Goods Staff Picks

Best Local Toothpaste: Cuprident Photo By: J.D. Cutter

Best Local Toothpaste:
Flouride-free toothpaste sounds a little odd at first, but the folks at Cuprident Toothpaste explain that, because of the fluoride in tap water, the additional fluoride in regular toothpaste might cause an excessive buildup of fluoride in the body with toxic effects. Cuprident’s all-natural alternative is made here in Cincinnati, distributed widely and cleans your choppers without any chemical aftertaste. www.cuprident.com.

Best Embrace of Organic:
All 12 bigg’s in Greater Cincinnati have been awarded organic retailer certification for produce by Quality Assurance International, which verifies that stores handle organic goods according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program. When mainstream grocers start offering organic food throughout the area and not just at their upscale stores, you start to understand the world is changing.

Best Tulip Trader:
Tulips are serious business in Holland. During the 17th century you could trade them for a house, at least ’til the bubble burst. Trader Joe’s brings authentic Dutch tulips to locals at considerably better prices: $4.99 for 10 stems. 7788 Montgomery Road, Kenwood, 513-984-3452.

Best Bloomin’ Advice:
If you have a small landscaping project (less than 300 square feet) and the DIY ethic but don’t have an eye for design, the Bloomin Garden Centre can help. For $75 they come to your home or business and consult with you. You also get a $75 certificate to spend at their nursery. 8793 Kenwood Road, Blue Ash, 513-984-8733.

Best Retail Promotion:
You know it and so do we — independent, locally owned businesses are what make cities thrive. The “Cincinnati Unchained” movement is letting everybody else know that, too. Unchained is all about breaking away from the chain store habit. www.buycincy.com/unchained.html

Best No-Hype New Chain Store Opening: American Apparel Photo By: Joe Lamb

Best Olive Oil Selection (Per Square Foot):
Dean’s Mediterranean Imports packs in a tremendous selection of more than 120 varieties of olive oil from around the world at their Findlay Market shop. Ask Dean for a recommendation and he’ll gladly have you on your way to fruity olive oil bliss. Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine, 513-241-8222.

Best Incense to Banish Memories of Evil Incense:
That awful dimestore nag champa your roommate used to burn while watching Pink Floyd’s The Wall? That’s not real incense. At least it’s incense in the same way that White Castle makes “hamburgers.” Wild Berry has quality aromatic blends that are lovely, subtle and celebratory. 15 W. High St., Oxford, 513-523-4345.

Best Place to Watch a Movie in Peace and Quiet:
The Esquire has a lot of movies worth seeing, coupons worth using and attendees who go to watch the movie rather than yell at the screen. Take your awesome girlfriend, persuade her to stuff her bag with 22-ounce Newcastles, and you’re in for a great time. 320 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, 513-281-8750.

Best Place to Hear Babies Cry and Cell Phones Ring During a Movie:
If you miss Mystery Science Theatre 3000 as much as we do, take in a film at Springdale Showcase Cinemas. Interactive movie watching climbs to new heights by viewers who loudly instruct the characters, share their hot new ringtones and generally make it impossible to focus your attention on the screen. 12064 Springfield Pike, Springfield, 513-699-1500.

Best In-Store Concert: Charlie Louvin at Shake It Records Photo By: Joe Lamb

Best Place to Set a ’70s Film:
If Paul Thomas Anderson ever wanted to film a prequel to Boogie Nights, Western Bowl would be the perfect location. Much of its decor hasn’t been altered since Nixon was in office, yielding an odd time-capsule feeling that brings back the days when polyester shirts and mutton-chop sideburns were in vogue. That said, Western Bowl remains a West Side touchstone of unrivaled singularity. 6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, 513-573-2222.

Best Place to Read About Esoteric B Movies:
Tim Lucas’ Video Watchblog is a B-movie lovers wet dream. Price Hill resident Lucas’ broad knowledge of obscure horror movies is nearly unrivaled, and his thoughtful, detail-laden analysis is a breath of fresh air in a genre of writing that often falls prey to purple and/or amateurish prose. www.videowatchdog.com

Best Book About an Italian Horror Film Director:
In an age when publishers of every stripe are questioning the future of the printed word, locals Tim and Donna Lucas finally published their lavishly designed, exhaustively detailed magnum opus, Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark. Yes, the biography on the cult Italian horror director has finally seen the light of day some 30 years after its inception. The result is a 12-pound, 1,128-page, glossy full-color love letter to a director whose esoteric career Lucas has made it his mission to celebrate.

Best Reason to Stop Using an Apple Computer:
Your Mac laptop has just crashed, and you need a quick fix to finish up a huge project due tomorrow. Just take it to the Apple Store in Kenwood Mall, right? They’ll tell you that to have repairs done at Apple stores, you now have to go online and schedule an appointment at the “Genius Bar.” That’s like a tow truck driver telling a stranded motorist to just drive somewhere and meet him. To make it worse, it isn’t always easy to get an appointment right away, so forget any deadlines you might have had. To get around this silliness, just call them at 513-791-9866 and choose extension 5. They don’t like to advertise it, but they still take phone reservations.

