Best Place to Work on Your Vintage Motorbike:
The Zombie Shop
While vintage bike owners tend to know a thing or two about their obsessions, it's not like they got schooled overnight. Enthusiasts Brent Jackson, Mark Mosley and Kerry Campbell saw a need for a communal garage for local bike aficionados who not only couldn't always afford to outsource repairs, but who also wanted to learn to do rebuilds and tune-ups themselves. So they formed a new local co-op where gear heads of every expertise level can congregate, and also enjoy bike storage, tools, space to tinker, mentoring, workshops and a friendly environment to talk shop—all for only $40 a month. The result—which opened Oct. 9 at 504 Sixth Ave. S. on the East Side—is a DIY affair, but with all the shop services for folks still baffled by mechanics. Think of it as the place where vintage bikes are brought back to life—only without all the brain-eating. Tracy Moore

Best Dude to Fix that Very Cool, Very Broken Vintage Guitar You Just Bought:
Lin Crowson
Vintage guitars can be a fiery mistress, needing extra attention and insight to make ’em really sing like they should. Before you inter that beauty to the negligent care of your buddy’s friend who knows a guy that was a guitar tech for Enuf Z’Nuff once, you better call Lin Crowson. By day he works for Gruhn, but he handles customer repairs on his own time. He’s got a surgeon’s hands, an artist’s eye and an encyclopedia of guitar knowledge stored in that noggin of his—so you can be sure your new old ax will sound great and look amazing. Make an appointment at 364-2708. Sean L. Maloney

Best Grocery Store:
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's fanatics can agree that we had to wait far too long to acquire an outpost of the store in Nashville. One reason for the cultish gushing TJ's inspires is their creative specialty products—have you tried the Armenian string cheese? Chocolate-covered peanut-filled pretzels? Baked brie en croute? Wasabi peas? Chocolate-filled whole-wheat cereal bites? (This one's my favorite—it's a snack and a cereal in one, you see.) Others include the store's laid-back, organic-y vibe (they're based in California) and generous free samples. And the employees, who are paid an above-union wage, seem unusually cheerful. But a final reason to be excited about TJ's is more prosaic: They offer low prices on grocery staples like dairy, nuts and frozen fish. What's not to love? Emily Bartlett Hines

Best East Nashville Grocery Store:
Bill Martin's Food Store
Is it safe, you ask? Bill Martin's, at the corner of Fatherland and South 11th Street, is as tidy as it's been since the store's founding some 40-odd years ago. Need more reassurance? On a recent visit, a 6-foot-4-inch East Precinct police officer was helping bag groceries. But is it fresh? Last week, the butcher practically forced this writer to buy a rack of ribs. "This is what you want," he said. "Buy 'em. Put 'em in your freezer if you have to." Sure enough, they were fresh, meaty and tender––and only $5 for the whole rack! How about cleanliness? "100%" reads the Metro Health Department inspection score hanging in Bill Martin's deli––home to the best fried chicken south of Bailey & Cato Family Restaurant. Hit the Turnip Truck for your arugula, essential oil and artisan cheese, but get your milk, meat and cabbage at Bill Martin's. They've got 'em fresh, cheap and attitude-free. PAUL V. GRIFFITH

Best Lazy Way to Buy Groceries:
Belle Meade Harris Teeter's Express Lane
I call it lazy; my husband calls it time management. Either way you bag it, ordering your groceries online and having them ready when you are is pretty much the greatest thing for busy and/or self-involved types since organic eggs. Get this: You go to Harris Teeter's website, you sign up, you click through practically the entire store online—and if you can't find what you need, you just make a note of it and a personal shopper tracks it down. Then you schedule the order, and pick it up whenever you're ready. Sure, it'd be great to have it delivered, too, but let's not get carried away. Wondering how to weigh your valuable time against that $4.95 service charge? I don't know about you, but I've got episodes of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant to catch up on. (Also available at Brentwood's Peartree Village location.) Tracy moore

Best Market to Go to Every Single Day:
Jack's Market in Sylvan Park
Yours might not be a lifestyle that requires Jack's Market: If you have few vices and a well-ordered grocery list, you won't need to visit this homey, rather smoky-smelling mart. On the other hand, if have the kind of lifestyle that demands Jack's Market, Jack's Market is pretty much your only option. The place stays open about eight hours later than anything else in Sylvan Park, and in an area that's short on utilitarian shopping, no place else offer the same selection of partying aids, junk food and miscellaneous hygiene items. You must have some last-minute must-haves: Ben & Jerry's and Diet Coke? Playboy and Little Debbie? Beef jerky and tampons? Baked beans and lottery tickets? Cup of coffee and bottle of Drank? Then I'll see you at Jack's Market. Emily Bartlett Hines

