los Gatos the secret of their popularity and the answer is always the same: They care about customers, often know them by name, and they provide personal service with a smile. Try to find that at the big malls. Best Thrift Store Happy Dragon A Los Gatos landmark for more than 40 years, the Happy Dragon is still going strong as the town's favorite thrift store. Staffed by 88 volunteers (and always looking for more) from the Eastfield Ming Quong Foundation, the Happy Dragon accepts donations and sells the merchandise to raise money for troubled kids. Store clerks stock an eclectic array of items, some more utilitarian than others. Customers come in to browse through the many racks of women's and men's clothing, or come in with a purpose, like finding a used toaster. Seniors drop by to shop or sometimes just to chat. On any given day, the Happy Dragon is a great place to pick up a terrific grandfather coffee mug, slightly yellowed paperback biography of Betty Ford, or that long-lost LP by '70s supergroup Styx. Happy Dragon, 245 W. Main St., 354-4072 Best Grocery Store Lunardi's As part of a five-store chain that started in San Francisco in 1953, Lunardi's tries to be a cut above the usual supermarket. The Los Gatos store boasts a full-service deli, spectacular meat counter and produce section. At the deli, the store specialty is the potato salad. Instead of buying pre-cut meat and fish from distributors, butchers cut all orders individually. The produce section is kept as fresh as possible. The store also carries gourmet items, does catering and offers a fully stocked wine section complete with its own wine steward. Any items not found on the shelf can be ordered, and the staff does its best to be as helpful as possible. Lunardi's, 720 Blossom Hill Road, in the King's Court Shopping Center, 358-1731 Best Hardware Ace Los Gatos Hardware Ace Hardware, founded in 1977 by lifelong Los Gatans Bob Allen and Gary Kankel, used to be considered a pretty big store. But that was before the current warehouse-style megastore approach became popular. Allen and Kankel tripled the size of their store when they moved from the King's Court Shopping Center to Los Gatos Boulevard 11 years ago, but Allen says that the store is still small enough that anyone who walks in can expect to get help as soon as they ask for it. "If someone wants help with something, we can give it to them," he says. "It's not like a Home Depot or something where they just point." Allen proudly says he knows many of his customers like old friends. "People in town call me at home if they're in a jam on a Sunday night," he says. "They know us and we know them. ... It's part of the old tradition, where you live in town, work in town and have your business in town." The only hurdle, Allen says, was when Home Depot opened a store in Campbell in 1992. "Sales flattened for a while, but now that people have gone down there to shop, it's picked up again, and business is coming back steadily." Being in the hardware business, Allen says, is still exciting after more than 20 years. "People always have a different project, and it's fun to try to help them figure it out." Ace Los Gatos Hardware, 15300 Los Gatos Blvd., 356-7103 Best Facial Pure Path Pure Path owner Lisa Lischka came to Los Gatos from Louisiana 11 years ago. Although the connections she was expecting to make fell through, she stayed in town and got a job at a salon. Four years ago, she opened her own concept-oriented facial and hair salon with a unique bent: organic aromatherapy. Pure Path specializes in using Aveda products for a special brand of facial that's designed to relax customers like nothing else. "We really focus on the face, and incorporate massage and relaxation," she says. For a full facial, customers get their own room in the salon, with relaxing music and absolutely no interruptions. "And I can feel your tension." Lischka says she guarantees customer satisfaction, but doesn't need to. With a full facial, she says, "you'll feel good for a couple weeks." But the whole point isn't that the organic products cleanse the skin more naturally because they don't have any preservatives, synthetics or plastics. Instead, she says it's all about relaxation: "People really need to take time out, and this is a really good place to do it." Pure Path, 110 S. Santa Cruz Ave., Suite A, 354-3852 Best Gardening Service Joe Talamante Joe Talamante is a one-man show, and he prefers it that way. "I guess I just don't really want to employ anyone," he says. His laid-back approach seems to be working. He's been getting gardening jobs in and around Los Gatos by word-of-mouth since 1970. "If you're around long