| The Nose Knows
by Maggie "the beagle" Barriatua
as conveyed to Jennifer Liebrum
Finally! A research project I can really sink my teeth into. People will see that I'm not just a friendly face and a chick magnet for my best friend Tony. I'm an icon in waiting, an idol without a following, a model without a contract! Uh—I stray. Basically, I'm a dog without an income but that's about to change. I've got a driver and a license to pursue!
First, I must shop. North & Co. in Hailey, here I come. They won for best clothing store for both men and women. Owner Jennifer Hazard Davis greets me while Tony slips into something more Sun Valley casual.
"They say you're the best," he yells over the dressing room door. "How do you do it?"
"Excellent service, great clothes, good location," Davis explains. "And we adore our locals and treat them like celebrities. When the rich and famous come in, we keep it to ourselves, just the way they like it."
Davis cuts the tags off Tony's new Lucky Brand jeans and looks for some bling for my collar. His credit card is barely approved when I get a whiff of a man in black with spiky blonde hair heading south on Main Street.
I've seen this face before. But I can't put my paw on it, so, I put my nose to it and give chase.
"Maggie, is that Billy Idol?" I hear Tony say. I follow the sage-scented man as he crosses the road and enters a gray, concrete edifice embraced by a lush, flower-filled garden. Lurking in the bushes, I rely on my keen powers of observation to assess the situation. The man enters the kitchen and places a toque on his head. They say all dogs go to heaven and that's no lie! I've just found C.K., Chris Kastner! He won valley's best chef and his place, CK's Real Food, got best overall restaurant. This guy I need to know. A girl can have more than one best friend, right?
Holly Leininger offers us patio seats. She tells Tony that CK's has one of the valley's top three desserts. He gives me those puppy dog eyes I can't resist, so I agree to chill for a bit and just enjoy the smells of the fresh herb garden while Tony visits with Holly. The girl can work a tip, too. She reminds Tony that when he does have a lovely lady (other than me) to entertain, CK's also was ranked the third most romantic dinner restaurant. That's why she's one of the valley's best! But we gotta move on, so I give Tony the look that says "I need to pee," and we are back on the street. I go through the motions so I can organize my thoughts. I did NOT use CK's bushes.
Tony needs a little caffeine to clear the sugar haze, so I take him to Hailey Coffee Co., where the town's No. 1 barista, Carrie Morgridge, whips up a gold-medal cup of joe. Now he's ready for me to show him the valley's best retailer, Sturtevants. I've been dying for him to get a sassy bike for me to run alongside with and I'm going to see if I can entice him with a walk through the best bike retailer in the valley. Staffer Chris Clark could see Tony was a bit overwhelmed by the fabulous selection of flashy cruisers. With almost beagle-like intuition, Chris sees what I've got my eye on and that I'm giving Tony my "Daddy, I want it" look. Before you know it, he's telling Tony how he knew a guy who got a girlfriend while out riding this same bike (the bike I want) with his dog.
Chris reminds Tony that Sturtevants was voted as having the best ski equipment in town, too. He adds Tony's name to the mailing list, and promises to alert him to upcoming sales by email. Owner Rob Santa says it's that attention to detail that is the reason Sturtevants won the award for best customer service. "It's not always easy, but we strive to provide every customer with a positive experience, every time. Each person's expectation and paradigm is unique, so careful listening is essential to successful interaction. Our people are passionate about the sports we represent."
Tony takes a phone call and I overhear that first-time company is coming to town. This is a perfect opportunity to get a whiff of what the valley's best hotel has to offer. We were invited to sniff around and liked what we saw, so Tony booked a cozy room at the historic Sun Valley Lodge. The visitors also said they wanted to bone up on their fishing, so I led Tony to Silver Creek Outfitters in Ketchum for a little mano a mano at the No. 1 fishing shop with the No. 1 fishing guide, Brian Richter. Owner Terry Ring says praise makes them happy, "but we're never satisfied. We are always looking for ways to deliver a better experience. We have great customers who are served by employees who love their work."
All this talk about fish has made this chicken lover hungry, but I've got miles to go before I can rest. Tony, though, needs a beverage. Perfect time to check out Zou 75 in Hailey. We get there in time for happy hour, and can sample one of their gold-medal cocktails and nosh on a California roll before we call it a night. Glancing around, I notice two young lovers seated in the back room where there are pillows for chairs and chopsticks for utensils. "This place was voted the best Asian cuisine around," the young man says to his date. "And, it's the best place to take a first date." I give Tony the "they should get a room" look and we beat a retreat.