Best Place to Scope Hot Dads:
Green Hills Kroger
Sure, there are perfectly serviceable grocers closer to home, but only the Green Hills Kroger carries the item truly desired: Hot dads populate every aisle, it seems, on the prowl for leafy greens, SpongeBob-branded cookies and a sneaky six-pack (carefully tucked underneath little Morgan's kicking feet). Every salt-and-pepper dreamboat raises so many distracting questions: Are you married? Do you live nearby this particular Kroger conveniently colonized by moon-eyed twentysomethings? Is that pretty lady hovering nearby little Madison's mother? Do you know that I love you? Oh look, we buy the same kind of olives! Swoon. 'Til next time, Green Hills Hot Dads. 'Til next time. Ashley Spurgeon

Best Place to Buy Old Furniture:
McLemore Auctions
Sure, eBay is the best workday time-killer since Minesweeper, but once you buy that 8-foot teal mid-century modern sofa from MadMan71 in from Sunnyvale, Ca., how're you gonna ship that bad boy home to Nashville? Guess what. Nashvillians have a bunch of cool old furniture, too—as well as jewelry, art and other attractive attic-and-basement detritus. Will McLemore is connecting buyers and sellers with an efficient no-minimum online auction at mclemoreauction.com. Headquartered just south of downtown, McLemore lets you inspect items before you bid and you can drive over pick them up when the auction closes. You eBay addicts can even leave your feedback in person—it's sure to be positive. Carrington Fox

Best Boutique for Shoppers on a Budget:
UAL

If sale racks are your favorite part of shopping, think of UAL as one giant sale rack. Short for United Amalgamated Liquidators, it’s a small Southern chain that culls unsold items from sales and store closings, then offers them at perversely reasonable prices. Of course, “reasonable” is relative, since brands represented include Chloé, Prada, Mark Jacobs and Jimmy Choo. But a $500 vintage Dior fur coat or a $7,000 dress marked down to $700 can be fun to admire. And if your budget is more attuned to the Gap than Dolce & Gabbana, they have a lot to fit it. While an atmosphere of bubbly feminine enthusiasm prevails in this warehouse-like environs, they also have stuff for men and kids. Emily Bartlett Hine

Best New Wine Shop:
The Wine Chap in Belle Meade
The Chap is a real person: London native Richard Payne, who jokes that he opened a wine store "because I couldn't think of anything else to do." The reality, as Payne's vinophile pseudonym might suggest, is that he has a passion for educating customers. The Belle Meade store's airy, 5,000-square-foot space is the ideal place to pick up some tips. It's filled with a larger-than-average selection that lets customers find things other stores don't carry (like Chateau La Roque Pic Saint-Loup from the Languedoc). For impatient drinkers (like me) who head straight to the liquor section, there's also an abundance of choice. The store only opened in April, and they have new items coming in all the time—Payne cites Rothman and Winter's Crème de Violette. Emily Bartlett Hines

Best Family Shopping for Multiple Generations (Men):
Levy's
With hot looks like Robert Graham's clashy-but-matching shirts and jackets, trendy Nudie jeans, urbanized western duds, CMA-ready evening wear and high-end board shorts, this definitely isn't your grampa's Levy's. Except that their tailored suits, Gitman Brothers shirts and renowned ties still bring in gramps, the well-turned-out executives and the twentysomething young man. Levy's may be a miniature department store, but instead of overwhelming with choice, they've already done the selecting for you—whether your style is senior managing partner, golf-is-life guy, or entrepreneurial dude in slouchy threads. Nicki Wood

Best Family Shopping for Multiple Generations (Women):
Anthropologie
Who would have thought their vintage, romantically twee looks would turn the store into an all-ages emporium? Stop by on a weekend afternoon and you'll see tweens flipping through the racks right next to the fit-and-gray set, all in search of something positively dreamy. Lean young'uns go for the filmy tunics, while career women pair long cardigans with modest skirts. Floaty and billowy, fitted, floral, bold or minimal—the sale room beckons the budget conscious, while the occasional designer label rings the bell at the other end of the fiscal scale. Nicki Wood

Best Hip-Hop Accoutrements for Folks WHO Are Actually Hip: Phatkaps
Dude, we know you bought that Run DMC T-shirt at Target—you can't fool us. You need to hook up some fresh threads. Points for trying, but get yourself over to Phatkaps on Bell Road by the Hickory Hollow Mall, and get some clothes that don't scream, "I'm faking the proverbial funk." The airy, inviting boutique carries the hottest new gear from LRG, Jeepney and The Hundreds, plus super-fly kicks from Supra, Nike and more. P.S. We know you got those shutter shades at the gas station. Just sayin'. Sean L. Maloney

