The old-fashioned, privately-owned specialty book store seems increasingly like a dying breed, but Bookman/Bookwoman proves that when you do it right, if you have a great location and a reputation as a local landmark, you can still make it work. Just step inside and smell the place and you’ll understand the difference between a store like this and cookie-cutter international chains: you’ll smell old paper and leather bindings and, well, just books, with personality and history. Most of the stock at Bookman/Bookwoman is used books, ranging from bestsellers to rarities and nostalgia treasures. It’s the kind of place where you can just lose yourself for hours, discovering books you never knew existed or had forgotten about. It’s a wonderful place with an increasingly rare and magical atmosphere. They host school readings and book club meetings, as well, giving the place a community-centered feel. They specialize, in part, in local and regional history, which also grounds them and gives them a specific appeal that national chains can’t match. In short, Bookman/Bookwoman is the kind of place that needs to be around – it’s just good for the book lover’s soul. If you love to read, this place will be paradise – just come in and lose yourself! To find more great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

There are three Demos’ Steak and Spaghetti House’s in the Nashville, Tennessee area: Downtown, Murphreesboro, and Hendersonville. My personal favorite is in Hendersonville because of the nice family ambience. Besides the atmosphere, the food is amazing. The menu offers about 10 different types of spaghettis ranging from browned butter to Mexican. Their original marinara is always a good option as well. For the people who cannot make up their mind, they do offer a spaghetti sampler platter where you choose any three spaghettis for under $9. It is not three skimpy portions either. With the salad and the wonderful homemade bread, the meal itself will satisfy even the hungriest soul. The menu ranges from steaks (Pepper steak with grilled vegetables and marinara is my personal favorite) to salads to stuffed potatoes to the best baked chicken I have ever had. The service is always superb as well. I’m a personal fan of the fresh cracked black pepper on my food as it is always offered. A strange note about the restaurant is they don’t serve fries, but instead serve some pretty good hash browns. My kids love them! Monday through Wednesday, they do offer a special with 45 meals under $10. Some of the better items in that special can be found for only $6.99. I’m hungry now; I think I’m going to eat there for lunch. Enjoy! To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Turbo Toast Comics is probably the best place in Columbia, Tennessee, to go to find just about any collectible. They have hundreds of comic books to pick from at any given time, many that are no longer in print and worth at least the price tag that Turbo Toast puts on them. If you enjoy reading the classic comics, or want to trade in some of your own for a little cash or credit, check this place out. In addition to their overwhelming collection of recreational literature, Turbo Toast Comics also has hundreds of collectible action figures, models, and display pieces that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else, including websites like eBay and Amazon. Classic Star Wars pieces, Gundam models from every series, old-edition Marvel action figures, and star ships from the Star Trek Universe will give any hard-core collector a giddy feeling. If that isn’t enough for you, they have dozens of DVD collections for various Anime and American cartoon series. There is very little in regards to comic books, American cartoons, Anime, fantasy, and science fiction that you won’t be able to find at Turbo Toast Comics. I give them four stars out of five. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

El Metate is a family-owned, authentic Mexican restaurant located in Dunlap, Tennessee. Don’t let the fact that this place is located in a small town north of the border fool you, the food is cooked from scratch and stays true to original Mexican recipes. El Metate is definitely worth a try, you wont be sorry. Inside you will find it is pleasantly decorated and, most importantly, clean with friendly and helpful wait staff that speak fluent english. The dining area is large enough to accomodate many needs, whether you want a table or a booth and there is seating to accomodate large dinner parties. On the menu, there is something for everyone whether you like steak, chicken, fish or vegetarian foods. I always love when I go to a Mexican restaurant and instead of only having Budweiser, there is also Mexican beer available. El Metate has a selection of Mexican beer – Dos Equis, Modelo, Pacifico – plus, a selection of Mexican soft drinks. The portion sizes are very large, you certainly get what you pay for in this case. You will probably end up having to take some home with you! A couple of other minor incentives include very clean and well maintained restrooms and a wide variety of payment options from cash to credit to the old fashioned paper check. If you want good mexican food and a good atmosphere, visit El Metate! To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Starz Ice Cream is a local, privately-owned restaurant, though you wouldn’t have been able to tell if you walked inside. The establishment is professionally organized, with clean tile walls and flooring, superior to most chain establishments in both construction and intense attention to cleanliness. The colors used are very lively, instantly creating an air that is both friendly and fun. Starz Ice Cream only uses the best brands of ice cream and frozen yogurt for their dishes, most notably Blue Bell Ice Cream. However, they have many original and classic variations of ice cream, one of their most popular dishes being the Chunky Monkey. The Chunky Monkey, costing only a couple dollars, is a good treat for any time of the year, packed with chocolates of several kinds inside of a delicious, creamy, well-blended chocolate ice cream. Located right next to Food Lion on Trotwood Avenue, Starz Ice Cream is the perfect place to stop for a good treat after any event. They also host parties for all kinds of occasions, including birthday parties. They tend to close pretty early, especially in the Winter, so make sure you stop by earlier during the day. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Toddy’s Package Store carries everything from five-dollar bottles of wine to the finest vodka and tequila in the world. In other words, it does not matter what you are looking for because you are sure to find it at Toddy’s. Conveniently located in a shopping district, Toddy’s is the place to go if you are planning a party or just looking for something for a quiet evening at home. The often have great sales, with a wide variety of wine and spirits being discounted all the time. The staff is friendly and informative and with two cash registers, there is never a long wait, even when the store is crowded. My wife and I recently stocked the bar in our new home and decided to go to Toddy’s to do it. We picked up a wide assortment of spirits and liqueurs, and were pleasantly surprised with the total. We had expected to spend much more in the process, but Toddy’s saved us a good sum of money. We have since recommended the store to all of our friends and they have all come away with similar positive experiences. If you are new to Knoxville and looking for a neighborhood package store, look no further that Toddy’s Package Store – you will not be disappointed. To find other great places in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

