Gore Design Co.

The artisans behind Gore Design Co. describe themselves as “purveyors of fine concrete,” which sums up their intense love of the raw material as well as their sense of humor. Both shine through every sink, every countertop, every fireplace they build, making them one of the most standout design firms in Arizona today.

As the Website says, the company started in 2004 with one man (that would be Brandon Gore), a desire to work with concrete and a lot of credit cards. Since then, several designers have joined his creative team to help craft custom pieces of furniture for businesses and residences around the Valley using eco-friendly techniques.

Although Gore’s furniture is stark and minimalistic, it manages to come to life, like the signature erosion sink, which mimics the weathered walls of a canyon, like the lines of a topographic map, or the countertops with inlaid glass or leaf detail.

Four years after launching, Gore states it’s “a full-blown green design studio. Fewer credit cards. One guy plus a small creative team who’ve decided this is where they want to be. We’re a little off-kilter. We like caffeine. We were damaged by soul-draining corporate jobs. We’ve recovered.”

Info: 2111 S. Industrial Park Ave., Studio 115, Tempe, 480-209-4241, goredesignco.com

Virtual Golf at CrossWoods

By the time you finish an 18-hole round of golf in Phoenix, you’re usually near the point of heat exhaustion. Suddenly, the friendly confines of the clubhouse look like a mirage.

Now a Gilbert-based golf center has combined suds and fun with perfect golf weather and scenery by offering virtual reality golf.

For $25, go caddyless, cartless and forget that slow foursome ahead of you by trying CrossWoods Indoor Golf Center. Here, players use 10 simulators – platforms with computerized visuals from real-world courses – to sample courses such as Spyglass and St. Andrews without breaking a sweat.

But beware: Like high-def television, these simulators show flaws in detail. They measure spin and trajectory, so don’t expect to find an escape from that wicked slice.

If the simulators straighten out your swing, celebrate at the 19th hole. For $12, try the beer-battered shrimp with a microbrew.

Info: 5222 E. Baseline Rd., Ste. 110, Gilbert, 480-654-4653, crosswoodsgolf.com

Noble Beast Pet Shop

After one trip to Noble Beast pet shop in central Phoenix, you’ll wonder why you’re not eating as well as some of the Valley’s most pampered pups and cats. This new venture, started by locals Marsha Mardock and Alison Chandler, specializes in organic and holistic pet foods made with human-grade meat, organic veggies and no unhealthy fillers, chemicals or pesticides.

In addition, you’ll find cool, eco-friendly grooming products, toys, beds (check out the bed made out of recycled soda bottles), collars, leashes, dish ware, carriers, camping gear and gifts. And for the cat ladies in the house, Noble Beast doesn’t skimp on products for kitty like most pet stores.

Don’t think you can find anything cool at a store that prides itself on all things natural and organic? One look at the wall-o-collars, which features everything from rhinestones to biker leather, and you’ll quickly change your mind. Meow.

Info: 1005 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-4223, noblebeastpets.com

Equation of Time Watch

The expert watchmakers of Switzerland outdid themselves this time. Audemar has created a mechanical watch specifically for Phoenix’s longitude and latitude, and it will only tell time correctly for this area. The Equation of Time watch retails for a heart-stopping $78,000 and is crafted in 18-carat rose gold. But the beauty is the engineering underneath.

The watch tells the time of sunrise and sunset in the Valley within one minute, every day of the year. It even keeps track of the phases of the moon. (Because wouldn’t you like a little warning when it’s a full moon?)

And most spectacular of all, especially for all the math geeks out there, it regularly calculates the difference between real time and mathematical time. (A quick primer: Our 24-hour clock makes things simple, but real time is always a little ahead or behind. This is why we have leap years to even things out.)

Oh yes, the watch automatically adjusts for leap year every four years, too. “You can do anything like this electronically,” says Mark Carmody, vice president of Molina. “To do it mechanically, this is extraordinary. It’s an amazing feat in engineering and precision.” Audemar makes the watches for other cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Geneva and Dubai.

Info: Molina Fine Jewelers, 3134 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-955-2055, finejeweler.com

Local First Arizona

Quick – name a handful of independent businesses in the Valley that aren’t restaurants. If you need help, just ask Kimber Lanning. She knows all 1,230 of them, because they are all dues-paying members of Local First Arizona.

The merchant group is a fairly new nonprofit organization designed to promote local, independent businesses as the preferred alternative to chains. It’s a classic David-versus-Goliath battle waged with wine tastings, art walks and festivals for crafts, produce, baked goods, food and even historic homes.

Lanning runs Stinkweeds record store on Camelback Road near Central Avenue and serves as the group’s executive director. Its mission is to create a “unique atmosphere that sets Arizona apart from Anytown USA,” according to the group’s Website.

This is important, Lanning says, because most Phoenix residents are from somewhere else. Many come from cities that have identities through locally owned restaurants and shops, such as Boston or Chicago.

Those who think Phoenix has no soul should take note of the group’s growth, Lanning says. “We’re getting a critical density of those of us who care,” she says.

To help make Local First a household name, the group produced a pocket-sized guide to local businesses in January, highlighting more than 70 Local First members that set up shop from 15th Avenue to 16th Street in Phoenix. The next version of this “Small Wonders” map will highlight independent businesses in Scottsdale.

Info: localfirstaz.com

Go Kat Go

Calling all cool cats. Go Kat Go, which specializes in mid-20th century Modern decór, gifts, accessories and clothing, is one little hotbed of funk, trumping the kookiest, coolest gear from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. The store moved into the space formally occupied by Haus Modern Living near Seventh Street and Camelback Road last year, and it’s been fitting into its retro-friendly neighborhood ever since.

Here you’ll find all the accessories you need to look like a ’50s greaser, rockabilly babe or all-around punk.

As the Website states, you’ll find everything from “odd to Mod,” including vintage cigarette holders, Bettie Page pin-up playing cards, ’50s-style hubcaps, hot-rod headlights, and all the skull-and-crossbones bling a bad cat could want. The merchandise may be a little kitschy, but we’ll take kitschy and cool over dull and dowdy any day.

If you can’t manage to make it down to the store, visit Go Kat’s online outlet for plenty of shopping opportunities, as well as a photo gallery of ’suped up classic cars and choppers from proud owners around the Valley.

Info: 5102 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-277-8528, go-kat-go.com