Best Place to Find Your New Favorite Dress: Plum Diore Photo By: Plum Diore

Best Way to Prove Cincinnati’s a Real City:
IKEA. Whether this flat-packed Swedish super center has you jonesing for some modular furniture or the idea of a giant yellow and blue warehouse full of rabid bargain hunters has you running the other way, nothing proves the consumer-readiness of your city’s population like an IKEA, even if it’s in West Chester. 9500 IKEA Way, West Chester, 513-779-7100.

Best Contemporary Furniture Gallery That Isn’t IKEA:
If you’re looking to invest in quality modern design without the wash-and-wear sensibility of cheaper options, look no farther than Bova. They’ll hook you up with super sleek furniture at a good price, and it’ll last. If that isn’t enough to get you there, they also have golden retrievers wandering around the store. Dogs make great sales people. 11349 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, 513-247-9100.

Best Buy-In at a New Store:
At last, a store that makes it “easy being green.” Park + Vine opened last June on Vine Street at Central Parkway (hence the name), calling themselves a “green general story” and offering environmentally friendly and ecologically minded merchandise from suppliers in Cincinnati and beyond. You’ll find furniture and home décor made from recycled bicycle parts, personal care and cleaning products, apparel and footwear. Store owner Dan Korman is engaged and involved in making people more aware of ways to make the world a better place through green living via a blog and an informative Web site. CityBeat readers agree, naming Park + Vine Best New Store and Best Green-Oriented Business. 1109 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-7275.

Best Summer Diversion:
Late March seems a little early to be discussing trips to Putz’s Creamy Whip, but they’re open now for their 58th season. Eating ice cream on a hot summer day while sitting on a picnic table is what makes humans superior to all other species — it’s why we have thumbs. With the explosion of franchise ice cream spots throughout the country, it’s a breath of fresh air to eat unhealthily at a place that’s remained largely the same for generations. Nothing says summer like a soft-serve chocolate-and-vanilla swirl cone, a Bomb Pop or a foot-long hot dog. A true West Side tradition. Putz Place and West Fork Road, Mount Airy, 513-681-8668.

Best Store for Guitar Lovers:
Like in most forms of retail, mom-and-pop musical instrument stores have mostly fallen by the wayside as the larger companies swoop in with their chain outlets, selling at prices with which non-independent stores just can’t compete. You can support local independent retailers by giving Guitar Lovers Store in Kenwood a visit. Whether you’re in the market for new gear or just like to admire fancy guitars you’ll never be able to afford, GLS is a cool spot to just hang out. They even host live music by local musicians (everyone from Blues guitarist Sonny Moorman to Surf music purveyors The Maladroits) on weekend afternoons to draw customers to the store and keep them there for a while. The staff is more knowledgeable than most of the gear-heads at the big chains and, though prices tend to be a little on the high side, we hear they’re always open to negotiation. Just like a good mom-and-pop should. 7342 Kenwood Road, Kenwood, 513-793-1456.

Best Emporium of Zest:
Herbs & Spice and Everything Nice is a foodie fantasy, with more than 400 different culinary herbs and spices and more than 100 certified organic and kosher. They’ll even blend spices to your tastes. Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-4800.

Best Book Store for Art Fans:
Carteaux and Leslie is part book store, art gallery and custom framer where you can sit and read if something on their shelves strikes your fancy. Art shows are usually modest but always interesting; up now are masks from around the globe and vintage “Bollywood” posters. 921 Vine St., Downtown, 513-721-9555.

Best Custom Jewelry Shop:
Exotic Arts & Antiques peddles handcrafted jewelry that’s as unique as you are. Moonstone, peridot, amber, malachite, jasper, turquoise, sterling silver that’s bent, twisted and honed — if you can name it, you’ll likely find it here. The owner is friendly and personable and so is the house cat. Prices are quite a bit lower than you might think. 34 S. Broadway St., Lebanon, 513-932-1317.

Best Place to Accessorize:
What could a jewelry-loving alternative chick love more than a one-of-a-kind necklace and earring set? Mahatma is full of them. Moving from their closet-size store downtown to a much larger space near the Aronoff Center in the past year, Mahatma is the best place to splurge on your sweetheart. 639 Main St., Downtown, 513-723-1287.

Best Small Way to Make a Big Difference:
Ten Thousand Villages has all fair trade goods, meaning that craftspersons around the world were paid living wages for their work. The result is low-cost, high-quality art and gifts that leave you with a clear conscience. 2011 Madison Road, O’Bryonville, 513-871-5840.

Best Reason to Sit Up and Beg:
Strasse Dog, the MainStrasse dog shop, offers nice people, great products and good prices for an independently owned pet supply shop. Fido is welcome to come in and pick out his own toy — but keep that leg down, boy. 605 Main St., Covington, 859-431-PETS.

Best Stripper Pole:
Although the Web site warns these poles can’t support more than 220 pounds of side weight, Flirts Fitness definitely has the healthiest stationary metal rods in town. Strip off the pounds with an after-work pole dancing session or any of their other body empowering dance classes for women. Nothing ups your prospects with a potential mate quite like a strip tease. 6813 Harrison Ave., Bridgetown, 513-574-7300.