BEST BOOKSTORE
Borders Books & Music
It’s not an independent like Wailuku’s Maui Booksellers, but you
almighty readers have deemed Borders the best bookstore in all the
land. It does have the advantage of size and selection, as well as
handy little computers that tell you exactly where you can find that
one tearjerker Oprah was talking about the other day. The big store at
Maui Marketplace even offers occasional book signings and a nice coffee
bar/cafe for you to kick back with your new read. 270 Dairy Rd.,
Kahului, 877-6160.
Runner-up: Maui Booksellers, 105 N. Market St. #101b, Wailuku, 244-9091. (GG)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE FOR HOME DECOR WHEN PRICE IS NOT AN ISSUE
Minka Maui
Minka has this terrific art piece in their window called the Junk
Drawer. It’s a piece I look at again and again and never tire of
seeing. It’s full of found objects—the kind of things that may show up
in your own junk drawer at home, but it’s the size of a big bulletin
board. If you feel your junk drawer at home doesn’t have enough unique
and lovely things, conversation pieces and imported art, then this
little shop in Wailuku will have something for you. 1910 Vineyard St.,
Wailuku, 242-8705. (JR)
BEST TATTOO SHOP
Tie: Island Ink Tattoo Co. and Maui Tattoo Co.
Any place that’ll safely put needles in your flesh is all right with
me. But I do have a special place in my heart for Maui Tattoo Co.
That’s where I watched my roommate put a tattoo on her ass, and I got
my tongue and nipples pierced. I really feel like you bond with another
lady when you get topless in front of her and then she sticks needles
into your skin. Island Ink, 100 Hana Hwy, Paia, 579-9461; Maui Tattoo,
1945 S. Kihei Rd., 874-0034.
Runner-up: Skin Deep, 626 Front St., Lahaina, 661-8531. (HK)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE TO SEE PARIS HILTON
Paradise Spice
Oh sure, she’s been spotted recently at Ka’anapali Beach and The
Shops at Wailea. But the best place for a sighting of Paris
Hilton—although likely not in person—is in Wailuku, at Paradise Spice.
They stock over 15,000 adult video titles, including the infamous One
Night in Paris, as well as Leid in Hawai’i, Ball-Busting Babes,
Bodacious Boobies, Juicy Juggs and Double “D” Divas, to rent or own.
1010 B Lower Main St., Wailuku, 249-2449. (SC)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE FOR RETAIL THERAPY IN SOUTH MAUI
(Tie) The Enchantress/Sisters & Co.
I can’t decide which place is better. I recently discovered my inner
goddess at the new Enchantress boutique in Wailea. Of course, I also
found gorgeous gowns, lingerie, pink fuzzy suitcases, yummy perfumes,
Swarovski crystals and endless fun things to indulge myself. But
Sisters & Co. has the latest styles, summer dresses, amazing
jewelry, jeans, tanks and comfort clothes that make me you look and
feel fabulous. It’s a toss-up. I guess I’ll just have to keep going
back to both to see which I like better. The Enchantress,The Shops at
Wailea, 891-6360; Sisters & Co., 1913 S. Kihei Rd., 875-9888. (JR)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PUBLIC LIBRARY
Kahului Public Library
What can I say, except that it’s the biggest library on Maui.
They’ve got lots of stacks, a fair selection of DVDs, a good children’s
section and microfiche—the only library on Maui to have that, by the
way. What, don’t you just love feeding those weird filmstrips into the
machine and watching 50, 60 and 70-year-old copies of old Maui News,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser issues flip by? Guess
that might just be a journalist thing. 90 School St., Kahului,
873-3097. (AP)
EDIT PICK:
BEST NEW SALON
Studio 505
This cute little salon in Lahaina has a clever name, Ellie and
Lanessa styling hair, super deals on styles and full service nails to
boot. Nothing is more relaxing than a day at the salon, getting a great
cut, pedicure, manicure, some much-needed R & R and maybe even a
little Lahaina gossip, too. 505 Front St., Lahaina, 661-8868. (JR)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE TO GET A COPY OF JACK THE GIANT KILLER
Maui Child Toys & Books
If you want a children’s book, this is the place to go. They have
hundreds of books for children ranging from toddlers to pre-teens. Some
toys and games, too, but mostly they sell the books. Apparently the
owner, Democratic Party activist Shay Chan Hodges, thinks that getting
kids to read is a good idea. Whatever. Oh, and none of the toys sold
there came from anything like a Chinese sweatshop. Located on Makawao
Ave. in Makawao across from the public library, 250-6160. (AP)
EDIT PICK:
BEST INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER
Road Runner
If you really think hard and use your imagination, you might
remember the days before the Internet. Catalog shopping was popular
since there was no eBay yet; people read the classifieds every single
day; doing research meant going to the library, and all banking
actually took place at the bank. Yeah… those days were terrible! How
did we live like that? Nowadays, if you don’t have Internet service,
you might as well consider yourself a pariah. Thank goodness for Road
Runner and high-speed connections. (JR)
BEST SECONDHAND STORE
Savers
I used to hate going to secondhand stores. I don’t know, I guess I
always thought it was one of those things you do in childhood that you
grow out of. But now I love wandering the racks in search of random
trinkets and articles of clothing I didn’t even know I wanted. You
never know when you’re going to find that T-shirt no one else has, or
an inspiration for a costume party, or a new furnishing for your
household sold at a ridiculously reasonable price. It’s like a treasure
hunt! 380 Dairy Rd., Kahului, 871-7244.
