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Best Business Name You Won't Soon Forget:

wild chicken coffee, tea and specialty drinks

So dubbed by owner Charlotte Reynolds because it reflects my sense of humor, Wild Chicken Coffee, Tea & Specialty Drinks, new to Loomis since mid-January, is a neighborly joint for a neighborly town. A giant chicken sculpture greets you at the door, kitschy chicken art adorns the store, chicken cards allow regulars to earn free drinks, and an honor system coffee bar lets customers pour and pay for their own cup o' joe without waiting in line. Twenty varieties of hand-rolled loose-leaf teas, roasted-on-the-premises coffee and baked goods feed the stomach. Live music, Thursday-evening barbecues and coffee roasting and tasting sessions the third Saturday of the month feed the community spirit. (3640 Taylor Road, Loomis;
916-652-3332)

Best Model TV Star:

sara albert

She made it to No. 4 on the highly competitive&emdash;and unabashedly entertaining&emdash;America's Next Top Model. Now, this Davis native is pursing modeling as a career, recently signing with Elite Model Management and L. A. Models. What? You heard that she lacked passion? That, and the fact that she was discovered Lana Turner fashion while shopping at a mall (a tidbit fans of the show heard ad nauseam), are comments Albert, 22, has been responding to since she appeared on Season 6 of the popular reality show. But the 6-foot-1-inch Georgetown University graduate, former Division 1 volleyball player (and reputed season favorite of show host Tyra Banks' mom) takes it all in stride&emdash;as if she were already striding down the catwalk.

Best Place to Keep Current:

newsbeat

Carrying some 2,000 titles from all around the world, this downtown shop is Utopia for magazine and newspaper aficionados. Where else can you find the Al-Ahram Weekly, The Sacramento Bee and the National Inquirer under one roof? Still can't find what you're looking for? Newsbeat staff will see if they can. (1005 L St., Sacramento; 916-448-2874. Also in Davis at 514 Third St.; 530-756-6247)

Best Club For Air Apparents:

valley broadcast legends

Chances are you've never seen most of these celebrities' faces&emdash;but you know their voices. Every other month, the Valley Broadcast Legends, a group of more than 40 local past and present radio stars&emdash;and some who made the transition to TV&emdash;converge on the Buggy Whip Restaurant to swap stories and mingle. [Legends] is mostly a social group, says president Walt Shaw, the public affairs director for Sacramento's CBS radio stations. Founded in 2001 by radio personalities Maxine Carlin, Joyce Krieg, Harry Warren and Charlie Duncan, the group is keeping the glory days of the airwaves alive. At any given meeting, Krieg may recount her experience as the first female radio announcer on KFBK or others may speak of their radio or TV days. Age isn't a requirement for membership: The group is open to budding broadcasters who may not have 20-plus years of experience in the field but want to. That's how Legends live on.