Best Clerks

Best sibling rivalry

Sometimes all it takes to end up at Ardour (1115 First, 292-0660) instead of Ped (1100 First, 292-1767) is a simple 'don't walk' sign. Diagonally across First Avenue from each other between Spring and Seneca, these highly compatible sister stores in SOMA (that's the acronym for the retail flurry South of the Pike Place Market) -both owned by the enthusiastic and oh-so-stylish Dayna Grubb -attract customers with their respective combinations of browser-friendly wares and distinctively whimsical mix-and-matches. Walk inside either, and you'll see -from the touchable, textured fabrics arranged by gradation of color along one wall inside Ardour to the eclectic selection of buttery leather shoes, boots, and sandals on multileveled pedestals at Ped (many featuring our new favorite shoe designer, Sigerson Morrison). We have, on occasion, run into one store, desperate for something to wear that very night after work, and have gotten oodles of attention and constructive criticism until An Outfit resulted -and with the other across the street, we are only a jaywalk away from completing the fab new ensemble. But that's not all: Both stores have just the right amount of accessories like socks, tights, bags, hats, bath products, jewelry, scarves, nail polish, note cards, and wallets.

Best salads for your cat

Put kitty in The Zone with Tuna Luna, Salmon Mouse, and chicken salad at Bow Wow Meow (1415 N 45th, 545-0740). It's heaven for vegetarian dogs and cats who were famous women in previous lives, and for vegan humans who can't stand handling meat for their carnivorous wootsies. Grow your own cat leaves from special seed packets of wheat grass, barley, oats, or rye. The dog buffet includes Chicken Catchafrisbee and Pupcakes. This is a good place to find an animal acupuncturist or a naturopathic vet, or to sit in on a seminar on Chinese Herbal Veterinary Medicine or Grieving the Loss of Your Pet Companion. It's all here: cat's pajamas, chewable tchotchkes, water dishware, you name it. Woof!

Best Barbie-free toy store

Top Ten Toys (104 N 85th, 782-0098) can't compete with the chains for most big-name toys like Barbie and Mr. Potato Head, but it doesn't matter. The place is jam-packed with classics like Ginny Dolls and Brio parts and enough art supplies and dress-up clothes to keep even a Walton-sized family entertained for the duration of the Y2K crisis. The store will not disappoint those who are shopping for a Christmas or birthday present. They also have books and some baby supplies, like car seats.

Best thank-you cards

We don't know about you, but we're pretty dad-blamed tired of searching our desk drawers for something that could actually pass as a thank-you note. We've sent out some pretty inexcusable things in the past, but no longer: Say buh-bye to all things Hallmarked, Larsoned, or soiled with dime-a-line rhymes. These will simply not do. Miss Manners herself would send you downtown where, a mere hammer's throw away from Hammering Man himself, the picture-perfect red awning of .De Medici Ming Fine Paper (1222 First, 624-1983) ushers you into a flammable wonderland that spans the globe from Seattle to Asia and Europe and back. The almost-forgotten sensation, the sheer perfection, of a cotton-finished paper surface is worth its weight in relationship maintenance, to be sure -and whew, it's hard to look at a college-ruled notepad again after you've put your John Hancock to an oyster gray or blushing pink page from France that nearly causes your writing implement to shudder with ecstasy. Every inch of space in this scribbler's oasis is filled with delights: individual pieces of wrapping paper on the walls (many beautiful handmade sheets are in thin drawers at the front desk) and shelves of packaged card and envelope sets, sealing wax, calendars, journals, photo albums, origami paper, pens, inks -you name it. The store also does bang-up wrapping jobs for the unorganized gift-givers among us, as well as offering limitless options in invitations and programs of all kinds. Note to self: Gee, thanks!

Best mall for toddlers

University Village wins, easy. The competition is feeble: Northgate doesn't even have a play area for kids. Southcenter isn't really a mall, it's just a neighborhood gone bad. Sure, U Village is a yuppie hell, but it's Saturday and you've got to go grocery shopping and to the drug store. You also have to make this process enjoyable for your toddler or else it will be impossible to actually accomplish anything. (Toddlers know that pitching a temper tantrum in the diaper aisle can stop a shopping trip on a dime.) The solution? U Village. The QFC actually has a playroom where your toddler is taken care of by very responsible people -for free. Your little one can do art projects and play with all kinds of cool toys while you buy the lovely, if quite pricey, food. On the way over to Bartell's, stop at one of the two great fountains to play around, check out the bronze animal sculptures, bomb around on the kiddie cars in the outdoor play area, or pick up some stickers at Teri's Toybox. Lunch at World Wrapps is also advised.

Best place to get a watch for wearing someplace besides your wrist