It’s a bar, it’s a restaurant, it’s a patio - Celtic Crossing is all of these things and you can find your niche just by picking the time of day. Memphians will find familiar faces and a friendly wait staff at this midtown Irish Pub. The food is gourmet quality, not just standard bar fare, and everyone can feel at home. The selection of draft beers will give your day a European feeling and if you like being outdoors there is a covered and uncovered patio to choose from. Inside you can sit at the bar or around the corner in a cozier smoke free room and rest assured the waiters will come find you. In the daytime it is a calm lunch spot where you can come to check the score on a sporting event. At night it transitions from an after work watering hole to a college night spot with dance music, but on Sunday expect a fine brunch with traditional live Irish music on the patio and specials on mimosas and bloody marys. The Sunday brunch is a personal favorite of mine. In addition to food and drink the atmosphere is often complimented with live performances. Look at the calendar on their website for daily events (make sure to catch Rusty Lemon) and remember that trivia night is every Wednesday. To find more great place in your area, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.

Mountain Pizza in Oliver Springs, TN, is a small pizzeria that serves the best pizza around. Their menu includes pizza, hamburgers, fries, calzones, and sandwiches. I usually despise local restaurants because their quality suffers, but Mountain Pizza is different. They deliver quickly, and to a large radius, so if you don’t feel like driving then having your food delivered won’t cost you much. You can also choose to dine-in, in which case there is an extremely large plasma TV inside, usually tuned to a sports channel. I first heard of Mountain Pizza from a friend, who said that they were so much better than the other pizza joints around Oliver Springs. Well, I was skeptical about that, so I decided to call them and see for myself. I ordered a calzone with five toppings inside. When my food promptly arrived (they had no trouble finding me) I was amazed at how good it was. These calzones aren’t frozen, and the toppings are fresh. They are handmade when you order them. So several days later I called back and had a pizza delivered, and it tasted great! I started eating at Mountain PIzza years ago. I still order pizza from Mountain Pizza at regular intervals, and every time I call, their phone is busy. It makes me happy to be able to support a local business and especially one that does such an excellent job making quality pizza. Don’t forget to check out globalYP.net, a local online directory, to find more great places in your area.

Congratulations to the GlobalYP team and all the  writers from around the country who have helped make 2009 a great year for the GlobalYP Blog! 2009 was a great year, and 2010 is sure to be even bigger and better, especially for the blog! Starting a little under a year ago, the GlobalYP Blog has flourished and exceeded expectations! We reached a milestone of the 1000th blog released back in August 2009. Over the past four months we have managed to release an additional 2000 posts, publishing our 3000th on New Year’s Eve – a great way to ring in the New Year. 

Starting the New Year off with a bang, we are pleased to announce the 3000th blog, Three Rivers Market. Located in Knoxville, TN, Three Rivers Market is a small, community-owned cooperative grocery store. The market features a wide variety of organic and natural foods, as well as household goods, supplements and body care products. 

GlobalYP and the GlobalYP Blog is dedicated to small businesses. We understand what it is a small business wants because we ourselves are a small business. In the year 2010, we hope to publish twice as many blog posts and reach out to as many small businesses as we can! Again, congratulations to the GlobalYP.net team, and stayed tuned for an amazing year to come from GlobalYP.net!

New Year’s Eve only comes once a year, so why not make the most of it? No one wants to have a boring New Year’s Eve, and that includes your plans for dinner. It’s pretty easy to find Oriental food but Kanpai of Tokyo makes and serves it with flare. Kanpai of Tokyo is a Japanese steakhouse that showcases food prepared right before your very eyes. Dining at Kanpai is like seeing a performance – they prepare your food at the grill in front of your table. Your options begin with chicken, steak, shrimp and just about any combination of the three. You can also add in fresh vegetables and rice. It’s once you’ve decided what to eat that the fun really begins. Your night is about to heat up, literally. Your chef will begin a dazzling display of speed and dexterity. Knives and spatulas spin, flip and fly as your meal takes shape in front of you. Who knew cooking could be so much fun? During the preparation of the meal the chef will light up the night with a burst of flame.  A meal at Kanpai of Tokyo is certainly no dull affair. Start your New Year’s Eve off on the right foot with a delicious and entertaining dinner at Kanpai of Tokyo. To find more great places during the Holiday Season, visit globalYP.net, a local online directory.