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Mr Gibson is a pleasure to speak with, very friendly. However, if the fine conversation weren't enough for you, his peaches smell like peaches and they are firm but yielding. The tomatoes are red from ripening not from gassing, he'll tell you, and they are huge and red.

If you want your veggies fresh and tasty, you can try to make your way to local farmer's markets or you can just drop in on Hoot on the corner of Glenview and Meridian. I know that I'm glad that I did.

The other reviewers have it right, the food at Shane's is fantastic. The place is very clean and I love the sink in the dining room with a view into the kitchen. Very high marks all around.

I had the half chicken. It was superb! Really, it tasted awesome. My only complaint is all the disposable cutlery and dishes. Not only does it make for more garbage, but if you need to cut into the chicken, the plastic knife makes for more work than necessary.

Harvey has a very easy going personality, and a quiet grace about him. Perhaps the most striking thing about his appearance is that it looks like he raided Johnny Cash's closet, because I almost always see him wearing black.

He is a portrait photographer, and a very good one. The portrait he shot of my wife and me is one of the nicest we've had done. He's the unflappable, professional guy that you want behind the camera at your next social function, or to capture a lasting memory.

Greg has the coolest stuff in his store for just about every age group from the little kids to the kids within us all. The new store location is great and very attractive. No one else has the selection of kites and yoyos and darts and flying discs and so much more, that I can't list it all.

Oh yeah! Don't forget the juggling stuff and tops too. The bottom line is that if you want a toy that won't end up in a pile of unimaginative plastic, a toy that will be part of childhood memories, Lofty Pursuits is the only place to go in Tallahassee.

For many years I lamented Tallahassee's lack of good Cuban cuisine. Now we have a number of choices. The atmosphere at Carlos' is very nice and the folks are friendly. Most recently, our waiter, Ace, keep the water flowing, the table clear and the conversation upbeat without being overly chummy.

Overall the experience was very pleasant. My only complaint was price, with dinner for 3 (including a 5 year old) coming in around $60. Again, this is more upscale than the other choices for local Cuban fare, but it did seem a bit steep to me.

If you think sushi is just uncooked bait, this restaurant is not for you.

If you appreciate the delicate flavors of very fresh sushi, sashimi and tempura, you won't be disappointed at Sushilicious. The atmosphere is intimate, quiet and clean. That last item is one that I often find lacking in local sushi establishments. The table service is wonderful. Finally, my wife and I had a great time and wonderful memories from a great night away from parental responsibility.

Quite simply, Jim and Milts is cheap, hot, tasty barbeque that has hardly changed since before I came to Tallahassee as a college student in 1983. The deep fried corn on the cob is not health food, but it is darn good. Sonny's doesn't compare.

I've know the folks at Sign Printers for almost 20 years. They not only do great work with signs, and trade show displays and vehicle displays, but they also care about their customers. Their shop is state of the art. They are easy to talk to and they have great ideas if you need help with your signage. They are the first place I call when I think of signs.

I've lived in Tallahassee for about a quarter century and I could count on one hand the number of times that I ate at Paradise before I moved to the Midtown area. I don't know that cuisine or the atmosphere is worth trekking across town to eat.

The food is generally tasty and hot. The portions are about right and never skimpy. The wait staff is always friendly. If you are nearby, getting the email newsletter is a great deal for the "Fincher Bucks" discount.

Where Paradise comes up short is the little things. A number of the booths are worn out and downright uncomfortable. The staff seems to change almost as often as I change my shorts and the surroundings just feel worn out.

Like a tattered sweat shirt, it will fit and warm you when want simple comforts, but you wouldn't dare wear it out of the house.

The atmosphere is casual, like most places in Tallahassee. The din is a little loud and it's often crowded. To tell the truth, my wife and I like those nights when the only open seats are the bar stools with a ringside view of the kitchen.

The wait staff is always wonderful and the food just tastes great. But if you want a little theatre with your dinner, you shouldn't miss the frenetic acrobatics in the kitchen. The aromas, the herbs, the synchronized precision of the chef and cooks beats the heck out of anything on the Food Network. Better yet, the delicate dance of flavors in fish, or duck, with seasonal veggies and herbs and sauces.... just... wow.

