Best of Utah 2016 

Page 8 of 14

Best Tattoo Shop
Cathedral Tattoo Co.
CJ Fishburn and Jake Miller—who have known each other since before Jake gave CJ his first tattoo—have continued the tradition of the old Eleventh St. Electric Gallery in a cool location on the ground floor beneath Stoneground restaurant on 400 South. And they're committed enough to the idea of tattooing as an art that, over the years, they've featured artists on the walls as part of the SLC Gallery Stroll. Appointment or walk-in, customers can't stop raving. (SR)
249 E. 400 South, Salt Lake City, 801-355-9191, CathedralTattoo.com
2nd place: Yellow Rose Tattoo
3rd place: Good Times Tattoo

Best Barber Shop
Jed's Barber Shop
There's a presumed no-man's-land between "barbershop" and "salon," but that's not the approach Jed Beal has taken with his two Salt Lake City locations. If you want the kind of place where you can get an old-school straight-razor shave and a no-nonsense haircut, Jed's is the place for you. It also happens to be the place to get a modern style, all in an environment that's inviting to patrons across generations. (SR)
212 S. 700 East, Salt Lake City, 801-532-5337;
2153 E. 2100 South, Salt Lake City,
801-935-4595, JedsBarberShop.com
2nd place: Liberty Wells Barber Co.
3rd place: Ray's Barber Shop

Best Bookstore
The King's English Bookshop
There's something about the cozy setup of The King's English—little nooks and crannies of individual categories—that makes it the kind of place where you want to settle in for hours and rummage through the shelves. There's plenty to
discover if you do: not just best-sellers and classics from authors you grew up with, but a special attention to celebrating works by local authors and poets. Come for one of the regular author events, and then stick around to savor the unique pleasure of holding actual physical pages in your hands. (SR)
1511 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City, 801-484-9100, KingsEnglish.com
2nd place: Weller Book Works
3rd place: Ken Sanders Rare Books

Best Boutique
Hip & Humble
It's easy to want to spend a long time browsing through a place when the scent that greets you upon opening the door is an intoxicating mix of lotions and soaps. Then you realize Hip & Humble is a store that's impossible to categorize: Kitchen gadgets share space with inspirational stationery, with baby bibs and books right around the corner, a basket of mittens over yonder, and clothes and jewelry in another small room. Browsing becomes an act of discovery. (SR)
1043 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-467-3130, HipAndHumble.com
2nd place: IconoClad
3rd place: Blue Boutique

Best Comic-Book Store
Dr. Volt's Comic Connection
The instantaneous success of the Salt Lake Comic Con was proof that Utah loves its pop culture, but those who have long embraced the "comic" part of that name have always known it. Flying their flag high with their sponsorship of the popular Geekshow and Hello Sweetie podcasts, Dr. Volt's provides one of those wonderful homes away from home for fans of graphic serial storytelling—whether you want to browse through back issues or simply inhale the brand-new adventures waiting for you in your holds. (SR)
2043 E. 3300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-485-6114, DrVolts.com
2nd place: Black Cat Comics
3rd place: The Nerd Store

Best Fishing/Hunting Supplies
Sportsman's Warehouse
From ski slopes and mountain streams to hiking trails and red-rock biking, Utah is a paradise for outdoorsy types. So it's no surprise that Midvale is home to a retail paradise for those same outdoorsy types, with an appeal that has expanded nationwide. With dozens of locations across 20 states, Sportsman's Warehouse offers the biggest and best selection of clothing and gear for every camper, hunter or just plain explorer. (SR)
Multiple locations, SportsmansWarehouse.com
2nd place: Fish Tech Outfitters
3rd place: Western Rivers Flyfisher

Best Garden Supply
Millcreek Gardens
When a garden-supply business covers the equivalent of a full city block, you can be pretty sure it has nearly everything you could possibly need—from mulch to tools to decorative sculptures to trees and seasonal plantings. But it's also the kind of place where you could happily get lost, strolling along the paths in and out of greenhouses. Whether you're searching for a perfect addition to your landscaping, or just a quiet, green respite in the middle of the city, Millcreek Gardens has been the right place for more than 50 years. (SR)
3500 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City, 801-487-4131, MillcreekGardens.com
2nd place: Cactus & Tropicals
3rd place: Glover Nursery

Best Hair Salon
Lunatic Fringe
The award title is a bit misleading: It should be "salons," plural, as the business launched in 1999 by the husband and wife team of Shawn Trujillo and Angie Katsanevas has grown to include a dozen locations in four states. They've been recognized by North American Hairstyling Awards as Salon Team of the Year, and they continue to build a reputation as true artists on the (no pun intended) cutting edge of styling savvy. (SR)
Multiple locations, LunaticFringeSalon.com
2nd place: Sequel Salon
3rd place: Landis Lifestyle Salon

