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2009 Best of the Valley

Best Shopping

SHOPPING FOR PEOPLE & PETS

Best Children's Clothing

1. Epidemic Skate Shop. The skateboard culture unites at this fully stocked shop with skateboard-inspired clothes and gear you won't find anywhere else in the valley. The best part? The store is constantly mixing it up, so be sure to check in often; 68-802 Ramon Rd., Cathedral City; 770-4177; epidemicskateboardshop.com.

2. Target, valleywide

3. Old Navy, Palm Desert

Best of the Rest: GapKids, Palm Desert; Mary Helen Children's Shop, Palm Desert; Gymboree, Palm Desert; Blonde at the River, Rancho Mirage; JadaBugs, Indio; Wal-Mart, valleywide; College of the Desert Street Fair, Palm Desert

Best Jewelry Store

1. Leeds & Son Fine Jewelers. Rare gems, exquisite timepieces and inspired jewelry designs from around the world are presented in this showplace managed by skilled professionals. Not just the ordinary, call them extraordinary when it comes to a specialty gift to mark the occasion or speak to thee of love; 73-670 El Paseo, Palm Desert; 568-5266; leedsandson.com.

2. Robann's Jewelers, Rancho Mirage

3. DeLuca Jewelers, Palm Desert

Best of the Rest: El Paseo Jewelry Exchange, Palm Desert; Frasca Jewelers, Palm Desert; Definitions, Rancho Mirage; Hephaestus, Palm Springs; The Jewelry Box, Palm Desert; Kay Jewelers, Palm Desert; B. Alsohn's Jewelers, Palm Desert

Best Pet Store

1. PetSmart. One stop for Spot that's the cat's meow. Bring along your cat or dog and get everything on the shopping list, like food, then a toy, a cozy bed or a little house to call their own. Birds, hamsters, fish and other special critters are also available and waiting for good homes. Three locations: Palm Desert, 34-900 Monterey Ave.; 324-3059; and La Quinta, 79-375 Hwy 111; 771-4058; and Palm Springs, 5601 E. Ramon Rd.; 325-9711; petsmart.com.

2. PETCO, valleywide

3. Cold Nose Warm Heart, Palm Springs

Best of the Rest: Pet Luv, Palm Springs; Bones-N-Scones, valleywide; Three Dog Bakery, Palm Desert; Smoke Tree Pets, Palm Springs; Ambrosia Pet Deli, Palm Desert; Premier Pets, Palm Desert; Paws & Reflect, La Quinta

Best Thrift Store

1. Collectors Corner. If you thrive on adventure, then you'll love a shopping tour through this unique thrift store that benefits our Eisenhower Medical Center. A gently used collection of books, clothing, jewelry, bedding, furniture and more is organized in a neat and tidy environment. You'll love the friendly staff, too; 71-280 Hwy 111, Rancho Mirage; 346-1012.

2. Revivals Resale Mart, valleywide

3. Angel View Thrift Marts, valleywide

Best of the Rest: St. Margaret's Cellar Door, Rancho Mirage; Goodwill, valleywide; American Cancer Society Discovery Shop, Rancho Mirage; Southwest Community Church Thrift Shops, valleywide; Leather Plus, Indio; City of Hope, Cathedral City; Oasis Thrift Store, Indio

Best Toy Store

1. Toys "R" Us. Their renowned atmosphere of fun, happiness and excitement is inviting to youngsters and oldsters alike. Treasured favorites like a Barbie, a swing set, or a bike or trike meet Guitar Hero and the latest computer games and accessories. The wide selection of fun for all gives this toy heaven its legendary status; 72-314 Hwy 111, Palm Desert; 346-1122; toysrus.com.

2. Target, valleywide

3. Mr. G's For Kids, Palm Desert

Best of the Rest: Hobbytown USA, Palm Desert; Wal-Mart, valleywide; Museum Store, Children's Discovery Museum, Rancho Mirage

Best Women's Shoe Store

1. DSW Shoe Warehouse. A visit is always a step in the right direction. After all, you can peruse miles of designer styles for men and women at prices that are always a welcome surprise. Athletic shoes, strappy sandals, sensible loafers, exotic heels... oh my! Reserve enough time to see them all, and to make the right choices; 79-150 Hwy 111 #102, La Quinta; 564-4702; dsw.com.

