GIFTS
Best Judaica gift shop
No more searching bookcases, planter boxes and sports-coat pockets at Passover (or any other time). The only afikomen you’re likely to need, according to j. readers, is the one that doubles as a gift shop.
The first-place winning Berkeley shop prides itself on its customer service and the variety of its merchandise.
“We do a lot of legwork to try and find products,” said Afikomen owner Jerry Derblich.”We do our best to get as much as we can from Israel, because we know our customers have a keen interest in supporting Israeli economy and art.”
The store now has two outlets serving the community — Afikomen Judaica and the new Afikomen Celebrations, which has reasonably priced chuppahs to rent and an abundance of ketubahs to choose from.
Coming in a close second and remaining a stronghold in San Francisco, Dayenu, the Judaica gift shop of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, proves that highlighting local and Israeli artists can be a successful way to display artful gifts and collectibles.
First:
Afikomen
3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley
(510) 655-1977
2842 Prince St., Berkeley
(510) 844-1976
Second:
Dayenu
JCC of San Francisco, 3220 California St.
(415) 563-6563
Best gift shop
The”perfect gift” may be an enigma. What is it? What’s it look like? And most important, where can it be found? According to our readers, the best solution to the puzzle is Michal Negrin.
That shop’s customers seem to think it has something for everyone, with items ranging from home décor to clothing to jewelry.
“We do a lot of bridesmaids’ jewelry,” noted co-owner Jenny Luria.”If the bride wants her bridesmaids’ necklaces to match the color of the dresses, we offer over 300 colors to use to be able to match the dresses exactly.”
Kookykitsch, a great place to go for rare or unconventional memorabilia, was the runner-up. Whether looking for”Beverly Hills 90210″ beverage napkins or a vintage Barbie for President doll, Kookykitsch may be the one-stop shop for the odd, offbeat and eccentric.
First:
Michal Negrin
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd. Store 1047
Santa Clara
(408) 615-9974
Second:
Kookykitsch
1519 Park St., Alameda
(510) 523-0895
WHAT TO WEAR
Best jeweler
Coming in all different shapes, sizes, cuts, colors and karats, jewelry has always been seen as among the most welcomed, if not favorite, gift.
Aiding those in the pursuit for the perfect piece of jewelry is the first-place winning Michal Negrin store.
With 1,500 designs and more than 300 colors available, anything you can think of, they probably can create.
“We opened about a year and a half ago, and the response we have gotten is tremendous,” said co-owner Jenny Luria.”Michal Negrin is an Israeli designer who has been doing this for over 15 years. She uses Swarovski crystals, nickel-free brass and lace in her designs, and any visitor to our store can see that her creations are not only beautiful but done with such love as well.”
First:
Michal Negrin
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd. Store 1047
Santa Clara
(408) 615-9974
Second:
Topper Jewelers
1315 Burlingame Ave., Burlingame
(888) 730-2221
Best women’s clothes
For true shopaholics, the words”savvy” and”individualist” are not just adjectives but names of women’s departments at Nordstrom.
With more brands to offer than raindrops in Seattle, almost anyone can see why j. voters named Nordstrom as the best spot to shop for women’s clothing.
Nordstrom sets itself apart from most other stores by categorizing its fashion departments in individual’s lifestyles. Studio 121, for example, is the place to visit for sophisticated career and casual wardrobes.
First:
Nordstrom
multiple locations
Second:
Loehmann’s
multiple locations
Best men’s clothes
Immortal rock band ZZ Top got it right on its”Eliminator” album when it sang”’cause every girl crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man.”
Taking a hint from those rockin’ Texans, men flocking to shopping malls on a quest for the perfect look may find it at Nordstrom, a department store that shot straight to the top of our readers’ poll by offering its male customers quality apparel in both casual and formal departments.
First:
Nordstrom
multiple locations
Second:
Men’s Wearhouse
multiple locations
Best women’s shoes
When it comes to female obsessions, shoes rank high — right below chocolate and Harrison Ford perhaps.
The ultimate place to feed those shoe cravings may be Nordstrom, the largest independent shoe chain in the United States and the obvious favorite of j. readers.