Best Place to Buy a Used Bass Guitar and a Vintage Skirt in One Stop:
Fanny's House of Music
Named after 1970s all-woman rock band Fanny, this East Side emporium is one-stop shopping—provided that your needs are pretty damn cool. Located in an old Victorian home, Fanny's walls are decorated with album art from the great women of rock: Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, et. al. In one room are vintage Hagstrom, Airline and Teisco guitars, Kustom Tuck 'n Roll amps, vintage record players and knickknacks both whimsical and necessary. In another is a tasteful collection of vintage clothing from a variety of eras. Fanny's also provides instruction on various instruments. "We celebrate women players, but we try to be comfortable for everybody," says co-owner Pamela Cole. "Having clothes you can wear on or off stage is just a new and different way to be full service." Paul V. Griffith

Best Guitar Effects Pedal:
Paul Cochrane’s Tim Pedal
Paul Cochrane's Tim Pedal When Paul Cochrane started building the Tim pedal as a part-time project 12 years ago, little did he know he'd become a veritable folk hero to thousands of guitar players around the globe. Though the market is flooded with hundreds of different overdrive pedals, the Tim—also available in a smaller, more pedal-board-friendly version known as the Timmy—is one of the most revered and sought-after pieces in the "gear queer" universe. Though Cochrane is now working full time to churn out the seductive little purveyors of grit, grease and grind, he's still back-ordered a couple of months, and some greedy folks have been known to sell them for more than retail on eBay since demand is high and GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) sufferers have little patience. On guitar forum thegearpage.net, dozens of threads with titles like "The Tim...WOW" and "Believe the hype—the Timmy is AMAZING" only heighten the mystique. Call 896-8555 to order. Jack Silverman

Best Antique Labyrinth:
Gaslamp Antique Mall
Located atop Staples in One Hundred Oaks, Gaslamp Antique Mall pulls you into a wistful world of knickknacks, thingamabobs, and general cool stuff. Time spent here has a tendency to slip away, which is no surprise. Their 100+ stalls are scattered about, some filled with high-end furniture, others with the bold and tacky 1980s art. They provide maps of the mall at the entrance, but it's more fun to aimlessly wander. Two of the highlights are a room full of bright white cases shimmering with costume jewelry, and the quiet book nook, kindly populated with chairs and good lighting. It's a dreamy day trip for decorators, collectors, gift-buyers and all in between. Ashley Spurgeon

Best Paycheck Buster:
Sephora
Armchair economists define the Lipstick Index as a method of gauging the market's health: When the economy is weak, lipstick sales go up because it's a cheap, simple luxury many women can easily afford. It's something to keep in mind when entering Sephora: It's the little treat of a lush, creamy lipstick we're after, nothing more. But since the seasons are changing, it's okay to pick up a new perfume. And don't forget your sister's birthday is coming up; she'd love that pedicure kit. Before you know it, the words "frequent shopper" are thrown around and you find yourself counting the days until you get paid again, because honestly, you really do need a new set of makeup brushes. Ashley Spurgeon

Best Place to Play Dress-Up:
Performance Studios
There are few simple childhood pleasures that stick with you through adulthood, and playing dress-up is by far the funnest. Ignore Performance Studio's left wing—slutty fill-in-the-blank bagged costumes are for high schoolers and bored housewives. Head to the right for the real stuff: They've got antebellum gowns, flapper fringe and enough '60s party dresses to make Betty Draper swoon. The gentlemen can sample military garb and cowboys-and-Indians sets before they settle on their play date costume. We suggest bringing a friend and trying on the wigs—those lovely, trashy wigs. And just because it's not Halloween doesn't mean you still can't rent—why not be a Regency lady for your next book club meeting? Seven-year-old you would be proud. Ashley Spurgeon

Best Plumber:
Scott Dawkins
After once being charged $180 dollars by a big name plumbing company for what I later found out was a $5 repair job, I can really appreciate an honest, reasonably priced plumber. Well, I've finally found him, and his name is Scott Dawkins. The man works for himself, charges a mere $30 for a service call, and wrote me my first plumbing bill that didn't make me want to gouge out my eyes with a basin wrench. And that, my friends, is a hell of a guy. His number: 500-6161. Lindsay Ferrier

Best Dogcatcher:
Billy Biggs
Whether a pit bull is terrorizing your neighborhood or a pack of young bullies is mistreating a puppy, Metro Animal Control's Billy Biggs is the man you hope shows up to make it all better. He's a large enough guy to scare hardened drug dealers into meek submission when he shows up at their door, yet he also clearly has a soft spot for animals and a heart of gold. Lindsay Ferrier