enough, you just get to know people," he says. Talamante does his weekly rounds trimming, mowing, fertilizing, pruning or doing general garden maintenance for about 30 regular customers. Sometimes, there's a waiting list for his service. Talamante, who remembers his first lawn-mowing job at age 7, says he worked his way through elementary school, junior high, high school and college by gardening, then started adding jobs one day at a time until it was a full five days a week of work. "It's always been steady," he says. "I work regularly, put my time in, don't cut corners, and talk with the customers and try to be open to what they say." Joe Talamante, 266-2097 Best Deli Delizioso Delizioso carries the full lunch range--salads, sandwiches and desserts. Chinese chicken salad is a customer favorite, but the three-salad sampler closes ranks in the crunch department close behind. There's Thai noodle and almond chicken and a brightly colored salad of corn, beans and jicama, so choosing three can be a challenge. Sandwiches that draw the most followers are the turkey pesto and the turkey bacon, but all with the layered look have their adherents. For vegetarians there's an Italian veggie sandwich, composed on ciabatta bread and adorned with roasted red pepper, provolone, lettuce, tomato and sprouts. Vegetable polenta also beckons. On the sweet side, chocolate chewies and brownies (to die for) get the accolades here. Brownies are generously sized and wear a walnut topping. Key lime tarts are not to be ignored either. Steve Zanardi is the owner. A large painting of a red cow with golden bell overlooks the operation. Too bad her sense of smell is no longer intact to enjoy the tempting aroma. Delizioso, 133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 395-7737 Best Place to Buy Cigars Tie: Dominion, Havana Hideaway Cigars have made a decided comeback; it's one of the latest trends. Besides the traditional cigar handouts when babies are born, there are other milestones to celebrate with a cigar--bachelor parties, say, and cigars are showing up more and more on golf courses. Its popularity is a reflection of the hectic lifestyle here, theorizes Dominion's manager Nowell Olson. "You make a time commitment with a cigar. You have to sit down and enjoy it, and in so doing, turn off the rest of the world. You're saying to yourself, 'I've worked hard. I deserve this respite.' " It's a lifestyle choice, a reward, a symbol of fine living. And it's thoroughly respectable for women in today's world, although 95 percent of the store's customers are still buying for men. Jeff Priapi and Mark Pearson are the store's owners. Havana Hideaway has been in town about a year and a half, following the smoky cigar trail. When health-conscious Californians decry the smoking of cigarettes, it seems a decided contradiction to find cigars so popular. But aficionados claim that the tobacco in a cigar is untreated, thus not as carcinogenic as cigarettes. Plus, most cigar smokers smoke only one a day and don't inhale. Havana Hideaway is actually a club, an upstairs hideaway that offers a smoking room, with a humidified retail room just off it, upstairs from The Studio, an office and home theater shop. The Hideaway boasts 80 members, long-term cigar smokers who come with their wives for a smoke after dinner instead of a drink. Owner is Grant Sedgwick, and managers are Juliet and Peter Simpson. Two Andys are on the premises, too--Andy Elwell and Andy Zarou. Dominion, 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-1516 Havana Hideaway, 3 1/2 N. Santa Cruz, Ave. 399-1867 Best Jewelry Store Yellow Brick Road The vast selection available at the Yellow Brick Road keeps everyone traveling toward that fantasy path where dreams may come true. Colored-stone jewelry, articles made of platinum, antique-looking offerings, charms, custom-made adornments, baby gifts--all can be found at this one-stop jewelry store. Some 50 top designers create items found here, including the handiwork of the owners themselves, Diane Disbrow and Gary Shepcaro. They credit their longevity and popularity to the warm, friendly atmosphere they maintain, plus the customized service and attention to detail and customer needs. Big sellers currently are wood-grain-look wedding bands made of folded metal a-la-Samurai swords and combining gold of different colors. Here customers can find jewelry to match clothing, mother and baby cameos, the delicate work of Madrid designers Carrera y Carrera and the cloisonné classics of Ayalar Bar. Yellow Brick Road, 17 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 395-9225 Best Women's Clothing Adrienne's Adrienne's stays up to