Up early the next day, I take Tony for an eye-opener and the best breakfast around at Perry's in Ketchum. Paula and Keith know me and make sure I have a nice bowl of water and Tony shares a mouth-watering Blackstone Benedict for two with me. It doesn't take a licensed professional to see how this dynamic duo keep their restaurant in the top three year after year. "We strive to treat our customers as extended family and provide wholesome fresh food at an excellent price," says Paula. "Nearly everything we serve is made from scratch from the freshest ingredients available locally and regionally. And, we love what we do."
I'm on a deadline, so after a walk about town checking out a few more shops and strolling through a few galleries, I see some of our office mates hanging out at Grumpy's, which was voted the best place to get a beer and while away an evening.
Just as an ice-cold schooner arrives, I see the sign, "No dogs." "But she's a working dog," Tony protests. "Down the beer and let's go," I tell him with my sharpest bark.
It's time to check out Atkinsons' Market. I know I'm going to have to let Tony handle this one, but he'll be in good hands. The grocer won first for best meat, produce and fish departments. They'll help him make good choices. Robert Barndett III, the butcher, doesn't disappoint. He gets Tony a few choice cuts for me and a giant piece of salmon that he plans to try making sushi with. It's almost like Robert sensed Tony wasn't good in the kitchen and that there would be a lot of do-overs. He talks him into a slab that was as big and as beautiful as his favorite beagle.
A few hours—or was that just seconds ago?—Tony's given up on sushi rolling and he needs a boost of beverage encouragement and some company, so I take him to the Ketchum Main Street strip. I never drink on the job, so I'm going to have to sit and observe from the outside. He goes into the Sawtooth Club, reported to have the best happy hour around, and I see he's well taken care of by the valley's best waitress, Aly Swindley, and is enjoying the atmosphere. Tom Nickel, who owns two winning hot spots, says, "It's the great people I've been fortunate to work with over the years. The best co-workers, colleagues and friends you could ask for!" I bounce off the glass a bit to get Tony's attention and drag him into a crowd of sports fans heading over to Lefty's to grab a seat at the No. 1 bar in town to watch a game. Convinced voters were right, I run a pattern through the place when someone leaves a door ajar, signaling Tony to follow me out and up to The Roosevelt to catch the sunset from the rooftop deck. We could have stayed at Lefty's for the best sunset view, but we'll be closer to Whiskey Jacques' for a beer and Triple Nixon tunes later.
By Sunday, I'll admit, I was feeling a little sluggish, and not cute, so we start the day at the Bluebird Day Cafe in Ketchum. After a faboosh breakfast at the valley's best new restaurant, we were smiling again. One of the owners, B.J. Sullivan, says that's a frequent response. "We believe our friends, guests and customers always leave with a smile, not just because they had great food and service but because they had a good time." I decide Tony needs some new hiking boots and I need a yoga mat, so we go to see Bob Rosso at The Elephant's Perch, winner of the best overall outdoor gear shop.
Tony also got some new swim trunks. He's thinking he'll try out the Wood River Y's status as best swimming pool. I decide to stick to my yoga out front. Check out my cobra pose! Feeling refreshed, I take Tony to Bigwood Bread to get a picnic for us to enjoy later.
I just love their yummy bread. It is indeed the best locally made product. Then, it's back to Atkinsons' to pick up a bottle from their bronze-medal wine shop, some cheese and fruit. Tony's phone rings. It's my editor reminding him that we still haven't visited The Cornerstone, voted best new business. I'm ready to sit a spell, so we make our way to our last stop. Tony promises to stop in and try one of their silver-medal cocktails at the bar.
I'm worn out from all this fun, so I'm going to end this report at the valley's best free live music event, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony. They're doing, "Peter and the Wolf." I feel like I've given you an ankle-level view of the valley. I'm going to stretch out on the grass, let my ears fall back a bit and just listen. If you had hearing like mine, you could hear it while you read this. I can see Tony has his eye on someone in the orchestra. I'm going to loiter around later and see if I can strike a chord between the two of them after the show. Hey, it's my job.
I've done the legwork—now, it's your turn. Tell them Maggie sent you."
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