Shopping in Los Angeles

Family patriarch Nordy Rockler opened the doors of his first store in 1954 to supply his fellow craftsmen with knowledge, friendly advice, and a large selection of tools for at-home woodworking projects. Now, the chain of retail outlets brims with more than 20,000 tools and specialized woodworking equipment. Next to a steely rainbow of hinges, casters, and screws, a supply of lumber and exotic hardwoods provides planks for building tree houses or just leaving around as a warning to uncooperative trees. The tenor buzz of power tools operated by newly knowledgeable guests drifts from educational sessions on operating equipment and woodworking.

Racks of frames in a rainbow of woods, colors, and finishes hang from the walls of Frame 2000 and Frames Galore, ready to be custom-fitted to clients’ treasured images. With skills honed during more than 20 years in business, staffers can shield eclectic items, such as needlework, canvases, art prints, and mirrors, behind glittering glass. Specialized printing equipment can also produce full-size posters, transfer images to canvas, or accentuate a favorite alien-autopsy photo with Andy Warhol–esque pop-art effects.

Europe’s choicest threads and boldest fashion statements line the shelves at Premier Men, a contemporary menswear boutique replete with items ready for the nightclub or vacation yacht. Gentlemanly legs slip into designer denim jeans by Rock Revival and Joe's, and button-down shirts from brands such as Recognition and Rawyalty draw attention upward with details such as contrast piping and crystal appliqués. Plain V-necks celebrate fashion’s favorite letter in casual sophistication, and torso-hugging shirts show off manly graphics inspired by cars, motorcycles, and velocipedes. Designer Mark Nason tips his cowboy hat to the Old West with a svelte yet rugged selection of leather boots, and silver-cross necklaces by Cerca Trova round out the dashing ensembles.

Twenty-five years ago, Terry August was making gift baskets for her friends at her kitchen table. Encouraged by their enthusiasm and insistence on paying her for her artistically arranged wares, she decided to start a gift-basket business—and Fanciful was born. Today, with the help of her husband Wally, Terry seeks out new imports and hard-to-find products to fill out a vast inventory of wines, cheeses, chocolates, and other delicacies. Drawing from this enormous selection, Terry and her staff put together gift baskets on themes such as natural and organic foods or Italian cuisine. They can also design custom baskets for special events, such as the birth of a very hungry baby. At the storefront, Terry and Wally also lead wine-, cheese-, and chocolate-tasting classes, illuminating groups on the nuanced notes and origins of fine foods.

Alex and Maricruz Ferrari found their culinary passion amid Napa Valley's rolling hills. Though their trip to Northern California set the couple squarely in the heart of picturesque vineyard country, it wasn't wine that piqued their taste buds, but freshly pressed extra-virgin olive oil. Won over by its flavor, they were inspired to start the Ferrari Olive Oil Company to share it with the public.

Today, the Ferraris draw on a network of local and international olive farms to distribute organic varietals, blends, and flavored oils. Crowning this collection is the Ferrari Reserve blend, a mix of arbequina and koroneiki olive oils that has won gold and silver medals and countless high fives at a host of international competitions.