Nordstrom has most popular styles — be it slingbacks, mules, stilettos or clogs — as well as plentiful options for narrow and wide feet.
The Walk Shop of Berkeley also was well-loved by our readers — for its emphasis on providing orthopedic shoes that are not only comfortable but good-looking.
First:
Nordstrom
multiple locations
Second:
The Walk Shop
2120 Vine St., Berkeley
(510) 849-3628
Best men’s shoes
Ever since John Travolta strutted into the frame of”Saturday Night Fever” with those red boots, the way people look at men’s shoes has never been the same.
Whether used for strutting or running or dancing, shoes can tell the story of where a man is going — or where he’s been. And no store helps tell that story better than Nordstrom, first-place winner in our readers’ poll.
According to its Web site, Nordstrom puts an emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction. Maybe that’s why some men keep coming back for loafers and sneakers and — oh, yeah — dress shoes.
First:
Nordstrom
multiple locations
Second:
Kenneth Cole
multiple locations
HOUSEHOLD
Best department store
According to j. readers, Nordstrom is the best in many categories — women’s clothes, men’s clothes, men’s shoes, women’s shoes. So it’s no surprise it also wins for being the best department store.
“We hope to provide all of our customers, men, women and children, with a wide range of choices in terms of style and price,” said Jorge Valls, a Nordstrom spokesperson.
And from the luxurious Kiehl’s counter to its soft and cuddly infant clothing, Nordstrom can be the place to shop to indulge the skin, the body, the feet.
Macy’s, which took the second slot, is known for introducing the tea bag, the Idaho baked potato and the colored bath towel. There’s little wonder why its products have been a staple in the kitchens and the closets of the Bay Area since 1945.
First:
Nordstrom
multiple locations
Second:
Macy’s
multiple locations
Best discount store
Target (often playfully referred to with a mock-French accent as Tarzhay) has hit the bull’s-eye for j. readers with its wide range of products, its value and its service.
Target seems to have a knack of satisfying almost every lifestyle via its abundance of electronics, apparel, kitchenware and bath supplies.
“Target’s philosophy is about expect more, pay less,” said spokesperson Aimee Sandz.”The thing that makes shopping at Target more fun is that people always find the things they want, like the new luxurious Fieldcrest bedding in the home department, or the Isaac Mizrahi clothing line.”
First:
Target
multiple locations
Second:
Loehmann’s
multiple locations
Best furniture store
Ahhh, Sweden. The country that brought America the smorgasbord and famed pop group Abba has now also gone straight to the top of the furniture market, and our readers’ poll, with its import of IKEA.
IKEA, seemingly the ultimate home store, can be helpful for those building up a first home (or fourth) by offering everything from frying pans and futons to furniture for a complete living space.
With a supervised playroom for kids and a restaurant with traditional Swedish fare, IKEA also has become a destination point for food and entertainment.
First:
IKEA
1700 E. Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto
(650) 323-4532
4400 Shellmound St., Emeryville
(510) 420-4532
Second:
Flegels Home Furnishings
870 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park
(650) 326-9661
1654 Second St., San Rafael
(415) 454-0502
Best major appliances
Dehumidifiers and dishwashers and refrigerators, oh my! With so many appliances to choose from, it’s no wonder Sears led the pack in this category.
“Since people only buy their appliances every 10 years or so, there are a lot of innovations that appear during that interval that consumers need to be educated on,” said Larry Costello, Sears director of public relations and communications.”With sales associates dedicated to helping the consumer understand the latest products and features, Sears always brings the focus back to meeting the specific appliance needs of the buyer.”
First:
Sears
multiple locations
Second:
Cherin’s Appliances
727 Valencia St., San Francisco
(415) 864-2111
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
Best bookstore
Let it be known that it’s no small matter when the People of the Book pick the best place to get a good read.
So, let it be known that, with a plethora of nonfiction and fiction, including a robust Judaica section, Cody’s Books took first place in this category.
Cody’s locations host a variety of lectures and events to lure all types of bibliophiles. And its Judaica section gets an extra boost during Passover, when a selection of haggadot is added to the stacks.
