Best Record Store 2011 | Radio-Active Records | Shopping & Services | South Florida
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Best Record Store

Radio-Active Records

Ian Witlen

Purchasing music at Radio-Active Records still feels good. Unlike stores that would be just as happy to sell you a flat-screen television or a Twilight paperback, this spot is where everyone — buyers and sellers alike — is all about the records. Stow a pile of choice discs behind the front counter until payday if you must, but it's likely that these rare jazz, psychedelic, or even bluegrass vinyl finds are gonna make it tough to leave empty-handed. Add the unmatched selection of new, mind-melting music in all genres and the blistering shows held on the sizable stage in the back and going home really isn't viable anymore, is it?

Best Gift Shop

To the Moon

C. Stiles

To the Moon's dedicated-bordering-on-psycho proprietor, Antonio Dumas, not only curates the store's Eurotreats, candies, chocolates, and greeting cards but also its many shelves full of novelty knickknacks. Need a Rolling Stones coffee mug? A talking rubber nun for your dashboard? A beer bong with a detachable penis nozzle? All of these things have passed through Dumas' little store on Wilton Drive. If all those things don't appeal to you, check out the exotic chocolate bars; Dumas sells more than 80 varieties. Swing on by: The man could sell anything, and probably will.

Best Place to Donate Clothing

Covenant House Florida

Since 1985, Covenant House Florida has provided a safe haven for homeless and runaway youth, including teen parents and their babies. The Fort Lauderdale crisis center never closes the door, offering at-risk teens food, shelter, and, most recently, on-site educational services and substance-abuse programs. Covenant House then strives to help these kids transition back into the world, including finding them work. Unfortunately, in many situations, teens arrive at the center with little to no belongings, usually just what's on their backs. So you can imagine in this struggling economy how difficult it might be for someone to find a job without the proper attire. So next time you clean out your closet, stop by Covenant House Florida, a place where donations will go to good use.

Best Asian Market

Sasaya Japanese Market

The Japanese Market is a great one-stop shop for people adept at cooking Asian food — but it's an especially excellent find for the culinarily challenged among us. A sushi bar in the back serves affordable nigiri, sashimi, and rolls that are too tasty and beautiful for their styrofoam plates. Then again, it's a humble joint, and that's part of the draw — you eat seated on dingy wooden stools that match the raw wood countertops overlooking the parking lot of the Gateway Shopping Center. The salad roll is a perfect weekday dinner — lettuce, tomato, avocado, and carrot wrapped traditionally and served with ginger dressing. Order a few pieces of nigiri to round it out. The market also has the traditional fixins — noodles, sake, and snacks in all varieties — even Kikkoman instant miso soup, actually quite delicious.

Best New Trend

Self-Serve Frozen Yogurt

The gourmet frozen yogurt craze spread from Los Angeles to New York like a bad rash throughout the past few years, but it almost completely skipped South Florida — until recently. Within the past year, the self-serve frozen yogurt trend has grown to cupcake proportions — and it's not as though our climate doesn't warrant the late-blooming craze. Cream, on Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach, added self-serve to its offerings, and Orange Leaf opened on Atlantic Avenue. Yogurtland popped up in Coral Springs, and Yogurt Ur Way became a Las Olas fixture in a matter of weeks. Perhaps the trend sprang from the recession (you pay only for what you intend to finish), or maybe it's a product of body-conscious culture (you add only as much topping as you want). But whatever cultural phenomenon made the trend viral, it's a welcome epidemic.

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