STAF F P I C KS/G O O D S & S E RVI C E S LAU R IE PEAR M AN
NORTHSTAR COURIERS: Patrick Sweeney makes hauling piles of papers look easy.
B E ST D E L IVE RY D U D E S NORTHSTAR COURIERS What has two wheels, a trailer with a big old plastic bin and a desire to get you what you need as soon as possible without wasting a drop of gasoline? Northstar Couriers, of course. The bike courier duo not only shuttles everything from documents to lunch around Boise, but they help make sure Boise Weekly makes it to stands each and every week with some two-wheeled style. 208-331-5056, northstarcourier.com
B E ST AP O C A LY P S E AT T I R E B E ST K E E P I N ’ I T I N T H E FAM I LY FLYING M SOLD TO LONGTIME EMPLOYEE
BRICOLAGE’S “I SURVIVED THE RAPTURE” UNDERWEAR
When we heard Flying M Coffeehouse had been sold, we started looking for other cities to call home. Boise just ain’t Boise without the M. But when we found out that the keys to the coffee-Mecca had been turned over to longtime employee Kent Collins, we unpacked our suitcases and immediately headed down for an Americano, hugging strangers on the street along the way. 500 W. Idaho St., Boise, 208345-4320, flyingmcoffee.com, @flyingmcoffee
Though it’s quickly faded from the memory of a culture with an ever-shrinking attention span, billboards worldwide and here in Boise insisted the world would be ending May 21. Obviously it didn’t. And to celebrate the occasion, local shop Bricolage offered specially-made “I Survived the Rapture” underwear. They probably won’t be as funny for the rescheduled rapture on Friday, Oct. 21, but there’s really only one way to find out. 418 S. Sixth St., 208-3453718, bricoshoppe.com, @bricoshoppe
B E ST S I G N P U M P E R
B E ST E -E X P E R T
20TH CENTURY LEGS Sign spinners have become so common, this is a remarkably tough choice. The overenthusiastic mattress guy at Fairview Avenue and Milwaukee Street? The under-enthusiastic flower guy at Franklin and Orchard roads with the sign that says, “Mention me for 10 percent off?” The hordes of sunburned Statues of Liberty that invade every tax season? The easy choice was Noodle Boy, that sullen tween wearing a giant Chinese takeout box in front of Asian Wok on State Street by 36th Street. But alas, Noodle Boy went the way of Lady Liberty and most other sign spinners and disappeared. So the next choice, clearly, is the giant one-eye, pants-free bowling pin hawking specials on State Street in front of Twentieth Century Lanes. That eye ... those legs ... those curves—it’s a strange and hypnotic combination as one is hurtling home after work, and more so once you get closer and see just how hairy and male those legs are. WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
ZAMZOWS EMAIL AN EXPERT SERVICE Ever stood in the middle of your lawn, staring helplessly at an ever-growing brown patch? Ever scared your neighbors by stalking about your yard, cursing the neighborhood dog that seems to think your property is actually its bathroom, while its owners don’t seem to care about the piles it leaves behind? Don’t let the unending battlefield of your yard and garden become the end of you. There is help, and it’s only one email away. The smarty-pants folks at Zamzows offer expert advice about just about any problem facing your landscaping. Just log onto the website and click on the handy “Ask an Expert” link to email your question. Before you can actually implement your grand plan of installing a motion-sensing air gun to scare off that dog (and any passing children), you’ll have your answer. Multiple locations, zamzows.com.
BOISEweekly | SEPTEMBER 21–27, 2011 | BEST OF BOISE: STAFF PICKS | 31