Once you cross Barb's threshold at the cottages at Lake Ella, it feels like stepping into a good friend's home. Of course, it would be like a friend's house if your friend's make heavenly nut and no nut brittles and fresh ice cream with bits of brittle in it.

I'm still coming down from the ice cream high, so I may not be completely rational, but that was great ice cream. I know I'll be going back. It's definitely worth a couple extra laps around the lake to balance out the calories.

Ceramics. Cracked ceramic art... and I broke it when I slammed a door. Not exactly my finest hour. I met Dell through the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, and he said that he could fix it. My wife was very skeptical of the claim. There was the issue of matching the texture and hiding the cracks.

Well, Dell did a fine job and our ceramic fish is back on the wall (with a better hanger). Best of all the price was very reasonable. I know most people will probably want furniture repaired, but I'm personally thankful for his skills on a certain ceramic fish.

Beatrice is just great to work with. I don't know if there is anyone else doing film and print restoration at her level in North Florida.

As a photographer, she's a gem. She shot everyone and everything at my wedding. The pictures were wonderful and I can't imagine that I looked that great, but I knew my wife was really that radiant.

I've known David almost since he and I both had more hair it was all darker. We were introduced by another graphic designer who certainly recognized talent when he saw it.

David is an excellent studio, architectural, and studio photographer. Whether it's film or digital, color or black and white, David always gets the exposure I want. His landscapes are jaw dropping beautiful and he's found ways to make even the most familiar sites around Tallahassee shimmer in previously unknown beauty.

It seems that there may be more Barineaus in Tallahassee a/c repair than you can shake a stick at. That's good for customers if they are all as good as Barineau Heating and A/C Inc.

Our recently installed a/c wasn't blowing this past summer. One of the Barineau men looked at the sytsem and told me that he couldn't find anything wrong. What he said next really surprised me.

"Don't pay this invoice right away." He told me that he suspected a bad circuit board was making the unit ice over and that he'd be back to make the repair when it happened again...soon.

He was right, and because of the age of our unit, it was a warranty repair. No charge for parts and a very reasonable labor charge. Oh, that original invoice was zeroed out as part of the same job.

We were very happy.

Joe's is one of those places that you constantly hear about. It seems like everyone I know gets their bikes or accessories at Joe's.

The reason is clear. Joe and Pete are easy to talk to, very knowledgeable and always ready to help. It's no surprise that the last time I was in the shop, they had a customer who drove all the way from Havana.

I ride daily, and even though I brought my bike in after midday, they tuned it up and had it ready for me before the end of the same day. What more can I say, these guys are great.

They're close and the price is right. Best of all, I've never had to say to myself that "at least it will grow out."

Bruce Hall is one heck of an illustrator. Whether it's traditional media or new media, Bruce brings a sharp eye and a sharp wit to his work that is enchanting and bright.

Bruce and I have collaborated over the years on a number of projects, including books, brochures and websites and he's always come through for me and delivered beyond my highest expectations. I have no reservations calling him whenever I have a job that requires illustration.

Illustration is one of those services that needs to be purchased based on personal style and no one illustrator will be right for every job or every business, but Bruce has a broad range that fits most of the jobs that come my way.

As far as I know MBS is the only Apple Certified tech shop in Tallahassee, now that CompUSA is closed.

That's a good thing, because I've found MBS to be very helpful and skilled at working on Macs. I've had 3 systems of my own that needed warranty work and these guys fixed them quickly and they never needed to be serviced again. My wife stuck a mini CD into her ibook andcouldn't retrieve it. They recovered the CD and charged a fair price for the service.

I'll gladly use them again.

We've known Judy since before we adopted our dogs from her.

I'm not sure if our dogs ever want us to come home with the way that Judy and Bill spoil them.

They also bring our mail and newspapers in for us and take care of our cat. I'm always comfortable knowing they are on the job when we are away.