2. E & J's Designer Shoe Outlet, Palm Desert

3. Macy's, Palm Desert

Best of the Rest: Marshalls, Palm Desert; Snookies Footsies , Palm Desert; Saks Fifth Avenue, Palm Desert; Robert's Fine Shoes, Palm Desert; Shoe La La, Palm Springs; Famous Footwear, Palm Desert; Gottschalk's, Palm Springs

SHOPPING FOR FOODS & WINES

Best Chocolate Shop

1. Brandini Toffee. Paradoxically, the winner in this category is neither a chocolate purveyor, nor operates a shop. More astoundingly, neither of the founders are yet out of high school. But their chocolate-covered English toffee has put them at the top, not only here in the desert, but has also brought them appearances on national TV programs like The Martha Stewart Show. It started as a project to earn money to take a high school trip to Italy in 2007. Two best friends since preschool in La Quinta, Leah and Brandon had their trips paid off in full, plus earning spending money, all within a couple of months based on sales of their irresistible toffee. (Now they're making money for college.) You'll find their very elegantly packaged, handmade confection at Jensen's Fine Foods, valleywide, and also at Jennifer's Kitchen & Catering, 70-225 Hwy 111 Rancho Mirage; 324-3904; brandinitoffee.com.

2. See's Candies, valleywide

3. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Rancho Mirage

Best of the Rest: Cafe Chocolat of Palm Springs, Palm Springs; Bristol Farms, Palm Desert; Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates, Palm Springs; Lea's Chocolate Shop, Palm Springs; Palm Springs Candy Company, Palm Springs; Trader Joe's, valleywide

Best Grocery Chain

1. Trader Joe's. It's not your mother's grocery chain (actually it probably is). The culture of adventure, informality and humor that goes with sophisticated offerings at great prices defines this immensely successful food purveyor which first opened in 1966 in Pasadena. Out-of-area visitors always wish they had one. (The 316+ stores are mostly along the two coasts and around the Great Lakes.) Lucky us, we've got three: Cathedral City, Palm Desert and La Quinta (so far); traderjoes.com.

2. Jensen's Finest Foods, valleywide

3. Stater Bros., valleywide

Best of the Rest: Bristol Farms, Palm Desert; Ralphs, valleywide; Vons, valleywide; Albertsons, valleywide; Wal-Mart, valleywide; Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, valleywide; Henry's, Indio

Best Kitchen Shop

1. Kitchen Kitchen. There's a reason that Jan Boydstun's jam-packed store, founded by her parents in 1979, has won this top spot the last three years (since the category was established). Jan puts it best, recounting the observation of a visiting Texas rancher who took one look around the compact store that offers every kitchen utensil known to man on five continents and said, "Ma'am, you've stuffed 5 pounds of poop into a 1-pound bag;" 74921 Hwy 111, Indian Wells; 888-919-1466; kitchenkitchen.com.

2. The Upper Crust, Palm Desert

3. Williams-Sonoma, Palm Desert

Best of the Rest: Bed, Bath & Beyond, valleywide; The Alley, valleywide; Target, valleywide; Jennifer's Kitchen & Catering, Rancho Mirage

Best Specialty Food Store

1. Trader Joe's. Did you first try basmati rice, hummus, mango carrot juice or cherry clafoutis at Trader Joe's? How many times have you been stopped by the fragrance of something at the sample table, wafting from the tabletop cooker? Or been enticed into the store by the sonorous prose in the Fearless Flyer that explores such profundities as "Must polenta be Italian?" Let's face it, this place has enlarged our gustatory awareness and enriched our lives; in Cathedral City, Palm Desert and La Quinta; traderjoes.com.

2. Bristol Farms, Palm Desert

3. Jensen's Finest Foods, valleywide

Best of the Rest: The Upper Crust, Palm Desert; La Quinta Henry's Farmers Market, La Quinta; Clark's Nutritional Center, Rancho Mirage; Bouchee Fine Foods, valleywide; Jennifer's Kitchen & Catering, Rancho Mirage; Nature's Rx Natural Health Food Market, Palm Springs; Henry's, La Quinta

Best Wine Shop

1. Jensen's Finest Foods. Aside from providing a fabulous selection of wines, Jensen's offers education, as well. Regularly scheduled Saturday wine-tasting events, complete with gourmet cheese and crackers for a reasonable $5 per person in La Quinta, are augmented by "Wine Down Wednesdays." These are held in the new Palm Springs store and in La Quinta, where fine wines are poured at $4 per glass. "It's becoming quite the gathering," says Fine Wine Buyer Chris Longo. Wine professionals on duty are ready to answer any questions. La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. jensensfoods.com.