date on what's selling well, keeps supplies current and doesn't rush the seasons. Sweaters are still on the shelves when warmer wear is needed, and cooler items are still available when it's summer outdoors, unlike the situation in large department stores where buyers may feel as though they're in a time warp, what with the speed-up in seasons. Adrienne's has been at this location for 20 years; its chief customers are women between 30 and 60 who have frequented the store most of their buying life and are on a first-name basis with the staff. Service is a key word and includes a courtesy card whereby after four purchases, there's a 25 percent reduction on the fifth. Karen Kane, BCBG, Polo, Laundry and Calvin Klein are among the designers carried. Adrian Kerwin is the owner; Anne Cowell the manager and Betty Dahlgren a knowledgeable fashion help, too, having worked at Chrislow's earlier. Adrienne's, 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-0069 Best Card Shop Fiori's Pat and Bob Bagnato's Fiori's boasts one of the largest selections of greeting cards around. Plus the extensive categories are deep, meaning there's quite a number to choose from in each of those categories, a plethora of choices for marking different occasions. And the categories offered are often unusual, not to be found elsewhere, such as cards that acknowledge a new venture and cards that are thank-you notes from children. Pat orders the cards on twice-yearly buying trips. Can sympathy cards for cats be far behind? Fiori means flower in Italian, the theme the Bagnatos chose when the gift shop opened 18 years ago. The store has doubled its original space in that time. Pat's twin, Pam Wells, is manager. To steal a jump on Christmas, Fiori's will hold its annual Champagne Open House on Oct. 24 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Los Gatos cats in concrete are a signature item here. Fiori's, 728 Blossom Hill Road, 358-2133 Photograph by Max Becherer Lyn Austere, manager of Summit Bicycles, tries a new cruiser on for size. Voters said Summit is the best bicycle store in town. Best Bicycle Shop Summit No, Summit isn't up in the hills. It was probably named Summit because owner Leslie Austere once lived in Santa Cruz and made that daily commute over the hill. Summit has been in operation for four years, and Lyn Austere, brother of Leslie, is the manager. Summit covers the whole panoply of bicycle ownership and maintenance--from kiddie bikes to mountain bikes. A popular selling item these days is a hybrid, a cross between a mountain and road bike; it has all the gears of a mountain bike but more built-in comfort, such as higher rise handle bar. Summit has touring bikes, BMX bikes and cruiser bikes. The shop rents bikes by hour or day and also offers demos. If the rider later buys a bike, the demo fee is waived. Custom fitting each bike to the customer is important here and a free, life-time tuneup comes with each purchase. Summit Bicycles, 100 S. Santa Cruz Ave., 399-9142 Best Art Gallery Tercera Tercera is one of the few galleries around to offer studio furniture as well as fine art. There's a growing interest, a decided revival, in studio furniture, says Tercera owner Seb Hamamjian. The trend is spotted in museum exhibits that feature it more and more. Studio furniture is furniture made by hand by artists and craftsmen. Hamamjian saw the trend coming and jumped on the bandwagon. He's always been interested in hand-crafted furniture himself. He's just returned with eight of his artists and their handiwork from the prestigious SOFA (Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art) Exposition in Chicago. Closer to home, Tercera shows the work of Eric Hoffman, a Los Gatan who teaches at the San Jose Museum of Art. His works on display now are contemporary paintings on wood. Another local represented is Robert Milnes of San Jose. Tercera means three in Spanish; two other galleries are in Sharon Park in Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Hamamjian's partners are Mark Becker and Nancy Lewis. Tercera, 24 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-9484 Best Car Dealer Swanson Ford Family-owned Swanson Ford is celebrating its 60th year and is well into its third generation. Robert Swanson, son of the founder, is president and CEO, and his sons, Bruce and Steve, are general managers. Customer satisfaction is the foundation of the business. Swanson does it all--service, repair, parts. And they have the staff to back it up--89 employees. The Swanson crew think of themselves as a family unit and a good neighbor, beyond being a business. One of the biggest four-wheel sellers these days are