Seven Daysies: Annual Guide to Readers' Picks

Best eyeglasses

Eyes of the World

Winner: 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.

For the last decade, Danny Thomas has been Seven Days readers’ undisputed Eye Guy. His shop, Eyes of the World, has won best eyeglasses store for 10 years running, and the winning streak continues in 2012. Obviously, customers don’t trust their peepers and snazzy eyewear to Thomas just because of his shop’s hippie moniker — a nod to the Grateful Dead song of the same name — or the Jerry Garcia guitar noodling that always seems to be playing in the background. But Thomas concedes that “Eyes of the World” has more curb appeal than the name his father gave the business when he opened it in Columbus, Ohio, in 1949: Optical Service.

SEVEN DAYS: If you weren’t a Deadhead, what name would you have chosen? Did you have other ideas?

DANNY THOMAS: No, not really. That was the name I had in my mind for about 30 years ... But a song that was on in my car on the way in today was “In Your Eyes,” which is a song by Peter Gabriel, done by a Dartmouth a cappella group. It’s a wonderful version. Really quite nice.

—Ken Picard

2012 Runner-up: Lenscrafters

Past Winners

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