First:
Cody’s Books
1730 Fourth St., Berkeley
(510) 559-9500
2454 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
(510) 845-7852
Second:
Borders Books
multiple locations
Best Judaica bookstore
With shelves brimming with Judaica fiction, philosophy and history, Afikomen can be a dream come true for those wishing to delve into the world of Jewish literature.
“Trade bookstores usually only carry the top 50 Judaica books,” said owner Jerry Derblich. For first-place winning Afikomen, that’s just the beginning.
A wide selection of books on how to live a Jewish life — plus 20 different types of Torahs and a large gift section — can keep patrons browsing for hours.
Derblich opened the bookstore in 1991 with a partner, David Cooper, who is now a rabbi at Kehilla Community Synagogue.
Cody’s Books, with its substantial Judaica section, came in a close second.
First:
Afikomen Books
and Judaica
3042 Claremont Ave., Berkeley
(510) 655-1977
Second:
Cody’s Books
1730 Fourth St., Berkeley
(510) 559-9500
2454 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley
(510) 845-7852
Best fiction
Anita Diamant’s”The Red Tent,” with a title alluding to common yet unfathomable practices women faced in biblical times, topped this section of the j. readers’ poll.
Diamant retells the story commonly known as the”Rape of Dinah” in Genesis, in which the biblical character remains completely silent amid the violence and violation in her life. But”The Red Tent” is the story as it would be told from Dinah’s point of view, giving the character a voice for the first time.
When it was published in 1997, the book quickly garnered international praise. It has since been published in 21 countries and translated into 19 languages.
“Because it is based on a story in the [Jewish] Bible, many readers feel an extraordinary connection to its cast of characters, whose names and tales are part of our culture, and our families, too,” explained Diamant on her Web site.
Second place went to Philip Roth’s”The Plot Against America,” his most recent work. In it, the Pulitzer prize-winning Roth imagines a world in which Charles Lindbergh beats Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election, and institutes isolationist and anti-Semitic policies.
First:
“The Red Tent”
by Anita Diamant
336 pages, Picador, $14
Second:
“The Plot Against America”
by Philip Roth
400 pages, Houghton Mifflin, $26
Best nonfiction
Our readers rousingly put two hands together for Rabbi Alan Lew’s spiritual and literary autobiography,”One God Clapping.”
A rabbi at Congregation Beth Sholom in San Francisco, Lew is a leader of the Jew-Bu movement in the Bay Area, using Zen meditation in tandem with Jewish spirituality. His practice straddles the line between the two religions.
Lew’s book, written in 1999, begins with his Jewish upbringing in Brooklyn, and charts his journey to Berkeley, where he became a practicing Buddhist. After melding the two faiths within his own practice, he returned to New York and was ordained as a rabbi in 1998. Fortunately for Bay Area Jewish Buddhists, the Zen rabbi calls California home once again.
Lew conducts workshops and retreats on Jewish meditation throughout North America, and has appeared on ABC, PBS and NPR.
Also mentioned by j. readers were the Bible,”Deborah, Golda and Me” by Letty Cottin Pogrebin,”Fear No Evil” by Natan Sharansky,”The Case for Israel” by Alan Dershowitz,”The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary land” by Donna Rosenthal, and”The Jew in the Lotus” by Rodger Kamenetz.
First:
“One God Clapping” by Alan Lew
315 pages, Kodansha America, $16.95
Best cookbook
Regardless of their culinary prowess, j. readers agree their kitchens are best served with a copy of Claudia Roden’s”The Book of Jewish Food.”
Armed with Roden’s 800 recipes, culled from various Jewish cultures and regions throughout the world, budding chefs may confidently prepare both Ashkenazi and Sephardic dishes.
Roden tells the story of the diaspora through regional cuisine. Bagels give way to falafel, tabouli and lamb. Ceremonial dishes such as ftut (Yemeni wedding soup) round out the tour of Jewish cuisine.
The author spent her childhood traveling Europe, Asia and the Americas — most of that time well spent in its kitchens.
The cookbook is spiced with personality, and is likely to enrich the mind and please the palate.
First:
“The Book of Jewish Food” by Claudia Roden
688 pages, Knopf, $35
Second:
“Jewish Holiday Kitchen” by Joan Nathan
416 pages, Schocken, $12.95