m w.

kca nos tubes

You can mail-order, or you can call Mike K. and stop by his place. He also works on old hand-wired amps and does excellent work, fairly quickly. To me, he's kind of in the boonies but it's worth it to get the Bassman in tip-top shape.

He has *all kinds* of vacuum tubes at fair prices. He's also available to talk about what you need in a hype-free tone. Sometimes an expensive tube offers a better value by providing longer life, sometimes not. Mike is straight with you.

Purple Goose

A children's consignment store that pulls you in with the pretty dresses in the window, Purple Goose has a selection of top brands at top prices. They specialize in girl's clothes, accessories and maternity clothes.

It is convenient and the service is nice. But if you can afford it, why aren't you buying new stuff?

Silver Parrot Ltd

A great place for gifts. A wide selection of stones, birthstones for everyone. Unique settings. You could send your husband there with guidelines and he would come back with a good gift for his mom. They have a "wish list" which ensures he will get exactly what you want for *you* when you send him there.

The service is the highlight, with a birthday discount and an earring club.

Daily Planet Wine & Gourmet

A decent sized shop, clean and well-decorated, with a good if quirky selection of wines. Everytime I have brought a "wine guy" in, he has made a "delightful find" by browsing for a few minutes. I am more of a beer guy and while their selection is small and expensive I can always find something interesting and often excellent. I don't mind paying $8 for something new and adventurous since I don't drink much. This is the kind of place that gets you in the mood to drop that kind of coin on a sixer.

Anthony Richard Barber Shop

Watch trash TV and chat with Tony and the other guys. There used to be a disco barber with medallions who was a master at feathered hair. The truth is, you can get any sort of manly cut here, with minimal fuss and maximum comfort in the barber chairs. They're very good with kids.

Madison Cleaners

Stuff gets done consistently, drop off before you get on the train, pick up on the way home. They don't do it there, but it hardly matters since it's so convenient. The proprietress is very friendly and always has treats for my son and a dog to yelp at my dog. She does alterations, too, discreetly and well.

Produce Galore

I suppose it's kind of expensive but it's an incredible value for what you get. You can go there and know you're going to find it, and it's going to be top quality. They have expanded over the years and now offer cold cuts that they roast themselves. Do you know how hard it can be to find good cold cuts in some areas, let alone delicious, fresh, home-made ones? And don't forget the produce.

I grew up nearby and when it opened I used to think it was "Produce Gallery."

Firehook Bakery

Their baguette is slightly oily but where else ya gonna go to get something approaching the quality and freshness? The desserts are top notch and priced accordingly. They have all kinds of different loaves which is what they seem to really specialize in. They aren't cheap either. They have broken cookies as free samples so your kid won't be totally bored.