2005 Index of Winners

A haven for comics, cards, games, figures and accessories, TITAN GAMES AND COMICS offers nearly everything a hardcore geek could ever want or need. Three locations are conveniently located throughout the metro area to suit your sci-fi and fantasy cravings. Titan’s website is a virtual conduit to all the stores and offers a link to upcoming gaming events, eBay auctions, and a special page for new comics and merchandise. The locations in College Park and Duluth offer game leagues for heated bouts of Warhammer or Call of Cthulhu, among others. Heck, they’ll even help you find like-minded gamers. A social life is waiting, so go for it.
5436-J Riverdale Road, College Park, 770-996-9129; 2585-C Spring Road, Smyrna, 770-433-8226; 2131 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth, 770-497-0202. www.titangamesandcomics.com.

OK, so it’s a national chain, but PLATO’S CLOSET has more of the feel of a neighborhood boutique than your typical big-box retailer. Though the findings are rarely fancy, serious diggers can occasionally score labels like Armani Exchange and Bebe among the standard selection of Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Express and similar brands. Plus, with eight locations in metro Atlanta, they’re easy to find.
1428 Dunwoody Village Parkway, 678-320-0760; and other locations. www.ecoline.com.

Over at CHAMELEON COSMETICS, we’ve found the kind of personalized service that’s difficult to get when you’re fighting crowds at the mall. The Virginia-Highland boutique invites customers to stay and play with complete make-up sampling stations and wash-off sinks. Owner Pandora Golden customizes concealer and foundation shades and sells them at prices comparable to the department stores’. A complete range of skin-care products includes toners, face masks and preparations made especially for men.
1054 St. Charles Ave. 404-685-9868. www.chameleoncosmetics.com.

For those who didn’t know, SATELLITE RECORDS used to be an actual satellite, one of an East Coast chain of dance music vinyl stores. Now, however, Satellite is locally owned and operated, and doubly proud to be the shop around which both bleary-eyed bedroom DJs and transient transatlantic superstar jocks can be found. From humble beginnings in the basement of Wish to its current Moreland Avenue storefront, Satellite has remained the spot for record spinners, or just to spin through to pick up flyers for the week’s hawt happenings.
421 Moreland Ave. 404-880-9746. www.satelliterecords.com.

The girls who love girls who love dogs at Camp Woof have the city’s best hound playground. Your pooch can expect personalized attention and shameless displays of affection from the staff. A webcam allows you to see Spot play with 40 pals on a jungle gym and pint-size furniture from the convenience of your desk chair. For dog-lovers on the go, Camp Woof also features a small gift shop and offers boarding, grooming and obedience classes from the cleverly named Beastie Darlings trainers.
608 DeKalb Industrial Way. 404-499-9008. www.campwoof.com.

Over the last year, we’ve been pleased to find that the beautiful buildings lining EDGEWOOD AVENUE are being put to increasingly good use, with retailers popping up at the corner of Edgewood and Randolph. More like a gallery than a store, Bleu Orchid offers a Zen-like display of slender stilettos from brands including JLO. Nearly next door, Clay’s Gallery sports abstract paintings and other artwork. Just across the street, we find ourselves gazing wistfully into the Lighting Loft, where we can indulge our every desire for modern and nouveau-retro interior lights and lamps.
Bleu Orchid Shoes, 572 Edgewood Ave., Suite 119. 404-653-0664. Lighting Loft, 593-B Edgewood Ave. 404-522-2074.

The crazy thing about the Lakewood Antiques Market is that, with its 1,500 dealer booths, you really do need the full three days that it’s open every month to see all that’s there. We’ve found beautiful antique buttons, gently used train cases, old apothecary bottles and enough vintage postcards and posters to decorate a whole house. And though the retro furniture and old-time armoires leave us wanting them immediately, we always find ourselves biting our tongue and making offers late Sunday afternoon, because we know that’s when we’re most likely to find a bargain.
2000 Lakewood Ave. 404-622-4488. www.lakewoodantiques.com.