the sports utility vehicles, the Explorer and the Expedition. Their strong point is their versatility--they're practical yet elegant. With leather interior, it's a luxury vehicle that can go to church or the Fairmont. And the pickup bed for cargo and multiple doors make it practical as well. Trucks and Mustangs are still part of the popularity lineup for Ford too--for those who missed the train on the first Mustang go-round. Swanson Ford, 16005 Los Gatos Blvd., 356-2101 Photograph by Max Becherer They've got it all at the ever-popular Domus, including a terrific selection of candles. Best Candles, Best Store for Browsing, Best Specialty Store, Best Home Accessories Domus Domus employees are amazed at the number of tourists who check out their store. Both foreign and domestic visitors include Domus as a stop on their itinerary. There are many different buyers for the store, and that variety is reflected in the wide range of offerings. Kitchen equipment is perhaps the most popular division, but there are linens from France and dishes from Japan, so it's an international lineup. To welcome all those visitors, the official cats doormat is on sale here. There are chef hats for both adults and children. It's a user-friendly store: Requests for items not in stock are answered. Mother and son team of Margaret Smith and Jerry Leto are the owners. Domus, 40 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-6630 Best Dry Cleaners Ford Cleaners Step into this shop and realize it doesn't smell like a cleaning establishment. That's because the equipment is new, totally up to date and odor-free. Sniff the just-cleaned clothes and witness again--no odor. A boon to employee and customer alike. Chong Eun Kim and his wife, Kyung Am Kim, have owned the Ford Cleaners for six years, but their cleaning experience goes farther back than that. Kyung is a professional at alterations and her husband unparalleled at spotting. That's in getting spots out, not putting them in, of course. Their presser is the highest pressure available, so top-of-the-line crispness counts here. Beyond their adeptness at cleaning, the Kims credit their success to the pleasant atmosphere they present, with a smile and a friendly face. The Kims like to get to know their customers. Ford Cleaners, 33 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-2050 Best TV, VCR Repair Radio Shack Customer service is what sets Radio Shack apart from other electronic-goods stores, employees say. Repair work is a major component of Radio Shack action. The local shop is owned by Ferdie Nuguid and has been in its present location, in the Nob Hill Shopping Center, for two years. Though other Radio Shacks are found throughout the Bay Area and beyond, the shop is not a franchise, but individually owned. It's the place to get the myriad of small parts needed for electronic repairs and installation. Many of the supplies found here were unknown a few short years ago. "You've got questions; we've got answers" is a Radio Shack motto. The electronic gamut is run here. Phones and accessories the biggest sellers, but also on hand are camcorders, TVs, calculators, home security systems, cassettes, and games--games as simple as Black Jack or as complex as computer chess. Radio Shack, 15734 Los Gatos Blvd., 358-3166 Best Tailor Shop Tie: Designer Tailoring, Rose Cleaners The Designer Tailors are Thuan Ho Dang and Nguyet Nguyen. They've been in business more than 10 years and pride themselves on becoming friends with their customers. They met when both worked at the Stanford Shopping Center. Nguyen worked at Los Gatos' Village Tailor for eight years, too. There's more than 20 years experience behind them. Because their work is both good and fast, they receive strong recommendations to others from satisfied customers. The Designer Tailors do a brisk bridal business. Indeed, whole families come to them to be outfitted. They also do alterations, curtains, pillows, even recovering cushions. They can custom tailor without a pattern. The material and the customer's measurements are all they need. The tailor at Rose Cleaners is Shieda Masoum. She is at the shop every day to answer questions and requests. She hails from Iran and has worked at Rose for 10 years. She can bring old dresses up to date with her remodeling savvy. And Shieda has a special rapport with customers. "I love my customers," she enthuses. She has had 35 years of experience making her own clothes, starting at 17 when she made a velvet suit for herself. Her artistry can change wedding gowns to customize them to each bride's requirements and taste. Her customers appreciate her talents, whether it's a tuck here or