Smoke N' Toke This place is the epitome of stoner chic. Spread out in five rooms of a converted house, the joint has an ample selection of pipes, bongs, hookahs, nargiles, dugouts, smoke stones, papers…hell, just about anything you could ever need to smoke your, um, stuff. The staff is hip-looking and just friendly enough to not be annoying, and they stick to the basics. Sure, there are some peripheral items, like stickers, postcards and tie-dyes, but for the most part it's just smoke supplies (read: no sex toys). They've even got do-it-yourself grow kits for all the budding entrepreneurs out there who want to eliminate the middleman, man.

Viet Hoa Here in Houston you can find Asian foods in most any mainstream grocery store. But if you're hankering for fish sauce, Peking duck or some restaurant-style bowls for serving pho, you're best served traveling to Viet Hoa in southwest Houston. A massive warehouse-sized temple of Chinese and Vietnamese fare, the store peddles produce, Chinese health and wellness goods, seafood, kitchenware and a $2.25 lunch combo at the deli. Flooded with Asian clientele, college students, fusion-friendly foodies and food-industry professionals, Viet Hoa is the spot where you can special-order a longan -- the consummate Thai summer fruit -- for a dinner party and boast to your guests that you "know someone in importing." Need an icebreaker for that first date? Tour the market and chat about the sights, smells and the premium dried cuttlefish.

Rice Epicurean Markets Sometimes we all need a break from chicken-fried steak and baby-back ribs smothered in mesquite barbecue sauce. And, well, some of us don't like to eat dead stuff. So when your inner hippie's stomach starts grumbling, hightail it to Rice Epicurean for Houston's widest-ranging selection of healthy, meat-free eats. Silken tofu, extrafirm tofu, faux cheese, soy ice cream, edamame, tofu lasagna, soy barbecue chips, Dr. Soy snack bars, six different kinds of soy milk -- they're all here. Plus, if you're too busy (or too lazy) to do the shopping yourself, you can place an order online for delivery or pickup.

Carriage Glass & Detail Co. Brothers Andy and Craig Deas don't just run a car wash -- they offer an "automotive cosmetic repair facility." Price-wise, this may not be where you wash your car every week, but the service is far and away the best in town. Hand-washing and -waxing will leave your wheels glistening, and Cesar and his crew will wipe away all the residue of your hectic life. No more pet hair on the seats, mud tracks on the carpet or coffee stains on the console. Trust us, your car deserves to come here. At this day spa for autos, you can drop your bucket of bolts and have windshield chips or paint chips repaired. Carriage can also handle bigger problems, from bumper repainting to windshield replacement. And who knew they could buff those scratches right off your hubcaps?

Houston Farmers' Market Two years ago, choosing the best farmers' market in Houston would have been impossible because there weren't any. Now, the problem has flipped the other way: In addition to visiting the Houston Farmers' Market in the Heights, the intrepid produce shopper could venture to the Midtown Farmers' Market housed at chef Monica Pope's edgy T'afia or, beginning this fall, check out the tony new Bayou City Farmers' Market in River Oaks. It's hard to go wrong at any of the markets; all three feature local farmers selling fresh-picked, locally grown fruits and vegetables. But if you can make only one stop in search of that perfect peach and tomato, we'd suggest the Houston Farmers' Market in the parking lot of the Onion Creek cafe. Now in its second year, the market keeps getting better: Pastry chefs and flower growers sell their wares next to the largest assemblage of Houston-area farmers you'll find anywhere. Tall trees shade the booths, and picnic tables abound. True, the Midtown market offers more cooked and packaged items, and the Bayou City market may prove larger. Yet for a pleasant morning and an armload of produce, the Houston Farmers' Market can't be beat.

Daniel Boone Cycles Thirty-five years ago, Dan and Joy Boone started refurbishing secondhand bikes in their backyard for extra grocery money. Today, they have one of the most popular bike shops in the city. The shop is still in the backyard, but they now have everything from $300 city bikes to $4,000 specialty frames and forks. In addition to road bikes and mountain bikes, they have an extensive collection of clothes and accessories like jerseys, gloves, shoes, cleats and helmets. The shop also will service your bike free for a year (not including accidents or abuse). With such a unique setup, Joy Boone says it's easy to miss the place from the street. "If you're not looking for the bike shop, you may just pass it by," she says. We recommend you don't.

Kenneth Lester Comedian Eddie Izzard once had this to say about a chiropractor: "They could have their fingers in your nostrils, one foot on the back of your underpants, and they're pushing your spine away with a broom." While you won't find any brooms at Lester's office, you will find a practitioner so hell-bent on health that he's been known to slash his office hours so he can train for triathlons. Lester's gung-ho when it comes to whole-body health, at-home exercise and muscle-bone relationships. His Kirby office teems with River Oaks wives, corporate bigwigs, models, athletes and everyday folk looking to get past a nagging injury, excel at yoga or even rehab from a stroke. If you're looking for something more than a glorious rubdown, Lester's got your back.

Tina Knowles Destiny's Child has an image and a style that's recognized worldwide. In her new book, Destiny's Style, Tina Knowles, the creator of the world-famous Destiny's Child look, shares her (and the group's) shopping, sewing and lifestyle secrets. Her designs have graced the covers of such magazines as In Style and Vogue, influenced the style of women across the globe and helped Destiny's Child land merchandising deals with AT&T, L'Oréal and Candies. Knowles grew up wearing clothes she and her mother made together, and she's taught her daughters -- Beyoncé and Solange -- the importance of creativity, individuality and independence. (She had them sewing at a young age so they could personalize their own clothing.) We can all breathe easy knowing Beyoncé has something to fall back on should she ever find herself out of work.

Tracy Writers know their mechanics. Driving around this city in search of hot stories puts a lot of strain on our old jalopies. And most of us certainly aren't getting rich, so we need a mechanic who's honest and affordable. According to statistics, there are only about ten such folks left in the world. And, luckily, one of them lives in Houston. His name is Tracy, and he owns Showcase Motors on Main, just north of downtown. Showcase not only fixes cars, it sells and rents them too -- which makes things extremely convenient. And his work is flawless. Tracy's been known to drop prices for struggling writers and starving artists and even gives occasional discounts on rental cars, too. At times, he's been known to even undersell customers, telling them they don't need all the things they requested. Now that's service.

The Guild Shop Walking through the doors of the Guild Shop is like being on stage with Monte Hall. On the price tags you'll find three prices. Next to each price is a date. The price goes down as the dates progress. So if you think you can hold out for a few days on buying that wicker wheelchair or matching set of tombstone salt-and-pepper shakers, you might save up to 75 percent -- provided no one else wants it. It's a tricky proposition. You may really want those vintage Star Wars bed sheets, but surely you can't be the only one. Should you get them now or wait a week and save $8? Let's make a deal, indeed.