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Though the big-box chains certainly sell everything under the sun, we’ve always preferred the mom-and-pop shop feel of HIGHLAND HARDWARe, with its faint smell of woodchips and service-with-a-smile staff. But don’t let that atmosphere confuse you: This store is a serious business with a national reputation for its emphasis on woodworking. Its selection of tools is sold nationwide through both its catalog and website, while classes on everything from power tool techniques to the care and maintenance of finished surfaces continue to elevate the 27-year-old store’s profile as a leader in its industry.
1045 N. Highland Ave. 404-872-4466. www.tools-for-woodworking.com.

Could we take our beat-up economy cars to someplace other than Cactus Car Wash? Probably. But why would we? When we come in early in the morning, we get delicious coffee. When it’s cold outside, there’s a nice fire to keep us warm. And now the heat has us pleased that we can buy chilly beverages while we wait. Televisions and magazines keep us occupied while computer stations and Wi-Fi keep us from having to skip a beat on the workday. Taking our cars here leaves us feeling more pampered than our automobiles, which do indeed emerge from the wash and wax services looking shiny and new.
575 Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-876-3232; 2980-A Piedmont Road, 404-846-4040. www.cactuscarwash.net.

There was once a time when we could call on a Wednesday to book a Saturday appointment with Robin at GROW. But with a move to an expanded salon in Decatur Station (the old location burned down) and its new status as a Bumble and Bumble salon — taking stylists and colorists to NYC to get up to speed on the latest techniques — we now have to book our Saturdays a month in advance. With an additional Reader’s Choice this year, it’s safe to say our little beauty secret is out.
627-C E. College Ave., Decatur. 404-373-7775. www.growsalon.com.

The trickling fountain and New Age music in its ultra-modern Buckhead spa are just the beginning of the soothing experience at DOBEL SALON AND SPA. Try the Desert Stone therapy, a Swedish massage coupled with hot stones, or the mineral-rich Italian Fango mud treatment to detoxify tired limbs. Other favorites include the cellulite-reducing Peppermint Sea Treatment and the Bacial pore cleansing (especially for men) to keep you clear of back-ne. Complimentary valet parking and refreshments keep the experience divine.
3365 Piedmont Road, Suite 1250. 404-264-1007. www.dobelsalon.com.

An inky paradise of perverse pain and pleasure, BLACK CAT TATTOO is located in Decatur and attracts and employs a number of L5P regulars. An unpretentious location is the headquarters for the heavily inked carnival of artists with a head full of design ideas and bodies that serve as a fleshy canvas to exhibit their craft. The house rocks in many ways since many of the employees and customers are active in the rock and burlesque scenes. Nervous first-timers are welcomed into the easygoing, no-pressure environment with a helpful, and yes, quite colorful, staff.
1059 Oak Tree Road, Decatur. 404-636-0400.

With their creations divided into categories like Tuesday Supper Club, Saturday Shoe Shopping, Dancing Till Dawn and Meeting His Parents, TURQ DESIGNS takes the guesswork out of choosing the right jewelry for life’s special occasions and events. Friends Lee Addison and Katherine Weeks made jewelry for fun, but they soon discovered that their hobby had potential to become a successful business. Now their bold semi-precious stone necklaces and earrings are sold all over the country as well as on the company’s website. Their mother of pearl Hilary earrings are perfect for summer and — true to their word — their green turquoise Lane necklace has definitely been credited for winning over the boyfriend’s folks.
404-733-4400. www.turqjewelry.com.

When we want our attempts in the kitchen to turn out right, we turn to THE COOK’S WAREHOUSE for the tools that will get us there. Heavy-bottomed cookware from All Clad and Swiss Diamond transfer heat more evenly, resulting in fewer incidents with scorched recipes. Star-shaped ice cube trays and sure-shot pourers keep our parties swinging while all manner of cookie-cutters keep our baked goods looking good enough to eat. And when we run out of inspiration, the demo kitchen offers affordable cooking classes that revive our creativity.
www.thecookswarehouse.com.

When rushed to find those last-minute gifts for a Mother’s Day brunch, friend’s engagement party or brother’s birthday dinner (how did we manage to forget about those soirees, anyway?), we never take a second to stress about what to buy. Instead we stop in at METROPOLITAN DELUXE on our way over, because we know we’ll find something that will please everyone. With its selection of glorious fresh-cut flowers, divine candles, slutty soaps and cheeky cards, you can please both the irreverent sibling and the finicky mother-in-law all in one trip.
Also at 1034 N. Highland Ave., 404-892-9337, www.metropolitandeluxe.com.