there, new hem or zipper, or a full-scale customized creation. She credits her mother, an artist, with bequeathing her an artful way with textile, color and design. Designer Tailoring, 467 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-8903 Rose Cleaners, 6648 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-4255 Best Party Store Diddams Steve Diddams is the owner's name, so that's how Diddams became the party store. Now there's a total of four in the Bay Area. Diddams offers considerate prices and plenty of variety. There are party items for adults and children alike. One of the more unusual items offered are hats of all kinds--jester hats, king hats, medieval hats. Put these on your head and a complete transformation takes place--to another time, place and persona. Silver balls that hang from the ceiling a la dance palaces of the '20s are to be had, so elegance in party-giving is not ignored either. And there are plenty of horrid things on hand in time for Halloween--rats in three colors, teeth that can walk, bleeding candles, plastic monsters and faux vomit. But the pieces de resistance are the plethora of eyeballs--eyeballs that bounce, that erase, that terrify, that do everything but sing. A jester's hat has eyeballs sewn on the tips of each protruding devil's panel. Here's looking at you, kid. Diddams Amazing Party Store, 18 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 395-1165 Best Gym Los Gatos Athletic Club Los Gatos Athletic Club is continually evolving. From its first emphasis on racquetball and aerobics, when it opened in 1981, its most popular offerings now are yoga and tai chi, though the two more rigorous sports are still on the menu. Many club-goers have been members since it opened, and as they age the club keeps up with their changing wants and needs. Robin Cannon teaches water exercise in the master swim classes for those who want to pursue the health benefits of disciplined swimming. And the spin classes aren't for those stationed at a loom, but seated instead on a special bike with a leader who takes the class on an aerobic journey, switching speeds along the way. Also on hand is wellness director Karen Holden, who offers regular seminars on stress management and who can be seen on a personal basis by appointment. Her son, Lee Holden, is a massage therapist and also teaches tai chi. Both male and female massage therapists are available. Owners Ed and Shirley Burke send out a newsletter to keep members apprised of new programs and new findings in health matters. Los Gatos Athletic Club, 285 E. Main St., 354-5808 Photograph by Scott Lechner Nine years after she opened Soles in downtown Los Gatos, Heidi Rehbock is still winning accolades from customers, including those who told us that Soles offers the best shoes. Best Shoes Soles Boots are what shoe buyers are honing in on for winter merchandise at Soles. It's predicted to be a cold winter, says Soles owner Heidi Rehbock. With a name like that, it's no wonder she went into shoes. Boots will be mainly black, gray and brown. Gray is the fashion color of the moment, Rehbock reports. Indeed, there's even a gray flannel shoe coming to Soles. It'll be in a ballet-type flat and a Mary Jane. The resurgence of swing dancing has meant a revival in Mary Janes. The heights of fashion can be reached at any number of inches this season: All heel dimensions are in style. Soles has an enviable selection and will match prices with the bigger guns. And Elvis still lives: He's a parakeet who tapped his beak on the window demanding entry two years ago and has been there ever since. People want to buy him, but he picked Soles and at Soles he will remain. Soles, 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 399-5162 Best Home- Appliance Repair Lance's Appliance Repair Lance's Appliance Repair is now known as Los Gatos Appliance. It's been a gradual name transition since Barry Giannoni bought the business from Lance six years ago, but now Lance can officially retire. All major household appliances are under the purview of LGA--washers, dryers, freezers, refrigerators, dishwashers, trash compactors. Being a Leigh graduate of '82, Giannoni is committed to the community, sponsors a yearly jogathon at Loma Prieta School and participates in Career Day at Leigh. The shop is between Lark Avenue and Highway 85, and major appliances can be bought and serviced there. Giannoni has been known to answer emergency calls in the mountains, transporting appliances purchased elsewhere on their last leg to their new home, since 40-foot delivery trucks can't make it through the hairpin of mountain roads. Lisa Brown is dispatcher and Joe Torres the