2. Trader Joe's, valleywide

3. Old Town Wine Cellar, La Quinta

Best of the Rest: Dan's Wine Shop, Palm Desert; BevMo, La Quinta; Desert Wines & Spirits, Palm Springs; Tulip Hill Winery, Rancho Mirage; Costco, valleywide; Los Angeles Wine Co., Palm Desert

SHOPPING FOR HOME & GARDEN

Best Art Gallery

1. R E Welch Gallery. With its focus on European art, particularly limited-edition sculpture, Welch Gallery bolsters the sophisticated tastes of desert art collectors. Five percent of retail purchases are donated to the buyer's favorite charity; 73-680 El Paseo, Palm Desert; 341-8141; rewelch.com.

2. Images By Gideon Fine Art Gallery, Palm Springs

3. Red Dot Gallery, Palm Springs

Best of the Rest: Coda Gallery, Palm Desert; Imago Galleries, Palm Desert; Richard Danskin Galleries, Palm Desert; Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert; Dezart One Gallery, Palm Springs; M Modern Gallery, Palm Springs; Incredible Artist.com, Palm Springs

Best Florist

1. Palm Springs Florist. In this calm and welcoming store, you can buy flowers by the stem to arrange on your own, have an arrangement made to your specifications, or get a ready-to-go creation. There's a greenhouse full of lush indoor plants, everything from sculptural bromeliads, cymbidiums and delicate English ivy to tall palms. You'll find myriad containers for both flowers and plants. Established by the current owners at this location in 1947, our winning florist figured it out a long time ago, it's the service; 894 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs; 325-7441 or 800-214-7441; palmspringsflorist.net.

2. J Ballow Signature Florist, La Quinta

3. Bungalow Rose Florist, Palm Springs

Best of the Rest: Ultimate Events, Palm Desert; Jensen's Finest Foods, valleywide; Rancho Mirage Florist, Rancho Mirage; Bristol Farms, Palm Desert; Lily of the Valley Floral, La Quinta; Indio Florist, Indio

Best Furniture Store

1. Mathis Brothers Furniture. Opened a decade ago, this Indio store offers the convenience of one-stop shopping for home furnishings. Said to be the largest furniture store in California, with just under 200,000 square feet of showroom space, you can peruse the latest designs and fabrics from top manufacturers in all price points. Baker, Century, Henredon, Marge Carson, Lexington, Berhardt, Lazy Boy, Broyhill are all represented. The area rug department showcases not only antique Oriental rugs but also new pieces from India, Pakistan and Persia. Mathis additionally sells lighting, artwork, accessories, mattresses and the latest television models from Sony and Mitsubishi. There's an in-house design team that will help you put it all together at no additional charge, as well as an area delivery service. The store can arrange for shipping nationwide; 81-410 Hwy 111, Indio; 775-9000; mathisbrothers.com.

2. Ambiance Unlimited, Palm Desert

3. Marc Russell Interiors, Palm Springs

Best of the Rest: Pottery Barn, Palm Desert; Estate Sale Co., Palm Springs; Ashley Furniture, Palm Desert; Erik's Furniture, Rancho Mirage; Legacy Home Furnishings, Rancho Mirage; Legacy Rooms Express, Cathedral City; Egg & Dart, Palm Desert

Best Home Accessory Store

1. Home Goods. You would need to make several stops around town to find everything available at this one incredible place. There are sensible and gifty ideas for bed, bath, kitchen and overall home decor. Rare and imported foods, too. Variety is the spice of life--and variety is what makes this store so interesting; 42-400 Washington St., Bermuda Dunes; 772-2047; homegoods.com.

2. The Upper Crust, Palm Desert

3. Bed Bath & Beyond, valleywide

Best of the Rest: The Alley, valleywide; Cost Plus World Market, Palm Springs; Target, valleywide; Ambiance Unlimited, Palm Desert; Pampered Bath Soaps & Gifts, Palm Desert; Pottery Barn, Palm Desert; Tchotchkes, Palm Springs

Best Nursery

1. Moller's Garden Center. Moller's has been a favorite of Coachella Valley gardeners for more than 35 years. The garden center is filled with everything a gardener needs, from bedding plants to gnomes. And on the flip side, they can also supply beautiful arrangements for all those flowery occasions in your life; 72235 Painter's Path, Palm Desert; nursery: 346-0545; flower shop: 346-9415; mollersgarden.com.

2. Living Desert Nursery, Palm Desert

3. Bob Williams Nursery, Indio

Best of the Rest: Lowe's, valleywide; Moorten Botanical Garden, Palm Springs; Vintage Nursery, Bermuda Dunes; Home Depot, valleywide; Darby Road Garden Center, Bermuda Dunes; Garden Center Nursery & Florist, Desert Hot Springs; La Hacienda Nursery, Indio

See more than 200 things you love about the desert: Dining - Entertainment - Recreation - Schools - Services - Shopping