Runner-up: The Rainbow Attic, 1881 S. Kihei Rd., 874-0884. (HK)
EDIT PICK:
BEST NEW BUSINESS IDEA
Weenies and Bikinis
That’s right, folks: hot dogs and hot chicks are together again.
This company’s founder is a true visionary—a real, red-blooded American
entrepreneur. He’ll open his hot dog stand on the corner of Main and
Market in Wailuku, so keep an eye out for it. I don’t think it’ll be
hard to spot. (JR)
BEST HARDWARE STORE
Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is like a large family—but a little more corporate—that
wants to help you find the materials you need to fix whatever needs
fixing. Ace has also been around a long time, giving locals a factor of
trust that big name, big warehouse stores have yet to earn, making Ace
the first choice for hardware needs. Ace has locations all over Maui,
probably making it the nearest hardware store to you. Located
island-wide.
Runner-up: Home Depot, 100 Pakaula St., Kahului, 893-7800. (KH)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE TO LEARN HOW NOT TO GAG
The Love Shack
I recently went lube shopping—uh, for a friend. And I discovered
quite an array of water-based, edible, numbing, stimulating, flavored,
all-natural creams, lotions, oils and lubricants at The Love Shack. I
found everything from Happy Penis Massage Cream to Kama Sutra
Lubricating Love Liquid. On the night in question, I also got a quick
lesson in which owner/goddess Lila Sherman showed me with graceful
finesse how to dab a little Kama Sutra Cool Mint Pleasure Balm on the
tip of my tongue in order to ease the discomfort of certain
Latin-worded practices that rhyme with Horatio. Kihei Kalama Village,
875-0303. (SC)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE TO GET A PET
Maui Humane Society
With so many beautiful animals, the Humane Society should be the
first place you visit when getting a pet. They care for a stunning
variety of dogs and cats, and their counselors are extremely
knowledgeable about animal health and training. They stand ready and
willing to help you find that special someone for your home. They also
offer dog training lessons, spaying and neutering, as well as a great
little pet supply store. Located on Mokulele Hwy, 877-3680. (JR)
BEST HAIR STYLIST
Carissa Anderson
This category, Best Chef and Best Musician are the only three that
honor individual artistic achievement. What, you didn’t know
hairstyling was an art form? Have you ever seen Nick Nolte’s or James
Brown’s mug shots? Hair stylists are the Michelangelos of mousse, the
Cezannes of clippers and the Sargents of shears. They passionately
share their gifts so that we can look our very best. This year, you
decided that Carissa from Colours Salon stood out from the crowd.
Please remember to tip her accordingly. She can be found at Colours
Salon, 444 Hana Hwy, Kahului, 871-1002.
Runner-Up: Rhonda Krynsen from Sisters & Co., 1913 S. Kihei Rd., 875-9888. (CN)
EDIT PICK:
BEST PLACE TO BUY GAS
Maui Oil Company
In these times of ever-rising prices at the pump, getting your gas
at the Maui Oil company will save you some money—they sell their gas
wholesale—but it also helps out a local company. You can get your
company involved as well and save on a whole fleet of cars. 16 Hobron
Ave., Kahului, 871-6220. (JR)
BEST RECORD STORE
Borders Books & Music
Okay, I know Borders offers a good selection of music. I also
recognize that they have reasonable prices and are totally convenient.
I’ve been known to drop some cash there myself. But, I feel like as a
“record store” the only real winner could be Requests, which in this
case is the runner-up. Where else on the island can you find an entire
basement full of records for sale? You can’t. And when you walk in,
there are vintage posters everywhere and cool music playing. It’s a
REAL music store, whereas Borders is a big chain bookstore that sells
music off to the side, between the calendars and the children’s
section. 270 Dairy Rd., Kahului, 877-6160.
Runner-up: Requests, 10 N. Market St., Wailuku, 244-9315. (HK)
EDIT PICK:
BEST INTERNET PHONE SERVICE
Pacific LightNet
Internet phones are the wave of the future. You get a Space Age
little box that plugs into your high-speed internet modem, then you
plug your regular old house phone into it and—presto!—you can make
phone calls. No telephone pole and wires needed. Pacific LightNet may
be based in Honolulu, but they are the only Hawaiian company bringing
you this service. For more information, call (808) 270-1000. (JR)
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