new technician. Los Gatos Appliance, 15011 Los Gatos Blvd., 356-7906 Best Antique Store Antiquarium Antiquarium is a Los Gatos institution, having been in operation for 30 years. Owners are mother and daughter team Shirley Henderson and Denise Harr. The shop name is an amalgam of antique and emporium. Shirley was a bottle digger and sponsored a boy's bottle club years ago. From that collection grew Antiquarium. The Antiquarium niche is bottles and toys--fun things, says the effervescent Henderson. Toys abound and it's a trip back in time for folks. Toy soldiers in the window stop males, ages 2-85, in their tracks. Collectors and retailers, a.k.a. buyers and sellers, are so local that buying trips are usually over the counter. Antiquarium is one place where you can still buy something for a quarter--a marble, say, or a post card. The most expensive article is a baker's rack, vintage 1880s, priced at $3,000. Oldest item is a magic lantern, precursor of animated films, wherein a lion has been chasing a native for 116 years. Yet never catches him, you'll be relieved to learn. Antiquarium, 98 W. Main St., 354-7878 Best Florist Bunches Bunches owners Roger and Nancy Copolillo grow their own flowers in their Watsonville nursery, so Bunches produce is both fresh and reasonably priced as a result. Godzilla bouquets are $40, huge bouquets for those "who really want to get their message across." Near the cash register are older flowers, marked down. They may not last as long as their fresher cousins, but they certainly perk up a room or a recipient. Flowers are the most spirit-lifting of home accessories. It's a lot more work and a lot more fun to work at Bunches, say employees. You use your own initiative, helping customers choose just the right combinations. There are a lot of different choices, because in addition to the local products, the tropicals come in from Hawaii on Thursdays. Its arrangements are creative, its atmosphere fun and autonomous, so it's a delight to work there, say those who do. When you're playing hand maiden to mother nature, how can you miss? Bunches, 14 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 395-5451; and 15992 Los Gatos Blvd., 358-6575 Best Garden Supply Smith & Hawken Quality and service are the words that best describe Smith & Hawken, the upscale garden shop. It started 17 years ago as a mail-order business dedicated to bringing English gardening tools and accessories to the colonies. Now there are 33 stores all over the country and the catalog is still available for purchase ordering as well. Forcing kits (no need to panic: these are bulbs forced into bloom) will be big for the holidays. Candles, wreaths, garden accessories, bird houses, fountains, and the ultimate in tools can be found here. At Smith & Hawken the smells are tantalizing. In a giant barrel, holiday potpourri is on sale, a treat for the senses and the season. Holiday Open House will be held Nov. 6, from 5 to 8 p.m. Here's a shopping sampling: orchids, bisque pears that sell out in two days, rain hats and gear, dresses, shoes from Italy. Once you put the shoes on you'll want to walk, the factory claims. Charlotte Verdini is the manager; Doreen Fagan, assistant manager. Smith and Hawken, 26 N. Santa Cruz Ave., 354-6500 Best Health Foods Whole Foods For a whole lot of wholesome foods, there's no topping Whole Foods, the full-service supermarket located in Los Gatos' Cornerstone Shopping Center. The one-stop shop for fresh, healthy--and sometimes alternative--groceries and more, the spacious store includes a meat market, a taste-tempting bakery, a deli area, a frozen-foods section, a bountiful produce area and bulk foods. Free-range poultry, organic fruits and veggies and strict vegetarian or vegan delicacies are the norm, not the exception, at Whole Foods. The refrigerated sections offer drinks and premade meals, among other conveniences, while the WellSpring Cafe serves up fresh fruit smoothies, a variety of espresso drinks and other treats. There's also a section of the store devoted to nutrition, vitamins, bodycare, weight management and the three H's of alternative medicine: herbal, holistic and homeopathic. For shoppers overwhelmed by choices, Whole Foods offers a variety of literature, all free: its Daily Dinner and monthly market specials fliers, Natural Health Shopper newspaper and Delicious!, a glossy magazine that covers in its pages what Whole Foods covers in its aisles. Check the store out on the web at www.wholefoods.com. Whole Foods Market, 15980 Los Gatos Blvd., 358-4434 [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, October 21, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.