Best Place for Drummers to Feel Like Musicians:
Fork’s Drum Closet
Any drummer who’s lived in this town for as much as 10 minutes knows that Fork’s Drum Closet is the go-to place for all your percussive needs. For anyone who doesn’t, think of it as the Grimey’s of drums—affordable repairs for all conceivable wear and tear caused by even the most brutal skin basher. They carry name-brand gear—from sticks to 50-inch gongs—and offer private lessons from drummers the likes of Chester Thompson (Phil Collins, Genesis) and Steve Ebe (The Long Players). Fork’s tight-knit staff is knowledgeable, friendly, know when to speak loudly enough for your deaf ass, and—most importantly—understand that drummers are musicians, too. If you’ve decided to take up drumming as a musical output for your frustrations or you’ve turned 13 and you’re looking for a way to torture your parents, then plan on making Fork’s destination number one on your path to becoming the next Keith Moon. ADAM GOLD

Best Exterminator:
Roger Binkley of Angell Pest Protection
I've fought ants before and won, but last spring, those six-legged devils seemed determined not to leave my house until I had suffered a nervous breakdown. Enter Roger Binkley. It took him three separate visits, but he didn't consider his mission accomplished until every last ant had paid a final visit to that ant farm in the sky. Six months later, I haven't seen a single one of 'em. Add to that a more than reasonable rate, and I've found my earth Angell. Roger can be reached at 405-3164. Lindsay Ferrier

Best Church for Hipsters:
Cross Point
Forget the flowered dresses and three-piece suits—at Cross Point Community Church in Sylvan Park, you'll find tattoos, body piercings, fedoras and carefully-styled bedheads everywhere you turn. Pastor Pete Wilson's funky hairdo has become iconic here in Nashville; rumor has it that Music City's holiest hipsters show up at Trim simply requesting "The Pete." But you know it wouldn't do for a preacher to have a hundred-dollar haircut. Cross Point's trendy tithers can rest easy—according to wife Brandi, Wilson's style comes straight from Heads Up in Bellevue. Now that's what I call a miracle. Lindsay Ferrier

Best Independent Bookstore (New):
Sherlock's Book Emporium, Lebanon
"Independent" is indeed the word for Steve Guynn's Willy Wonka-esque emporium, the kind of stubbornly idiosyncratic enterprise that could only spring from a single individual's interests and obsessions. You're not going to find a Waldenbooks that offers under one roof—deep breath—sci-fi and TV memorabilia, model railroad kits, vintage lunchboxes, a small screening room projecting classic movies on DVD, a cafe dispensing bratwursts and sloppy joes, beer and R/C car rentals (with the haybale-banked track just outside). Somehow Sherlock's also carries, whaddayacall'em—books. Guynn makes a fuss over first-time authors, both with signings and a placement of honor, and his collection of first editions and signed volumes is worth the trip out I-40E. JIM RIDLEY

Best Specialty Bookstore:
Alkebu-Lan Images
While a designation of non-mainstream might offend some merchants, it's a badge of honor for Alkebu-Lan Images, Nashville's premier black-owned bookstore. But being black-owned doesn't mean there's only books by African-Americans: Alkebu-Lan hosts volumes by people of color throughout the African Diaspora, plus other items ranging from calendars to out-of-town newspapers, and other gifts and tokens that convey the Music City black experience for visitors and longtime citizens alike. Check them out on Jefferson Street—it's on the bus line and part of a strip mall, with the shop as part of the backdrop to Tennessee State University, Hadley Park and other North Nashville staples. RON WYNN

Best Independent Bookstore (Used):
Rhino
Rhino is what book lovers picture in their minds when they hear the phrase "used bookstore." A large, slightly eccentric space, its multiple rooms packed with bookshelves covering every conceivable topic, furnished with Persian rugs and sofas for comfortable reading. Owner Fred Koller edits the selection carefully, and employees are adept at offering recommendations. The store strikes a balance between intellectual and fun: A display up front offers a fascinating selection of trashy '50s pulp novels. Rhino isn't as well-trafficked as it might be, due to its two slightly counterintuitive locations, one on Granny White next to the Copper Kettle, one sandwiched between thrift stores and junk shops on Charlotte Avenue. But it's worth the trip. Emily Bartlett Hines

Best Manual Transmission Mechanics:
Hawramy Auto Repair
It's getting harder to find a place that can handle the specific and peculiar demands of the manual transmission. In some instances, the problem is just that pesky domestic/import schism. Other times, it has to do with the increasing minimization of the stick shift in our culture. Whichever the case, if you drive stick and find yourself in a moment of crisis, hope is just minutes away on Charlotte Pike. The staff at Hawramy Auto Repair understands the special needs of an import/manual transmission driver, and their work is always fast, dependable and reasonably priced. They're at 6115 Charlotte Pike, 356-2522. JASON SHAWHAN