Shop Talk: ShopTalk

by Dona van Bronkhorst

MOVING UP . . . Judith A. Frost & Company, a fine furniture consignment store has moved from 81 Encina Ave. to 67 Encina Ave. and expanded by 1,000 square feet. The mix of furniture, fine china and accessories is as eclectic as ever. An American Hoosier kitchen cabinet, complete with its bins and drawers, is $800. Hepplewhite chairs, circa 1790, are $1,650 for four. A Victorian-era side chair, carved with scrolls and a rosebud, is $225. Check out the "Bernhardt" blond wood dining table, chairs and china hutch. It's big, bold and straight from the 1950s. Judith Frost has other French, Italian and Asian antique and vintage pieces ranging from dining room sets to settees, from old trunks to old Imari. Here's a ShopTalk challenge. This wooden box is about 12 inches wide, 16 inches tall, including the wooden spikes, and 5 inches deep with a handle. A ShopTalk shopping bag goes to the first reader to correctly identify this item. Judith Frost doesn't mind phone calls, but store hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call, fax or e-mail me with your answer and your name and phone number. Call 326-8210, Ext. 357; fax 948-4580; or e-mail to Donavb@aol.com.

MOVING OUT . . . Norney's, a stationery, office supply and party goods store, is going out of business at San Antonio Shopping Center. The family-owned business has been in the area for 43 years and once had six locations, including one at Stanford Shopping Center. Norney's was one of the first tenants at San Antonio Shopping Center, opening a store there in 1961. During Norney's going-out-of-business sale everything in the store is 40-50 percent off original prices. More markdowns are expected as the sale goes on. Store owner Bob Gamble expects the store to remain open through July.

MOVING IN . . . Lucky Sav-on will move into the former Best store at San Antonio Shopping Center, next to Mervyn's and New York Fabrics. The combination grocery store and drug store with pharmacy will include 43,000 square feet on the ground floor. The second floor and 14,000-square-foot mezzanine will be used as a stockroom and for food preparation, according to Karen Ramos, spokeswoman for Lucky. The new Lucky will have a bakery, a deli serving hot and cold foods, a floral department, banking facilities and a photo department, as well as the usual grocery, meat and produce departments. Lucky plans to hire 150-200 people to staff the new store. A December '98 opening is planned.

HIDDEN TREASURES . . . Just inside the front doors to the Palo Alto Cultural Center is a tiny treasure trove of a gift shop, The Gallery Shop. Artist Michael Kahn is into bugs--on earthenware bowls, plates and platters. The 12-inch fly bowl is $60. The grasshopper tray is 8 inches by 5 inches and is $24. He's done bees, mosquitoes and, hottest seller in the New York market, cockroaches. Kahn's work has just been accepted into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute. Kazuko Matthew's also works in earthenware. This checkerboard teapot is about 12 inches tall, but only 4 inches thick. It's $275. The coordinating cup is $30. You'll find other works of art in jewelry, glass, wood and metal at this little shop. Shop proceeds benefit the Cultural Center Guild, which funds special programs at the center. The center, located at 1313 Newell Road, is closed on Mondays.

FALL FASHION . . . We finally get some summer weather, but fall is already on sale at Nordstrom. The once-a-year Nordstrom Anniversary sale features preseason savings on new fall fashions beginning Friday, July 17, at 7 a.m. The sale is over Sunday, Aug. 2. After that prices go up and Anniversary merchandise becomes part of the regular fall selection.

WINNERS . . . Weekly readers Jane Millman and Elaine Gradman won ShopTalk shopping bags for their tips this week. For a chance to win your own ShopTalk bag, phone, fax or e-mail your best shopping tip with your name and phone number. Call 326-8210, Ext. 357; fax 948-4580; or e-mail to Donavb@aol.com.

Send tips about store openings and closings, great deals and places to buy interesting things to Dona van Bronkhorst, ShopTalk, Palo Alto Weekly, P.O. Box 1610, Palo Alto, CA 94302. You can also leave a message for ShopTalk 24 hours a day at 326-8291, ext. 357, or send e-mail to shopping@paweekly.com

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