Best Smoothie

While Ari Shapiro was living in San Francisco running his mountain-bike clothing company, he developed a fondness for those frozen-fruit drinks known as smoothies. There was no shortage of smoothie shops, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't seem to find the smoothie he was looking for--one containing nothing but the highest-quality, freshest ingredients available. So he began making them. Fast-forward a few years, to Shapiro's relocation to Tucson and his opening of Xoom Juice, a repository for the skills that he developed while perfecting his home smoothies. With a sleek modern decor and logo that lead many to believe the shops are a national chain, along with art on the walls, free Internet access and a magazine selection that closely resembles a newsstand, plus a board that apprises customers of worthwhile upcoming musical performances (Shapiro is a devout music fan), Xoom Juice would be a fun place to visit even if it didn't sell smoothies.

Runners up:

2. Jamba Juice, Various locations
3. Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, 3360 E. Speedway Blvd., 795-9844; 7133 N. Oracle Road, 297-5394