Best Men's Shop
The Stockist
A manly store for manly men isn't just about denim and flannel, though you'll certainly find them at this 9th & 9th store. It's also an outpost of the Iron and Resin lifestyle brand representing free-spirited living, a place with the smell of leather where you can buy a new wallet or replace your worn-out Chuck Taylor All-Stars. And when shopping grows wearying—as manly men know it does—you can take a load off on a comfortable couch as you contemplate your purchases. (SR)
875 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-532-3458, TheStockistShop.com
2nd place: Daley's Clothing
3rd place: IconoClad

Best Motorcycle Repair
Salt City Builds
In a 2014 interview with City Weekly's Gavin Sheehan, brothers Seth and Rev Clark said they started Salt City Builds because they "always hated having a boss." Their "take this job and shove it" choice has been Salt Lake City's gain, as they applied their mechanical skills and passion for motorcycles—which also manifests itself in organizing the Motos in Moab and Salty Bike Revival events—into a place that combines custom builds with expert repairs. (SR)
2212 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City, 801-810-9794, SaltCityBuilds.com
2nd place: DirtyRatMotocyCo
3rd place: Suicide Lane Cycles

Best Pet Store
Paw Paw's
Seven years ago, Ali Gempeler launched Paw Paw's because she recognized the need for self-serve pet washing downtown—a place with plenty of apartments and condos that didn't make home pet-washing easy. She combined an interest in serving that market with a desire to offer natural, organic pet foods and cleaning products, sourced as locally as possible. "We're proud that we've built such relationships with our customers that they keep returning," Gempeler says. There's good reason for that pride. (SR)
624 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City, 801-531-4200, PawPawsDogWash.com
2nd place: The Dog's Meow
3rd place: Ma and Paws Bakery

Best Piercing Studio
Koi
The first isn't necessarily always the best, but it can sure help you get a head start. Entering its 20th year, the business launched by Curt Warren as Utah's first dedicated body-piercing studio keeps proving its dedication to professionalism with top-notch materials and a highly trained staff (every employee has been certified in bloodborne pathogen safety). It's a place where you can feel confident that they're selling not just a service, but a process that you can trust. (SR)
1301 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City, 801-463-7070, KoiPiercingSLC.com
2nd place: Enso Piercing + Adornment
3rd place: Iris

Best Record Shop
Randy's Record Shop
For nearly 40 years—going back to when vinyl was pretty much your only music-buying option, and not an aesthetic statement—Randy's has been providing Salt Lakers with an amazing place to find rare records. It's still the state's largest selection of new and used vinyl, plus turntables, amplifiers and speakers—increasingly valuable commodities as many audiophiles vote with their dollars for analog over digital sound. Come for one of the regular $2 sales, and build your own collection from Randy's. (SR)
157 E. 900 South, Salt Lake City, 801-532-4414, RandysRecords.com
2nd place: Diabolical Records
3rd place TIE: Raunch Records
3rd place TIE: Graywhale Entertainment

Best Smoke Shop
Jeanie's Smoke Shop
"It's just a true Utah icon," store manager Ron says of this old-fashioned tobacco shop, which traces its roots back to the 1940s. "Plus you can't beat the history: a devout Mormon, selling cigarettes and Playboys ... a block from Temple Square." Generations of Salt Lakers have found their favorite products in this same location, maintaining a fine tradition of providing a bit of forbidden fruit in the shadow of the Temple. (SR)
156 S. State, Salt Lake City, 801-532-9001, JeaniesSmokeShop.com
2nd place: Smoke Break Huka Outlet
3rd place: Smoker's Guru

Best Thrift/Consignment Store
IconoClad
The appeal of a thrift store is often about more than what's on the racks. And while you'll find plenty of reasonably priced "pre-rocked" (as the store's preferred terminology goes) clothing on those racks, it's also the kind of place with a sign on the door suggesting that the store hours might vary a bit if "we may stumble in a few minutes late with a hangover." Or you can take a shopping break on the couch next to a skeleton, and see if the store's resident cat decides to come pay you a visit. (SR)
414 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-833-2272, IconoClad.com
2nd place: Uptown Cheapskate
3rd place: Name Droppers

Best Vape Store
Black House Vapor Co.
It's not easy to build the kind of loyal clientele that can make you an award-winner after only a year of operation, but owner Holly Berry believes that's part of the Blackhouse business model. "The whole reason we opened was so anybody could feel welcome," she says. And the Sugar House store lives that concept, whether that means inviting everyone who comes in the door to have a seat and check out a menu of products, or offering a comfy couch to hang out and play Xbox. (SR)
2148 S. 900 East, Ste. 3, Salt Lake City, 801-467-6526, BlackHouseVapor.com
2nd place: iVape
3rd place: Urban Vapor

Best Piercing Studio
Koi
The first isn't necessarily always the best, but it can sure help you get a head start. Entering its 20th year, the business launched by Curt Warren as Utah's first dedicated body-piercing studio keeps proving its dedication to professionalism with top-notch materials and a highly trained staff (every employee has been certified in bloodborne pathogen safety). It's a place where you can feel confident that they're selling not just a service, but a process that you can trust. (SR)
1301 S. 900 East, Salt Lake City, 801-463-7070, KoiPiercingSLC.com
2nd place: Enso Piercing + Adornment
3rd place: Iris

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