Best Thrift Shop With a Cause 2001 | Treasure Trunk | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Thrift Shop With a Cause

Treasure Trunk

Not long ago, there was a mink coat on sale at the Treasure Trunk. Although it was priced to move at $65, some shrewd -- but not necessarily PC -- fashion-hound snapped it up on a half-price day. Clean and well-organized, both the big, new shop on Colfax and the original in Wheat Ridge benefit Family Tree shelters, programs for victims of domestic violence, and the homeless. Donations can be made at any time; while you're there, you can think mink and look around for down.

Best Gift Shop in a Church

Riverside Baptist Church

When an organization runs dozens of programs and ministries that do everything from counseling unwed pregnant women to running a crisis shelter, it needs to dig deeper than just the collection plate, even if the 4,000-member flock is generous. That's why Riverside Baptist Church has been blessed with abundance at its heavenly gift shop. Riverside sets out its offerings inside the main entrance: You can't get to the pews without going through the gift shop. From Bibles to breath mints, it's all right there. Say "Amen" and offer it up!

Best Children's Shop in a Museum

Shop Skip and a Jump

Taking kids to the Shop Skip and a Jump store at the Children's Museum is like taking a group of chocoholics to the Hershey factory. You'll find some of the hippest gear for both learning and playing here: dinos, twirlers, books, games and other gizmos, all at your (sticky) fingertips. Cash proceeds benefit the museum, and the creative stuff benefits the tykes.

Best Western Store in a Restaurant

Denver Buffalo Company Trading Post

Buffalo gals, won't you come out tonight? There are times when we hunger to dig into a big hunk of beast, be it beef or buffalo, grilled a perfect medium rare. But just as often, we have a hankering to see the critter put to another use -- as a great Western belt, bag or jacket. Preferably one about to be purchased by us. At the Denver Buffalo Company, you can satisfy both desires. Just beyond the swanky dining room that serves buffalo (and non-bison items) in a number of delicious forms, stands the Trading Post, which sells buffalo hide in a number of forms. But leather goods aren't the only excellent Western items offered here. You'll find jewelry and jerky, nightlights and nightshirts, art and artifacts. And where else in town can you pick up a totem pole at 9 p.m. while your companion pays off the dinner check?

Best Cafe in a Furniture Store

American Furniture Warehouse Superstore

You know how cranky you can become after a day of shopping, comparing prices on sofas and testing fabrics on divans. Take a break and get refreshed at Jake Jabs's huge American Furniture Warehouse emporium on the north side of town. A cup of joe, a light snack, and you're back on the showroom floor in no time. The new Megastore off Peoria Street and E-470 should be serving in the near future, too. Here's your chance to see how that new sofa would look with fresh coffee stains.

Best Designer Furniture at a Discount

The Furniture Room

Real quality furniture at affordable prices -- there's a concept! It's the one Brian Frenkel and Jason Reimer put to work at the Furniture Room, which carries cream-of-the-crop designer lines of retro and contemporary furniture, from chairs and sofas to mattresses and bedframes. How much you save depends on your taste: You can get what you see on the floor straight from the warehouse, or you can customize your selection, pay more and get it about a month later.

Best Stash of Stuff in a Furniture Store

Brandon

Although the floor is a little less dusty since this store moved from an ancient LoDo warehouse to a new space on Santa Fe, Brandon's basic business concept remains unchanged: Jam as much stuff as possible into the building and see what goes out the door. On any given day, the jam could include large sofas covered with fake leopard skin, big porcelain bowls decorated with grapes, peculiar imitation Impressionist paintings, endless end tables...you get the idea. No matter what you're looking for, we guarantee you'll find something else that you simply can't live without at Brandon.

Best Porn Store in a Historic Building

Diamond Lil's

The building that started life in 1899 as Kopper's Hotel and Saloon today houses Diamond Lil's, believed to be the only adult bookstore in a nationally recognized historic building (it made the National Register of Historic Places in 1999); perhaps more important, it's also the last porn shop in downtown Denver. Lil's keeps the tradition of "beautiful ladies behind glass" alive, with two convenient bay windows for your viewing pleasure -- although the ladies who work them are considerably less Victorian in behavior and appearance than the impeccably restored building. In any era, it qualifies as a genuine beauty.

Best Little Luxuries Beyond a Rubber Duckie

Details: Embellishments for the Body, Bath and Bungalow

Anyone whose idea of a fabulous evening involves a hot bath filled with something that smells wonderful while surrounded by glowing candles that smell more wonderful, followed by a lotion that smells even more wonderful, can stock up for a month of luxuriating at this inviting shop. In addition to bath and body products, Details sells an assortment of gift items, home accessories and baby goods. Sisters Kim Crider and Stacey Johnson also offer a gift registry and a reminder service, and they'll design and package delightful little favors for wedding and baby showers.

Best Way to Celebrate the New Baby

Rose Medical Center's gourmet meal

Few moments in life are as treasured as those following the birth of a child. Mom and Dad stare at their little creation with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. What better way to complement that time than with an undercooked burger, a leftover energy bar or a tiny cup of hospital-issued juice. Yeah, right. The people in Rose Medical Center's family birth center (maternity ward) know that labor isn't easy, so they offer new parents a way to treat themselves right after the production is over: a gourmet lunch or dinner prepared by a real chef. Your meal (filet mignon, baby carrots, wild rice and cheesecake is one of several options) will be wheeled into your room on a tablecloth-covered table. To top it off, you can also order a bottle of bubbly -- a half-bottle, actually; this is the maternity ward, after all -- to toast your little bundle. After labored days and sleepless nights, the $20-per-person cost is definitely worth it. Here's looking at you, kid.

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